Tony Gollan’s undefeated filly Zelady’s Night Out will have her final run before tackling the $2.5 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) next month leading the field for Saturday’s BJ McLachlan Stakes at the Gold Coast Racecourse.
Magic Millions Classic-bound Zelady’s Night Out runs in Saturday’s 2015 BJ McLachlan Stakes in her Gold Coast tune-up on Boxing Day. Photo: Steve Hart.
The Magic Millions 2YO Classic is the richest race on the Gold Coast card on January 9 and is the main summer aim for Myboycharlie filly Zelady’s Night Out who is second favourite in futures betting behind the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Capitalist.
Like Capitalist, who won the Listed Breeders Plate (1000m) and the Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1100m), Zelady’s Night Out is also two-from-two to date.
On debut back in mid-November she saluted by four and a half lengths at Doomben before returning to the Brisbane track on December 12 taking out the Listed Calaway Gal Stakes (1050m) as the odds-on favourite by over two lengths.
This weekend she heads to the Gold Coast and steps up in both class and distance to take on the boys in the $150,000 Group 3 B.J. McLachlan Stakes (1200m) with jockey Jim Byrne retaining the ride.
She did it from gate three last time out and is drawn to win again on Saturday jumping from barrier four in the 13-starter field.
The inside alley belongs to a stablemate of Capitalist, the fellow Team Snowden-trained Detective.
He has had just the one run to date when runner-up in the Breeders Plate before a 740m Randwick trial on December 15 to bring him on for his first Queensland assignment.
Along with Zelady’s Night Out another promising last start winner looking for more success in the BJ McLachlan Stakes is the Toby Edmonds-trained local Gold Coast galloper Sundance.
The I Am Invincible colt had barrier one at Doomben a fortnight ago for his runaway four and three quarter length victory in the Listed Phelan Ready Stakes (1050m), the colts-and-geldings’ equivalent of the Calaway Gal Stakes.
At his home track on Boxing Day he has a tougher task from a wide gate 11 draw as he too heads towards a Magic Millions Classic run next-up.
The other top Magic Millions Classic contender using the BJ McLachlan Stakes as a tune-up is the nicely-bred Kelso Wood-trained Nikitas.
The Snitzel colt won over 1200m at Doomben by nearly five lengths from barrier 13 of 13 three weeks ago and will have a better time from gate three with Michael Cahill staying in the saddle.
Sydney visitor Sugarparma is another Snitzel progeny looking to retain an undefeated record, Peter Robl’s filly a half-length winner over 900m at the Gold Coast two weeks back.
Last summer’s BJ McLachlan was won in an upset by Les Ross’s 20/1 outsider Mishani Honcho.
Eagle Farm-based trainer Ross returns 12 months on with dual representation in the race after accepting for his grey Bradbury’s Luck filly Mishani Silva, still a maiden after four runs, and River Racer.
A daughter of Hidden Dragon, River Racer comes off back-to-back Doomben thirds including to Zelady’s Night Out in the Calaway Gal Stakes that could prove the formline to follow to the Gold Coast.
