Jockey Damian Browne is looking to secure the Magic Millions ride on Missy Longstocking who will step out a short priced favourite in the Listed $100,000 Gaythorne RSL Calaway Gal Stakes (1000m) at Eagle Farm tomorrow.
Missy Longstocking is the short priced favourite for the Listed $100,000 Gaythorne RSL Calaway Gal Stakes at Eagle Farm. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Browne was forced to have a week off after parting company from Robert Heathcote’s first starter Any Poet at the Sunshine Coast last Sunday but has declared himself fit to ride at Eagle Farm.
Brown only suffered minor bruising and a sore shoulder but stood himself down for the week to make sure that he was back to top fitness before he resumed riding.
“I thought the body could do with a couple of extra days heading into the weekend rather than risk doing more damage by riding at Doomben,” Browne said.
“I’m not a young fella anymore and I don’t bounce back as well as I should but a couple of extra days and I’ll be right for Saturday.”
Missy Longstocking is currently a $14 chance for the $2m Jeep Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 12 but is certain to firm in the betting if she can repeat her seven length demolition job in winning over 1000m at Eagle Farm on November 3.
Browne is looking forward to getting legged up onto the Sequalo filly again and sees her as the right type of two year old for the helter skelter of the Magic Millions on the tight Gold Coast track.
“It’s a bit of a step up for her on Saturday but she’s very promising and she looks the right horse for the Magic Millions,” Browne said.
“I’m not too sure if she could’ve gone much quicker because she’s a naturally free-running horse but she carried 58kg and the horse she beat had some good raps on her going into that race.”
“She can be a little bit slow out of the barriers, just half a length or so, but she musters speed very quickly and because that was only her second start you would expect her to get better with that experience under her belt.”
Trainer Liam Birchley thinks that Missy Longstocking has the right credentials to go one better than than his smart filly Paprika who was beaten a whisker by Phelan Ready in the 2009 Magic Millions two year old Classic.
“This one has got the X factor about her,” Birchley said.
“She’s not as big as Paprika was and she just seems to come to life on race day which is a good trait.”
Missy Longstocking has had a freshen up since keeping her record unblemished with a first up Toowoomba win before her Eagle Farm victory and Birchley has keep a bit in reserve for tomorrow’s assignment and is looking to peak the filly for her grand final at the Gold Coast in January.
“She’s not as forward as she was last start when she won but in saying that she’s fit enough to hopefully get the job done,” Birchley said.
“She probably is slightly vulnerable to some degree because I obviously haven’t got her ready for Saturday but in saying that I’d be disappointed if she wasn’t right in the finish.”
Missy Longstocking is the only filly to have won a race in the Calaway Gal Stakes while Gillian Heinrich’s Charge Forward filly Moroccan Rose will be trying to close the margin after getting beaten seven lengths when second to the speedy filly.
And Tony Gollan’s Global Dream will no doubt be improved after finishing second as favourite to Pretty Strong over 1000m at Eagle Farm on October 6.
