Swift Witness new favourite for Magic Millions Classic after barrier draw
Runaway Aquis Gold Pearl (1100m) winner Swift Witness (Star Witness) firmed into favourite last night for Saturday’s $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) after getting the best of a barrier draw that dented the hopes of many of her leading market rivals.
The sight of horses galloping along the sands of Surfers Paradise in the early morning light before trainers and owners, donning their best smart–casual Gold Coast attire, step up to draw barriers for the Classic and its three-year-old equivalent, the $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (RL, 1400m), has become synonymous with the Magic Millions raceday.
Even amidst a pandemic that had days earlier shut down neighbouring Brisbane, only an ambling drive up the M1 away, there were few signs of Covid-19 on a picturesque beach morning as crowds still turned out to witness one of the most famous barrier draws in world racing.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Swift Witness, a $260,000 purchase from Widden Stud’s draft at last year’s sale, came up with gate 11 for the Classic – coming into eight should the emergencies fail to gain a start – while her primary market rivals She’s All Class (I Am Invincible) and Finance Tycoon (Written Tycoon) drew 18 and 21 respectively.
Swift Witness did finish almost five lengths from She’s All Class in the Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic (RL, 1100m), but Bott – who is searching for his first Classic, while his training partner Waterhouse seeks her fifth – believes his filly is capable of turning that margin around.
“It’s fair to say she’s closed the gap on She’s All Class who had the benefit of race experience over us at Wyong,” Bott said. “She’s All Class is still the one to beat and I’ve got huge respect for her.
“She’s probably improved since her Wyong win but so too has Swift Witness.”
Swift Witness put herself firmly into calculations with an effortless three-length win last weekend and she will be aiming to become the fifth winner in seven years to back up within a week.
“Midfield is a good draw for us,” Bott said. “She’s got enough tactical speed to be able to lead if needed or she can take a sit like she did at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
“It’s an ideal draw as we can assess the pattern of racing on the day before deciding the best way to ride her.”
Brenton Avdulla will take the ride as he looks to go one better than his second on Stellar Pauline (Not A Single Doubt) last year, while Sydney counterpart James McDonald will be legged up on usurped favourite She’s All Class.
While the Chris Waller-trained She’s All Class may have drawn wide, managing part-owner Brae Sokolski is looking on the bright side.
“I am trying to be philosophical and take a glass half-full approach to it and I’d rather that than drawing one,” Sokolski told Racing.com. “I do think she’s the best horse in the race and I do want to make sure she stays out of trouble so as long as James gets some cover from that alley, I don’t mind her being wide and she’s good enough to win it still.
“It could have been worse as we could come into 13 and we do have three very good horses (Fake Love, Finance Tycoon and Miss Hipstar) to our outside.”
She’s All Class finished third to Captivant (Capitalist) in the Victory Vein Plate (1000m) before producing a dominant performance at Wyong. Sokolski feels that his filly will be entering the Classic ready to peak.
“She’s come on since last start and Chris is rapt in her condition,” he said. “I went to see her a couple of days ago and she looks enormous. We couldn’t have her in a better spot and she is absolutely primed to run the race of her life on Saturday.
“The beauty of this filly, she’s not like one of those quick ready-made two-year-olds. She’s actually got a lot of substance to her and we’re convinced she’s going to be a better three-year-old so there’s so much ahead of her.”
Also joining Bott and Waller in chasing a first Magic Millions 2YO Classic are co-trainers Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, although Finance Tycoon will jump from the outside gate no matter what happens.
“Finance Tycoon does have good gate speed, he will jump well but he will be wide,” Hayes said. “There’s not much we can do about it now, we just have to go with the flow.
“Hopefully from that good position, Luke Nolen has to do a bit of magic, and he can run a big race.”
Local hope Alpine Edge (Better Than Ready) is the only other horse in single figures, with father-son partnership Toby and Trent Edmonds aiming to add another Classic after Houtzen’s (I Am Invincible) success in 2017.
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace took out last year’s Classic with Away Game (Snitzel) and their representative in Saturday’s contest – Debutant Stakes (Listed, 1000m) winner Fake Love (I Am Invincible) – has also drawn wide in barrier 20.
While accepting of the potential issues created by the stall, Eustace said the booking of Glen Boss was a significant positive in helping to negate any problems in the run.
“It’s a shame. We would have loved to have got a better barrier,” Eustace told Racing.com. “We are happy with her and that’s the main thing.
“Bossy is actually very confident that riding her quiet we are going to see the best of her. That’s probably what we are going to have to do from there, I think.
“Obviously we will have a chat about it and see how the race shapes up. We’ve got Bossy on, we’ve drawn 20 – we don’t need to make too many plans, he will work it out.”
Whereas the Magic Millions 2YO Classic draw revolved around the poor gates allocated to a number of leading contenders, it was a different story in the Guineas as top fancies Isotope (Deep Field) and Away Game drew gates seven and three respectively.
The fields for the remaining features will be released this morning.