Hayes wants a Wide margin

FLEMINGTON

THE strength of Lindsay Park’s assault on next month’s $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic will become clearer when Wide Awake debuts over 1100m at Flemington today.

Wide Awake is among four Gold Coast nominees at Flemington, along with Godolphin’s Conceited, Tony and Calvin McEvoy’s Zeppa and Ciaron Maher and David Eustace’s unbeaten filly Unstoppabelle.

Lindsay Park co-trainer David Hayes believes Wide Awake and stablemate Dark Horse, a half-brother to fourtime Flemington straight winner Churchill Dancer, both have the talent to contend.

“I think they both have above average ability,” Hayes said. “Wide Awake is on trial for the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast.

“She would need to win or run well to justify going up there. She’s a nice filly.

“Dark Horse has trialled well at Flemington and we think he is a nice horse.”

Only two of the nine entrants at Flemington have previously raced – Unstoppabelle, who won on debut in Adelaide, and Yulong Island, who ran third first-up at The Valley.

Unstoppabelle, an I Am Invincible filly, is the $3.60 favourite with Ladbrokes in an intriguing market, holding

AQUIS PARK, GOLD COAST sway over Conceited ($4.50) and Jabali Ridge ($4.80).

Two major Magic Millions 2YO Classic lead-up races were washed out yesterday when Doomben was lashed with more than 100mm of rain in 30 minutes.

The downpour forced the abandonment of the last four races on the program and rescheduling of two stakes races.

The Phelan Ready Stakes and Calaway Gal Stakes, both key two-year-old races, will now be run at Doomben on Wednesday, with the same fields and scratchings reinstated.

The other two races from yesterday’s meeting, both Origin Jockey Series events, have been abandoned.

Across the road at Eagle Farm, track expert Mick Goodie said he only measured 50mm in the gauge.

“We will probably be Soft (5) in the morning and race Good (4) during the day,” he said of today’s big feature Eagle Farm meeting.

MARK OBERHARDT EAGLE FARM

A BIGGER and stronger Queensland Oaks winner Winning Ways will take her first step towards a Magic Millions Trophy start at Eagle Farm today.

The Gold Coast-trained mare resumes in the Hamilton Hotel Open Handicap at Eagle Farm where she has drawn barrier six at the tricky 1800m start.

Winning Ways was bought at the Magic Millions sales but was not paid up for the series, meaning she will need a wildcard to get into the Trophy (2400m) at her home track on January 11.

Queensland’s champion horse of last season, the mare was banned for three months following her Oaks win in early June because of a bleeding attack.

She showed no ill-effects from it in her following campaign which ended with a win in the $150,000 Spring

Cup (2225m) at Eagle Farm on October 5.

Trainer Garry Newham then put plans in place the Magic Millions plans.

“She didn’t go for a spell but rather had a week to 10 days pottering around the stables and then she was back into it,” Newham said. “She has filled out and is bigger and stronger. The 1800 metres is ideal for a first-up run.”

Winning Ways will then head to the Shoot Out Quality (2200m) at Eagle

Farm on December 28 which carries a wildcard to the Magic Millions Trophy.

“The 2400 metres of the Millions race will be no worry and she will give it a shake if she gets there,” Newham said.

“If she doesn’t make it that won’t be a disaster as we can look at the Brisbane winter with her.”

Jockey Matt McGillivray will stick with Winning Ways today in preference to rival The Candy Man, who he rode at his previous two starts.