Trainer Peter Snowden is hoping the addition of a set of winkers will help the chances of Stellar Pauline in the 2020 $2m The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Aim, above, is the favourite for the 2020 Magic Millions 2yo Classic at the Gold Coast. Photo: Steve Hart.
Stellar Pauline has finished in the runner’s up stall at her only two race starts with a debut second to Magic Millions 2yo Classic opponent Every Rose in the Group 3 $160,000 Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Randwick in October last year and then resumed for a four lengths second to her stablemate Aim in a 1200m 2yo Handicap at Randwick on December 21.
Snowden, who trains in partnership with his son Paul, is more than pleased with the way Stellar Pauline has come through her first up run and said that the addition of the winkers has really set her up for a good performance in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic.
“She has done particularly well,” Peter Snowden told RSN Racing Pulse.
“We have added winkers to her gear which I always thought it would be something that we would put on at some stage. This is not a bad grand final to whack them on and she has worked a couple of times with them on and she is just a different horse.”
“She is much more switched on, much more focused and I think going into this race it will have a big bearing where she finishes.”
Snowden wasn’t disappointed that Stellar Pauline was beaten four lengths by Aim who heads the betting at $5.50 for the Magic Millions 2yo Classic at Ladbrokes.com.au while the Not A Single Doubt filly is marked at $20.
“She probably had an indifferent preparation than we had in our mind,” Snowden said.
“But if it came off we would be more than happy to do it. That was the plan.”
“She only had the one run at Randwick. She ran second to Aim, was beaten three lengths but it was four lengths back to the third horse so it was a good gap. It was good to see that.”
“That was her first run back, but she had taken a lot of improvement from that run, more than I could have imagined actually.”
“It has really brought her on.”
Stellar Pauline will most likely jump from barrier eleven with Brenton Avdulla replacing Kerrin McEvoy who will be aboard one of the Snowden’s other runners, $7 third favourite King’s Legacy.
King’s Legacy will also wear the winkers for the first time on Saturday following his win in the Group 3 $250,000 B.J. McLachlan Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on December 28 and will jump from gate seven.
Aim will come out of gate two with Tommy Berry in the saddle while the stables fourth runner, the $26 outsider Nitrous, will jump from gate nine with Hugh Bowman on top.
