Week one of the Magic Millions carnival is in the books, and there’s no dressing it up any other way – this was an absolute Queensland domination.
Seven of the ten winners on the card were locally trained. Tony Gollan led the charge with a treble, Les Ross and Kelly Schweida chimed in with a double, while the Munce and Sears stables added further local bragging rights. If there was any lingering doubt about the strength of the Queensland stables heading into the Millions, Saturday put that to bed.
There was also a nice sense of told-you-so about the day. Two weeks ago, we flagged Miss Joelene and Scripted as key horses to follow in these races. Miss Joelene delivered in emphatic style, while Scripted was desperately unlucky to finish runner-up after doing plenty wrong.
Our Gold Coast guru Blair Gibson takes a look back at the key performances looking ahead to next Saturday’s massive Magic Millions card.
The juveniles: promise, speed and polish
The two-year-old races were always going to shape the narrative for the week ahead.
Itchintogo did exactly what was expected in the Colts and Geldings race. He jumped cleanly, took control early and was never in danger, bolting in with authority. The only slight knock is the depth of the race – the remainder were first starters and he may have been a touch flattered. Still, the way he powered through the line was encouraging, particularly with the step up to 1200 metres next week.
If there was a juvenile win that really caught the eye, it was the fillies race.
Shiki was electric. She took a sit, travelled beautifully and then produced a sharp turn of foot at the top of the straight to put a winning break on them. She was strong late and held them comfortably. There will be queries around her at 1200 metres, but with a good draw and a patient ride, that acceleration could prove decisive. Hold her up for another 100 metres and she looks right in the mix for the classic.
Miss Joelene marches on
Later in the card, Miss Joelene made it back-to-back wins in The Wave over 1800 metres, and she did it with the authority of a mare at the peak of her powers. She’s in scintillating form and this was another deserved result.
She backs up next week in the 2200 metre event, a race in which she placed last year, and it’s fair to say she’s going even better this time around. Mares in form are one of racing’s great money-makers, and she fits that profile perfectly.
And don’t underestimate Encoder either. He’ll back up as well and continues to be a remarkable money-spinner for his connections, turning up week after week and giving a sight.
