Peter & Paul Snowden are tipped to take home the trophy in Saturday’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) with their in-form juvenile Empire Of Japan favourite in the Gold Coast feature this weekend.
2023 Magic Millions 2YO Classic betting is led by Empire Of Japan from the Snowden stables. Photo: Steve Hart.
The father-son training duo won the MM Classic in Queensland back in 2016 with Capitalist and saddle-up a strong three-horse contingent in this year’s edition of the $2 million showdown.
Heading the charge sitting top of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic odds at $5 through Ladbrokes is Snitzel colt Empire Of Japan.
Drawn barrier 11 with James McDonald continuing associations, the Group 3 Breeders Plate winner by nearly three lengths on debut in October is second-up on Saturday.
Empire Of Japan resumed on December 24 at Randwick and was narrowly beaten when just over a half-length third behind Fire Lane over 1100m.
He is fitter for the run up to 1200m in the Classic and looks a big chance to salute for the punters at his third race start.
Empire Of Japan is joined in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic field by his stablemates Sovereign Fund ($6) who is undefeated heading into the event and the wide-drawn Godfather ($26).
Classy chestnut colt Sovereign Fund is a son of the stable’s 2016 winner Capitalist and is two-from-two to date.
He won the Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic over 1100m back in mid-December before a powerful 3.43 length romp home over the 1200m at Doomben on New Year’s Eve.
Sovereign Fund won that event from the inside alley with Jamie Kah aboard.
Kah retains the ride on Saturday but the duo has work to do from a wider gate 17 draw.
The wide alley aside, co-trainer Paul Snowden remains confident Sovereign Fund could be their best hope this weekend.
“I don’t think he’s run his best race this preparation, he’s had a great two weeks from Doomben, he’s been down here on the Gold Coast with me for the last ten days and all he’s done is thrive. I know he hasn’t run his best race this preparation,” he told Racenet of Friday.
“He just needed a run to get him to where we are today, so three weeks ago his work was sharp as, the sectionals and data from the race were absolutely outstanding and proved to be one of the best of the day.”
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott also saddle-up a trio of Magic Millions 2YO Classic chances this summer.
Waterhouse holds the record having prepared four previous Magic Millions 2YO Classic winners but is in the hunt for her first in partnership with her now co-trainer Bott.
She was last in the winners’ stall with Driefontein in 2012, and the stables three runners this year are the well-supported Platinum Jubilee ($7.50), the undefeated Royal Entrance ($15) and underrated Summer Loving ($18).
Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes winning Zoustar filly Platinum Jubilee was good on debut in the wet last October and put the writing on the wall for another strong campaign when runner-up by the smallest of margins in the same race that produced Empire Of Japan (3rd) at Randwick on Christmas Eve.
Royal Entrance chases a third win from as many starts this weekend, the Snitzel colt drawn well in gate nine and on the quick back-up having proven himself at the track with a 1.8 length win here over 1100m last weekend.
Summer Loving could prove the value in this year’s event, the two-time third placed Exceed And Excel filly having run in the money on debut in November’s $1 million Golden Gift before her Magic Millions 2YO Classic placing at Wyong last time out.
The other most likely in this year’s race at $6 in Magic Millions 2YO Classic markets is Skirt The Law who is a two-time winning daughter of Better Than Ready from the Brisbane stables of Tony Gollan.
The $2M The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic 2023 is set to run as the Gold Coast Race 7 at 3:25pm (AEST) on Saturday’s bumper 10-race card.
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