Queen crowns Golden double for Edmonds’ in Nugget and Pearl
Co-trainers Toby and Trent Edmonds yesterday dominated the two-year-old racing at the Gold Coast, winning both divisions of the “last chance” qualifier for Saturday’s $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m).
The father and son training combination left the track with a guaranteed 2YO Classic runner – should they take up the option – plus a Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) prospect and high hopes overall after quinellaing the fillies juvenile and preparing first and third in the males division of this significant race which was split for the first time.
Initially, looking to next Saturday alone, it appeared they may have undone themselves when debutante Queen Kay (Zoustar) upstaged stablemate and favourite Smart ’N’ Sexy (Smart Missile) – and possibly denied her a run in the rich two-year-old Classic – in the Gold Pearl (1100m) for the fillies.
“She’s very green and raw,” Edmonds senior said of the winner, “but it is a shame the other horse not winning because a win would have put her into next week’s race. We’re going to put blinkers on her (Smart ‘n’ Sexy) if she gets in next week.”
Any misgivings, however, were swept aside 40 minutes later when Wisdom Of Water (Headwater) claimed the Gold Nugget (1100m) from Godolphin’s Conceited (Brazen Beau), who was already assured a berth next week, and the winner’s stablemate The Drinks Cart (Unencumbered).
The Newhaven Park raised and Emmanuel Bloodstock owned Queen Kay, ineligible for the Magic Millions but nominated for the Golden Slipper, won by a nose from Smart ’N’ Sexy whose tardy getaway may have been costly. Her $45,000 in earnings may still be enough, pending the attrition rate, to secure a start next week.
Wisdom Of Water, the first emergency for yesterday’s race, took his earnings to $76,000 for owners Golden East Horse and will “back up” next week provided he “does well” according to Toby Edmonds who won the 2017 2YO Classic with Houtzen (I Am Invincible) who also won the Saturday before the Gold Coast grand final.
Indeed, four of the past five Magic Millions 2YO Classic winners, had won the Gold Coast two-year-old – not previously gender split – seven days earlier. Exhilarates (Snitzel), Sunlight (Zoustar) and Le Chef (Exceed And Excel) joining Houtzen in that feat.
“It’s been a great effort by this colt as he’s been on a really thin timeline to get here,” Edmonds said of Wisdom Of Water who was offered by Eureka Stud and knocked down to Blandford Bloodstock, for $70,000, on behalf of his Chinese owners.
“He knows he’s a colt. Not colty in the sense he does the things colts want to do but he just knows he’s strong and he wants to put it over you,” Edmonds continued.
“It was a good effort, he got off the bit and he’s very green and he’ll take a stack of improvement from that run today. If he pulls up well he’ll be a good chance next week.”
Winning jockey Robbie Fradd predicted improvement to come from the colt.
“Last time at Eagle Farm, he was on the bunny too quick and I think he’s better ridden quiet,” Fradd said.
“He can be a bit naughty but racing will settle him down and he’ll get better and better.”
Ryan Maloney, who won on Queen Kay, was similarly taken with the filly who won on debut.
“When Matt (McGillivray who rode Smart ’N’ Sexy) went around them I thought I guess I’ve missed the boat so I had to go back to the inside,” Maloney said.
“For a filly with limited exposure she put them to the sword when I really got at her….just the sign of a nice horse in the making.”
Maloney, fresh from a Boxing day treble and two recent stakes wins aboard the exciting Alligator Blood (All Too Hard), will partner that horse in next Saturday’s $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (RL, 1400m) for which the David Vandyke-trained gelding is a short-priced favourite.
Wisdom Of Water, as much as 100/1 earlier in the week for the 2YO Classic, is now a $13 chance in TAB fixed odds markets while runner-up Conceited – who is likely to relish the rise from 1100 to 1200 metres – is $9. The top four in the betting remain $6 Aim (Star Witness), $7 Farnan (Not A Single Doubt), $8 Every Rose (Choisir) and $8 King’s Legacy (Redoute’s Choice).
Godolphin, who re-commenced buying yearlings in 2018, had immediate success with their $600,000 Gold Coast purchase Exhilarates winning last year’s Classic and Conceited, a $625,000 purchase from Amarina Farm gives the operation a chance to go back-to-back in the two-year-old feature while Exhilarates is on the fourth line of betting for the Guineas.
Yesterday’s meeting featured four $250,000 races to effectively expand the Magic Millions carnival to a two day event – ahead of next Saturday’s card, highlighted by the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic and the $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas, along with five other $1 million races.
Newhaven Park offers a Zoustar colt (Lot 715), at this year’s Gold Coast Yearling sale, the first foal from city winning juvenile Saga Of The Storm, a half sister to Queen Kay.