McLachlan Bullish About Dieters’ Magic Millions Classic Chances

Dieters has recorded two wins from as many starts since making his racing debut and trainer Jason McLachlan believes that the talented colt is a genuine winning chance in the 2016 Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast tomorrow.

Dieters will defend his unbeaten record in the 2016 Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast on Saturday. Photo by: Daniel Costello

Dieters will defend his unbeaten record in the 2016 Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast on Saturday. Photo by: Daniel Costello

Dieters made his racing debut with a front-running victory in the Coca Cola Amatil Plate (1050m) at Doomben on October 3 – the first two-year-old race of the season in Brisbane – and after a stint in the spelling paddock he returned to the races with another strong victory in the Hamilton Hotel Handicap (1110m) at Doomben on December 19.

The form coming out of the Hamilton Hotel Handicap has been very strong and McLachlan told Racing Ahead this morning that Dieters has taken plenty of benefit from the run ahead of the 2016 Magic Millions Classic this weekend.

“He is a pretty exciting horse,” McLachlan said.

“I have never really gotten to the bottom of him.

“He has won every trial he has been in and he has won his races and won them convincingly.

“The other day at Doomben there was a wrap on about five horses in the race and he got outside the leader and just beat them effortlessly.

“I always had the plan to win the first two-year-old race of the year and then I gave him a month off, so he needed the run the other day.

“He has certainly benefitted from it and I think he is a lot better than he was going into the race the other day.

“It is always a hard race to win, but there have been quite a few horses that he has beaten that have come out and won.

“I just know that this horse has a tonne of ability and a bit of luck in running would not go astray.”

Dieters was allocated barrier 14 when the 2016 Magic Millions Classic barrier draw was conducted yesterday morning and McLachlan admits that luck in running is set to play a key role in the race, but he is hopeful that the Written Tycoon colt will be able to find a position just behind the leaders.

“He can race handy and I would love to see him get a nice sit in third, fourth or fifth,” McLachlan said.

“He is a very good chaser.

“It is going to come down to a lot of luck in running and you have to have a lot of respect for the favourite and a lot of the other horses in the race.”

Dieters is currently available at 2016 Magic Millions Classic odds of $17 with Ladbrokes, while Capitalist ($1.75) remains a dominant favourite from Nikitas ($11), Niccolance ($11), Just Orm ($16), and Slumber Party ($16).

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.