Classic field is packed
EF Troop and Sunlight are the slight favourites for the watertight Magic Millions 2YO Classic following the declaration of the final field of 16 plus four emergencies.
Newcastle speedster and former favourite Jonker is at $4.80 and the only other runner under double figures ahead of today’s barrier draw.
Both the Tony McEvoytrained Sunlight and the David Atkins-trained Jonker were $26 in original markets on Saturday’s $2 million race at the Gold Coast.
EF Troop, from the Tony Gollan stable, opened at $15 while the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Bondi is now at $14 after being as short as $8.
Nomothaj, who won the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes in October in which Sunlight was third on debut as favourite, is also at $13.
The Lindsay Park-trained filly has not raced since but has had two barrier trials in Sydney.
“She trialled really well last Friday week. We put the blinkers on her and she won the trial quite convincingly,” co-trainer Ben Hayes said.
“The blinkers seemed to really wake her up.
“She’s been set her for that race and it just leaves the option open to run in some of the nicer races later in the autumn.”
Sunlight trainer McEvoy’s decision to take a different tack is paying off.
Months ago McEvoy took a look at the record books and decided he needed to try something different if she was to win the Magic Millions.
Five months later most of the plan has worked with the filly winning her two starts in Queensland to be in the top three in Magic Millions Classic markets after being as much as $41 a month ago.
Melbourne-Adelaide based McEvoy believes history shows it is vital for a horse to have had at least one start in Queensland before winning the Classic.
The records bear out his assessment as in the 10 years since Augusta Proud won in 2008 only Capitalist and Karuta Queen have won the race without a start here.
Trained by Leon Macdonald in Adelaide, Augusta Proud is the last horse not trained in Queensland or NSW to win the race.