Paul Snowden and Gai Waterhouse believe the draws for Magic Millions Classic favourites Empire Of Japan and Platinum Jubilee will allow them to be in the right place on Saturday.
Platinum Jubilee’s gate seven will become barrier four if the emergencies are not required, while the double-figure draw of 11 for $4.60 favourite Empire Of Japan is not as bad as it seems, as he is likely to jump from seven.
“We are very happy with him and the draw will allow him to get into the spot we will want,” Snowden said of Empire Of Japan. “I think having a gate [in the middle] to take up a position is important, the way the track played last weekend.
“The other two [Sovereign Fund (17) and Godfather (20)] didn’t get good gates but they are ready to go as well. We have a nose band on Godfather just to get him to drop his head a bit.”
After the draw, Platinum Jubilee took second spot in the market at $6.50 in front of Sovereign Fund at $7. Last-start Randwick winner Infatuation, which drew eight, is at $9.
Empire Of Japan and Platinum Jubilee won the openers to the Sydney juvenile racing, the Breeders’ Plate and Gimcrack Stakes, but were beaten by Magic Millions rival Fire Lane at Randwick on Christmas Eve.
Magic Millions Classic
- 111×2 MISHANI RENEGADE (1) Ben Thompson 57 $51
- 11 SOVEREIGN FUND (17) Jamie Kah 57 $7
- 13 SUNSOURCE (2) Mark Zahra 57 $34
- 1×3 EMPIRE OF JAPAN (11) James McDonald 57 $4.60
- 11 ROYAL ENTRANCE (9) Tim Clark 57 $14
- 14 GODFATHER (20) Ben Melham 57 $19
- 414 CHRYSAOR (13) James Orman 57 $61
- 5251 INFATUATION (8) Ms Rachel King 55 $9
- 141 FIRE LANE (15) Jay Ford 55 $17
- 1×2 PLATINUM JUBILEE (7) Regan Bayliss 55 $6.50
- 11 CROATIAN BELLE (12) Michael Dee 55 $16
- 33 SUMMER LOVING (10) Brenton Avdulla 55 $17
- 11 SKIRT THE LAW (4) Ryan Maloney 55 $9.50
- 11×5 MISS COOTA (18) Justin Huxtable 55 $21
- 323 EXCEL D’OR (21) Brodie Loy 55 $71
- 22 EMPRESS OF WONDER (16) Chad Schofield 55 $10
Emergencies
- 17 1544 RISKY INVESTMENT (6) – 57 $126
- 18 23×18 SHE’S A ROGUE (19) Martin Harley 55 $81
- 19 325 QUASIMOTO (3) – 57 $71
- 20 4522 TRIFLING (5) – 55 $151
- 21 1 OOVII (14) – 57 $151
Peter and Paul Snowden have three runners in the Magic Millions Classic as do Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in Platinum Jubilee, Royal Entrance and Summer Loving.
For Waterhouse, barrier draws are always a matter of accepting what you get.
“You can’t control them,” she said. “Platinum Jubilee is a very fast filly ready for Saturday, and that barrier will let her get into a comfortable position, so we are happy.
“Royal Entrance and Summer Loving drew well [in gate nine and 10], so they both should be right up on the speed.”
Meanwhile, King Of Mountain winner Yellow Brick was confirmed as favourite for the Magic Millions Guineas after drawing gate five. He took over as the punters’ top pick at $4.80 from the Snowden-trained Russian Conquest, which eased to $5 after drawing gate nine.
James McDonald has been booked to ride Russian Conquest at a kilogram over her 54kg handicap.
“We wanted to get James to ride her and she gets back on a good track, which she really likes,” Paul Snowden said. “It would be good to go one better than she did here last year [when runner-up to Coolangatta in the Magic Millions Classic].
Magic Millions Guineas
- 11x33156x TIJUANA (7) Mark Zahra 58 $9
- 412×3111 FASHION LEGEND (18) Joshua Parr 57 $23
- 31422×5733 KINGS CONSORT (2) Ben Melham 56 $21
- 1x3111x1 YELLOW BRICK (5) Ben Thompson 56 $4.40
- 2x1211x361 SPIRITUALISED (16) James Orman 56 $8.50
- x5x5162111 SOOTHSAYER (19) Boris Thornton 56 $12
- 42x1411x13 HELL I AM (11) Jamie Kah 56 $9
- x880776x37 MISHANI WARFARE (4) – 56 $101
- 10x2855x70 CUSACK (12) Regan Bayliss 56 $126
- 1450×55222 GREEN SHADOWS (13) Brenton Avdulla 56 $23
- 2161×53166 NORTHERN EXPRESS (15) William Pike 56 $61
- 13x61x313 STROLL (10) Craig Williams 54.5 $9.50
- 15091×6053 TYRESA (6) Larry Cassidy 54.5 $51
- 1240x747x2 RUSSIAN CONQUEST (9) James McDonald 54 $5
- 161 LATAKIA (3) Tim Clark 54 $13
Emergencies
- 16 x212x42326 SHALAILED (20) Tommy Berry 56 $26
- 17 95x11650x3 WEALTHY INVESTOR (17) – 56 $201
- 18 x3333547x8 MISHANI PERSUASION (1) 56 $201
- 19 1570×1233 WEST OF AFRICA (8) Chad Schofield 56 $26
- 20 0x2141x345 HELLAVADANCER (14) – 54 $126
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