Shaquero drawn to Farm
AS connections of classy filly Fake Love elected to head straight to next month’s Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic, a gun barrier draw prompted Chris Waller to send Millions favourite Shaquero to Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Shaquero is the $4.60 favourite to give Waller his first Magic Millions 2YO winner and the Group 3 Breeders Plate winner can enhance his
Millions prospects in Saturday’s Group 3 BJ McLachlan Stakes in Brisbane.
Shaquero had also been nominated to run at Randwick on Saturday but drawing barrier one in a small field in the $250,000 BJ McLachlan was the decisive factor.
Shaquero, the $2.15 favourite on Saturday, will add significant star power to the Eagle Farm card, especially given Fake Love will not line up in the BJ McLachlan.
Co-trainer Ciaron Maher
indicated he would now send the filly straight into next month’s big dance.
Fake Love was runner-up in her first Queensland run when trapped wide in the Listed Calway Gal Stakes at Eagle Farm on December 12.
Steward Daniel Aurisch confirmed jockey Luke Dittman, who held bookings for Shaquero and Stephen Jones’ colt Baby Wong in the BJ McLachlan, would ride the race favourite.
Jones indicated
Andrew
Mallyon was set to take the ride on Baby Wong.
Father-and-son training team Peter and Paul Snowden have split their two-yearold Magic Millions hopefuls.
Astrologer will race in Brisbane in the BJ McLachlan and Cochrane will contest the Boxing Day Plate at Randwick on Saturday.
Both had been nominated for Eagle Farm and Randwick but won’t race against each other because both need more prizemoney to qualify
for the $2m Magic Millions.
Cochrane made an eyecatching debut when second behind Alpine Edge in the Listed Phelan Ready Stakes at Eagle Farm on December 12.
Astrologer, who finished third behind Shaquero in the Breeders Plate at Randwick in October, is a $7.50 chance with Ladbrokes to upset Shaquero in the BJ McLachlan.
Astrologer was most recently fifth behind dominant Wyong Magic Millions winner She’s All Class.