Coolangatta came, saw and conquered
THE racecaller anointed her the hottest girl on the Gold Coast and Coolangatta might just be the hottest filly in racing after taking out the Magic Millions 2YO Classic in a ding-dong battle against Russian Conquest.
A raging odds-on favourite since markets opened, trainer Ciaron Maher has carried the weight of expectation with Coolangatta since her debut win in the Gimcrack in October but he delivered on the biggest stage to land the $2m race.
Maher and co-trainer David Eustace have done their best to keep a lid on the hype surrounding their filly in the lead up to the race while
superstar jockey James McDonald has gone to great lengths to ensure he is free to ride her.
Acknowledging the long build up, Maher said Saturday’s triumph was more of a relief than anything as he now sets her for a Group 1 Golden Slipper campaign in the Sydney autumn carnival.
“There is a big team but this is what it is all about,” Maher said. “To win on the big days is what it is all about.
“It was a long build up with her, she was favourite for a long time. It’s a relief when they start those odds and eventually win.”
Rarely can a horse live up to the boom placed on it after one start but Maher has managed
to maintain the rage with Coolangatta, who now has $1.4m next to her name after three starts.
McDonald was cool, calm and collected when dealt barrier 13 and managed to get her one off the fence before the turn before confidently popping out three wide.
While she cruised up in her typically dominant fashion, there were nervous moments for favourite backers and connections when McDonald suddenly asked for her top effort.
The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Russian Conquest ($5.50) threw down the gauntlet under Kerrin McEvoy when she ranged up at the 300m mark, with the pair eventually clearing out on the
rest of the field.
Just as she looked ready to roll the favourite however, McDonald dug deep into his bag of tricks to get a final effort out of Coolangatta which saw her find again and win in a tight finish.
“He might have gone a bit early,” Maher laughed. “When he went early he made me a little bit nervous. He is good under pressure, he is a great man and a great jockey and he knew what he had underneath him.”
McDonald cut short a lucrative trip to Hong Kong in December to ensure he would be back in Australia long enough to ride Coolangatta on Boxing Day and Saturday’s success is the culmination of a long-term plan.
“She has been such a hyped horse,” McDonald said. “She has been a dominant favourite for a long time, it has been a big build up from a long way out, this makes it all worthwhile.
“The team does a great job with her, it doesn’t always work out but today it has. Barrier 13 was a blessing and it worked out beautifully.”
It caps off a golden year for McDonald, who before Saturday had never won a Magic Millions 2YO Classic, adding to his Melbourne Cup victory in November.
Bookmakers were quick to mark Coolangatta a $4 favourite for the Golden Slipper to be run on March 19.