Trainer Bryan Guy is confident that talented filly Stroak is capable of delivering him one of the biggest wins of his training career in the 2015 Magic Millions Guineas at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Stroak is rated an outsider in 2015 Magic Millions Guineas betting markets. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Stroak was purchased at the 2013 Magic Millions Yearling Sale for just $27,000 and started her racing career with two impressive wins at Doomben at the end of 2013 before she finished a close second behind Unencumbered in the Group 3 BJ McLachlan Stakes (1200m) on December 28.
The Real Saga filly went into the Magic Millions Classic as one of the favourites and she received a nasty check in the early stages of the race, but was still able to work home strongly and finish a more than credible fifth.
Stroak started her 2014 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival campaign with a seventh place finish in the Group 2 Champagne Classic (1200m) and was unable to improve on that performance when 12th in the Group 2 BRC Sires Produce Stakes (1350m) on May 4 and the Group 1 J.J. Atkins (1600m) at Eagle Farm on June 7.
The three-year-old returned to her best form when she took out the Casalusso.Com.Au Plate (1200m) at the Gold Coast on November 29 and worked home strongly to finish third in the Listed Gold Edition Plate (1200m) at Doomben on December 13, but she had no luck in running when seventh in the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate (1300m) at the Gold Coast on December 27.
Guy was almost able to win the Magic Millions Guineas for the first time when Grand Reeve finished second behind Gold Edition in the 2007 edition of the race, but the Gold Coast-based trainer told Racing Queensland that he is going into this year’s race with even more confidence than he did eight years ago.
“She drew wide in last year’s Classic and then got flattened out of the barriers and flattened coming to the home turn,” Guy said.
“She picked herself up and still ran home well to finish fifth and it was a great run.
“For some reason she didn’t come up in the winter last campaign but she’s going well now.
“I’m more confident going into the Guineas this year than I was a with Grand Reeve who ran second to Gold Edition.
“There’s no Gold Edition in this race and I think she’ll run a big race.”
Stroak is currently available at 2015 Magic Millions Guineas odds of $21, while Tony Gollan-trained Hijack Hussy remains a clear favourite at $3.50.
