Unbeaten filly Skirt The Law will zoom into calculations for next week’s $2 million Magic Millions if she overcomes a a difficult barrier to win Saturday’s Gold Pearl two-year-old 1100m on the Gold Coast.
The Tony Gollan trained juvenile has drawn barrier 15 out of the 1100m shute and jockey Ryan Maloney will need to anticipate the start with only 150 meters before hitting the first turn.
Skirt The Law has shown good gate speed in her only two races. which were wins, but this is a much bigger and stronger field with more quality opposition.
Gollan however has mapped out Skirt The Law’s Magic Million path perfectly and the Better Than Ready filly has continued to improve with every run.
If she wins or runs well, she’ll back up seven days later which has been a proven Magic Millions formula.
She is currently rated by online bookmakers an $18 shot for the big two-year-old feature race, but those odds could tumble should she complete her career hat-trick on the weekend.
Gollan has been highly impressed with Skirt The Law’s development since she hit the track for a barrier trial at Doomben last October.
That day she displayed little speed and was beaten almost eight lengths by her stablemate Mighty over 850 meters.
But she has come along in leaps and bounds since winning her only two starts in a canter.
Gollan took her to the Gold Coast for a trial last week and she came through with flying colours, even showing she could be ridden off the pace and finish on strongly.
He made the comment recently that she had developed so well in stature since she first trialed, that she was more like a colt than a filly.
“She is a strong filly, she is actually more like a colt and even in her work,” he said recently of his unbeaten stable star,” he said.
“The filly that we saw eight weeks ago compared to the one we see now, she is a much better commodity.
“I have been toying with idea of backing her up right from the get-go and she looks physical strong enough to cope.”
That said, she will need to be strong if she gets trapped wide from her bad alley against a smart field which includes Sydney filly Just Glamorous, a $900,000 yearling purchase prepared by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
Just Glamorous caught the eye at her only start when she came from well back to finish fourth behind Royal Entrance at Warwick Farm over 1000m on December 21 when ridden by Rachel King.
James McDonald takes the ride on Saturday and while she doesn’t have Skirt The Law’s gate speed, she has a nice alley to take up a mid-field position.
Just Glamourous, who is impeccably bred being out of American stallion Justify and a daughter of high-class mare Global Glamour, herself a Group 1 winner who was trained by Waterhouse and Bott.
She needs to win or run well to guarantee her place in the Magic Millions for which she if a $51 shot behind co-favorites Empire of Japan and Sovereign Fund both at $5.
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