Williams punts on landing Classic ride
IT’S not easy for a Victorian jockey to jet to Queensland and ride under the current COVID-19 regulations, and Craig Williams does not yet have a booking in the Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
So it could pay to follow the champion jockey over the next two Saturdays, given Williams was prepared to head north without a ride.
This Saturday Williams has been confirmed for the Godolphin two-year-old filly Alice Through in the Magic Millions 2YO qualifier, the
Gold Pearl (1100m), at the
Gold Coast.
The James Cummingstrained filly was backed from $11 into $6 in the Wyong Magic Millions on December 16 but was well beaten in 10th.
She needs to pick up the $72,500 first prizemoney at Aquis Park on Saturday to make the Magic Millions 2YO Classic field seven days later.
But the back-up formula has been used with success, including by Cummings with Exhilarates in 2019.
Alice Through, a filly by Snitzel, has a pedigree with links to the 2YO Classic.
Her dam Mirror Mirror won the race in 2006, while her half-sister No Looking Back was first past the post in 2012 but relegated to second after a protest.
Her brother Chauffeur was the runner-up to Gold Coast
trained filly Houtzen in the 2017 race.
Ladbrokes has Alice Through listed as a $6 chance for the Gold Pearl and $34 for the 2YO Classic.
“This is set to be one of the most open editions of the Magic Millions Classic in recent memory and it wouldn’t surprise if the winners of the two two-year-olds races on Saturday ended up on top of the market,” Ladbrokes’ Gold Coast racing analyst Tom Hackett said.
“The unbeaten Miss Hipstar is currently a $17 chance with Ladbrokes and she will be much shorter than that if
she wins again on Saturday. Shaquero flopped first-up but I’m confident he would go straight back into favouritism if he gets the job done on Saturday in the Gold Nugget for colts and geldings.
“Isotope, Away Game and Forbidden Love currently dominate betting in the Magic Millions Guineas and that is unlikely to change this weekend.”
Williams will also ride the Danny O’Brien-trained mare Paradee in the $250,000 The Wave (1800m) and the Corstens-trained The Astrologist in the Magic Millions Rising Stars (1300m) on Saturday.