The Tony Gollan trained Light Up The Room is set to challenge her more fancied stablemate Outback Barbie when the pair clash in the 2019 $2m Gold Coast Magic Millions 3yo Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
James McDonald, above, rides Outback Barbie in the 2019 Magic Millions 3yo Guineas at the Gold Coast. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Light Up The Room is listed at the double figure odds of $13 at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas while Outback Barbie has been marked as the one to beat as the $2.60 favourite.
Outback Barbie is all the rage after drawing barrier three is the sixteen horse field plus five emergencies but will jump from gate two following the early scratching of Ljungberg while Light Up The Room looks likely to jump from gate six.
Outback Barbie was rated as unlucky last start when she was on the end of severe interference at the 600m when Jackson Murphy was dislodged from Granny Red Shoes before finishing sixth to Magic Millions 3yo Guineas rival Boomsara in the Group 3 $200,000 Magic Millions Vo Rogue Plate (1350m) at Doomben on December 29 while Light Up The Room missed the scrimmage to finish in third spot.
While Outback Barbie, with James McDonald in the saddle, is the stable pick, Gollan is not dismissing the chances of Light Up The Room who will be ridden again by Brad Stewart.
“She (Light Up The Room) will come in a couple after scratchings and I have been really pleased with her work. She is a good chance at $17,” Gollan told AAP.
Gollan can also see a change of luck has arrived for Outback Barbie who was ridden near the tail of the field after jumping from the outside gate in the Vo Rogue Plate before being hampered at the 600m when Granny Red Shoes lost her rider in front of her.
“In the Vo Rogue we had to go back from a wide barrier and she had no luck. But we will be able to ride her a lot closer on Saturday,” Gollan said.
“She has been prepared for the 1400 metres on Saturday and she worked strongly on Tuesday morning. With James McDonald in the saddle I am looking forward to Saturday.”
The Chris Munce trained Boomsara also had a wide gate in the Vo Rogue Plate with Damian Browne electing to go forward and set the pace which proved to be a winning move and Browne will be thinking of employing the same tactics after drawing barrier eighteen in the original draw for the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas.
Boomsara is likely to come into several barrier positions at start time is on the second line of betting at $4.20 ahead of the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace trained Star Fall at $10.
Market order for the 2019 Magic Millions 3yo Guineas at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.60 Outback Barbie, $4.20 Boomsara, $10 Star Fall, $12 Bondi, The Fire Trap, $13 Light Up The Room, , $21 Granny Red Shoes, $26 Zizzis, Barefoot, Malahide, $31 Plumaro, Persuader, Smart Elissim, $51 Unconditional, Doss, $81 Say I Cee You, $101 Paquirri, $151 Magic Fox, Lancaster Bomber, $201 Sugar Sizzle.
