Smart colt Speedeor has zoomed into calculations for the $2m Magic Millions 3yo Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast on January 14 with a third straight win at Ballarat last Saturday.
Speedeor, above in maroon and white colours, will head to the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Darren Weir trained colt looked impressive in winning the $100,000 Magic Millions 3&4yo Classic (1100m) on Ballarat Cup Day and will now head to the Gold Coast to chase more Magic Millions prizemoney.
Weir splits his huge team up in between his Ballarat complex and his Warrnambool stables and was excited to have a feature race winner on his home track.
“I’m very happy to get a winner on Ballarat Cup Day,” Weir said.
Weir won’t have to do a lot with the Northern Meteor colt between now and the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas and the Melbourne Cup winning trainer doesn’t consider the step up to 1400m as being a problem around the tight Gold Coast track.
“He’s fit and doesn’t need much racing. His style of racing suits up there,” Weir said.
“He’ll come on from that. 1400m won’t be a problem as he’ll be on the speed. He doesn’t need much racing as he’s a very fit horse, got a great racing style for up there.”
Speedeor broke his maiden status in a 1000m Cranbourne Maiden on October 14 and then went to Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day to win a 1000m dash down the Flemington straight for the three year olds prior to his win at Ballarat.
The bay colt could have easily remained undefeated and was expected to win at his first race start but was found to be suffering from a virus after finishing fifth as the odds on favourite in a 975m Maiden at Swan Hill on May 1.
“We expected him to win at Swan Hill but when he didn’t, I got the vet to look at him and he had a temperature of 40 degrees. He was a sick horse so I put him out for a spell,” Weir said.
The Gold Coast race the opposite way than Victoria and Weir has given Speedeor some practice running the reverse way in a recent jump out at Ballarat and his rider John Allen told Weir that it would not be a problem when he heads to Queensland.
“Johnny Allen rode him and was positive about how he handled it,” Weir said.
Speedeor is on the third line of betting at $8 for the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas at Ladbrokes.com.au behind the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Global Glamour at $4 and the Team Hawkes trained Star Turn at $4.60.
Global Glamour has won back to back Group 1 races with victories in the Group 1 $500,000 Sydney Airport Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 1 and in the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield the following week and deserves her spot at the top of market order.
Star Turn has also proved to be one of the top three year olds this season with a win against the older horses in the Group 2 $400,000 Mitsubishi Electric Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on October 8 followed by third behind Flying Artie and Astern in the Group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on October 29.
Early market order for the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4 Global Glamour, $4.60 Star Turn, $8 Speedeor, $9 Foxplay, Winning Rupert, $13 Acatour, Invincibella, $15 Detective, $17 Miss Wonderland, $21 Candika, Seaburge, $26 Faraway Town, In The Vanguard, Mediterranean, Niccolance, Scarlet Rain, Sylpheed, Tiyatrolani, $34 Jericho, Conchita.
