Weir determined to land maiden Magic Millions win in 2016
DARREN Weir has won major races all around Australia, but the 2015 Melbourne Cup-winning trainer has yet to visit the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions.
In his first trip to the sunny Queensland city, Weir will line up two of his front-line runners with Magic Millions Guineas favourite Mahuta and Group 1-winning Lucky Hussler.
Mahuta had an exhibition gallop at Warrnambool on Sunday before it flies to the Gold Coast and going into the race fresh won’t be an issue according to Weir.
“This was always an option and I just wanted to see how he pulled up off the Sandown Guineas,” Weir said.
“We ummed and arred over this or the Australian Guineas, because it’s a pretty tough ask to expect him to do both and in the end we opted to have a crack at the $2 million race [Magic Millions Guineas].
“That said, he has to be spot on, because it’s no good going to a race if you are not right, regardless of what money is on offer.”
There have been concerns about whether Mahuta can run right handed and its recent trial wasn’t encouraging, but Weir is remaining positive that the current $4 favourite at CrownBet.com.au will adapt.
“He has had a trial the clockwise way and to be honest, he didn’t trial that great, but the jock said he was alright once he got on his right leg so I’m not reading too much into it,” Weir said.
Stablemate Lucky Hussler is a dual-Group 1 winner [William Reid and Toorak Handicap] and it returns to the Gold Coast where it raced in the 2013 Magic Millions Guineas and 2014 Magic Millions Cup, finishing 11th on both occasions.
The form of Lucky Hussler has improved greatly since arriving in Weir’s stables and redemption is on the cards in the Magic Millions Cup on January 9.
“He’s going to get plenty of weight but he’s earned it, plus he’s a gelding and there’s good prizemoney, so it’s a good race for him,” Weir said.
“The owners were obviously keen to go and he comes off a really good spring carnival.
“The one little downside is that he didn’t get long off after the spring and I’m just hoping that doesn’t count against him.”
Conchita’s manners back in check
The Paul Perry-trained Conchita put on a bucking display in the Wyong Magic Millions earlier this month, but punters shouldn’t be worried after a solid barrier trial at Scone on Sunday.
The 2YO Magic Millions Classic entrant essentially missed out on the key lead-up race to the January 9 feature and that caused a drift in the betting markets. The 900-metre trial was a cake-walk for Conchita, scoring by 4.5 lengths after leading by as much as 20 lengths throughout the run.
French rider Thomas Huet was in the saddle and is confident it will bring its best game to the Gold Coast.
“She needed the hit out,” Huet said.
“The plan was to give her a solid run because she was basically a run short after Wyong.
“I used the whip over the final stages to make sure she worked right to the line and she had a good blow afterwards.
“She did everything right, Wyong was just one of those things.
“She’s a quality filly so it’s exciting that we’ve got her back on track.”
Conchita is currently paying $31 to win the 2YO Magic Millions Classic at Sportsbet.com.au where the market is being dominated by Capitalist at $1.70 which has had problems of its own.
Capitalist records elevated temperature
Magic Millions 2YO favourite Capitalist was scratched from a Randwick barrier trial due to a “slightly elevated temperature” but trainers Peter and Paul Snowden aren’t overly worried.
They believe the missed barrier trial is nothing more than an “inconvenience” and Peter Snowden reported to stewards that he “didn’t want to risk it”.
“Peter Snowden reported to us this morning that Capitalist had a slightly elevated temperature which had since come back down without treatment,” Racing NSW deputy chief steward Greg Rudolph said.
“He said while it was an inconvenience, he didn’t want to risk it by trialling.
“Mr Snowden undertook to keep stewards informed on Capitalist’s progress in the coming days.”
Punters who have taken the $1.70 should have minor concern as a missed trial can alter a horse’s progress, but the undefeated colt has looked stellar in its short career to date and we’re expecting the bookmakers’ price to stay steady.