RAYS OF SUNLIGHT
MILLIONS FILLY THRIVING:
SUNLIGHT has continued to thrive in Queensland and is poised to frank her high rating in Magic Millions 2YO Classic betting when she has a final tune-up at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Melbourne trainer Tony McEvoy supervised a piece of work at Doomben yesterday and liked what he saw.
“She wasn’t sent out to do much. I don’t need to change much,” he said.
“She just cruised around. She was quite casual but used her action well, her ears were up, she was bright and she enjoyed it.”
Sunlight burst into Millions calculations with a thumping 900m Gold Coast win on December 23.
She goes to 1100m on Saturday, when her rivals will include the highly spruiked Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained filly Terminology.
McEvoy believes she is set to peak Magic Millions day on January 13 and expects Saturday’s race to top her off.
“I definitely need to run her. She’s full and well,” he said.
“She’s really thrived up here so Saturday will clean her up really nicely. She will be spot-on after this race.”
McEvoy makes no secret he holds Sunlight in the highest regard and said “it will take a smart horse to beat her” this weekend.
“She’s pretty good,” he said. “The first mistake she ever made in her life was (on debut at Flemington in November).
“She just didn’t want to relax and got a bit excited on the day. It cost her the race.
“She had those horses beat and she just emptied the last 100 yards and allowed them to pass her.
“I know she’s got a little bit left in the tank because this is not her grand final and this will peak her for the race we came here for.”
McEvoy is also pressing ahead to a Magic Millions 2YO Classic start with Crockett, who flopped as a heavily backed commodity in the B.J. McLachlan Stakes at Doomben last Saturday.
“I gave him a bit of work at Eagle Farm (yesterday) and he’s as bright as a button,” McEvoy said.
“He just had a really bad day the other day.
“I think he melted a bit. It was a very hot day and colts can sometimes do that.
“He wasn’t there. We all have bad days and I’m happy just to put a line through it.”