WINNO'S WINNERS: GOLD COAST MAGIC MILLIONS DAY

By Darren Winningham | Thursday, January 9, 2025

We are at GOLD COAST this week – the 2025 MAGIC MILLIONS Day – a day of entertainment and amazing racing. The track is rated “SOFT”. The rail is in the true position for the entire circuit.

Welcome back to QLD’s leading senior rider Jimmy Orman … plus, a welcome to all the interstate horses, trainers, owners and jockeys who are on the Gold Coast for this amazing day.

NB: As these selections were made prior to race-day, please check for any changes to track conditions and for any scratchings on the day.

Race 1 MAGIC MILLIONS MAIDEN PLATE

The MM Maiden Plate is always a hotly contested race and is a tough race to line up the form as runners descend on the Gold Coast from all around Australia.

The trial form of the Peter Snowden runner Volatile (12) has been outstanding. Has drawn well in barrier 5 – Tommy Berry to ride. Will be hard to hold out.

Shalaa Gold is trained by Bjorn Baker – Joshua Parr will ride. I would have had this runner on top. He is a speedy customer – however, has drawn poorly in barrier 17. Will need some luck, but has plenty of ability.

Selections:

12 – Volatile
11 – Shalaa Gold
7 – Hell March
9 – King Of Dragons
Rough chance – (1) General Boom

Race 2 GOLD COAST TURF CLUB MAGIC MILLIONS COUNTRY CUP

Another tough race to assess with winners from all around QLD and NSW.

Maybe something on the two David Vandyke runners – Slippin Jimmy (7) or Lost His Beans (4).

The local runner Lady Shotgun (9), trained by Angela Plumb, had won three in a row here before heading to the Sunshine Coast last weekend. Appeared not to handle the heavy track. Will be better at his home track and it is wonderful to see Matthew Palmer in the saddle on this feature race day.

Selections:

7 – Slippin Jimmy
9 – Lady Shotgun
4 – Lost His Beans
6 – Quade
Rough chance – (16) Great Inspiration

Race 3 MAGIC MILLIONS THE DEBUT – TWO-YEAR-OLD PLATE

A maiden race for the two-year-old runners. As the race name indicates, all of them facing the starter for the first time.

Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou train the filly In Limbo (7) who has been trialling well. On her trial efforts she looks well forward for this first up assignment. Kerrin McEvoy will ride her. She has drawn well in barrier 3. The lugging bit goes on as well.

Selections:

7 – In Limbo
5 – Foreign Press
4 – Exceloquent
1 – Steel Knight
Rough chance – (2) Amosu

Race 4 QUEENSLAND MAGIC MILLIONS SUBZERO

A race over 2200 metres. Open field – grab a dart and then throw it at the form guide.

Selections:

5 – Belvedere Boys
3 – Gold Bullion
6 – Tannhauser
4 – Miss Joelene
Rough chance – (11) Encoder

Race 5 TAB MAGIC MILLIONS FILLIES & MARES

A race over 1300 metres for the fillies and mares.

Revolutionary Miss (1) is by far the best runner in the race with winning stakes money of $1.8 million in the bank. She is trained by Ciaron Maher and Mark Zahra will ride. She has drawn well in barrier 3.

Another Victorian trained runner is Miss Roumbini (6). Sheis trained by Price & Kent with Ethan Brown riding. She has won over 1400 metres and is a last start winner at Ballarat over 1200 metres.

Anahita (8) is a Chris Waller trained mare who is second up. Strong second up form and has Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle, but she has a terrible barrier – barrier 17. Will need some luck.

Selections:

1 – Revolutionary Miss
8 – Anahita
6 – Miss Roumbini
5 – Bubba’s Bay
Rough chance – (13) Left Field

Race 6 MAGIC MILLIONS SNIPPETS

An Open class race over 1200 metres.

This is another tough race on the program. I have found one at $41 each way – Lavish Empire (11) – trained by Peter Snowden and Tyler Schiller will ride. He has a solid first up record. Has performed well in two recent trials.

Semana (5) is trained by Ciaron Maher and Damian Lane will ride. She won on this day and track last year – can history repeat itself?

Hard To Say (6) is trained by Jason Deamer with Blake Shinn in the saddle. Last time out raced over 1000 metres at Eagle Farm. They were too slick for him on that occasion. Up to 1200 metres look for a bold effort.

Selections:

11 – Lavish Empire
5 – Semana
6 – Hard To Say
10 – The Novelist
Rough chance – (3) Ready Steady

Race 7 THE STAR GOLD COAST MAGIC MILLIONS TWO-YEAR-OLD CLASSIC

First leg of the Quaddie. The feature race on the program for the two-year-old runners. First prize is $1.739 million.

I like the team Hawkes trained Gallo Nero (2) to win the race. He resumed with a solid win over 1100 metres and has been freshened since. He looks the ideal runner for this type of race and at $7.00 is a good each way bet. Tyler Schiller will ride.

Icarian Dream is trained by Ciaron Maher. Was a last start impressive winner at Eagle Farm over 1200 metres with Jason Collett in the saddle. The time was slow in the race, however he looked like he had plenty up his sleeve. Unfortunately, is drawn barrier 21 here this weekend and faces a stiff task from the outside barrier.

Invincible Woman (10) is anoter Interstate visitor who has had only one start for an impressive win at Caulfield over 1100 metres. She was impressive in a recent barrier trial on this track. That would indicate she has travelled up well and has gone on since her debut win. Damian Lane will ride.

Queensland is well represented by, amongst others, the Tony Golan runner La Bella Boom. She won last weekend at the Sunshine Coast with Craig Williams aboard. If she can repeat that effort, she will be super competitive here.

Selections:

2 – Gallo Nero
6 – Icarian Dream
10 – Invincible Woman
9 – La Bella Boom
Rough chance – (12) The Playwright

Race 8 GOLD COAST MAGIC MILLIONS THREE-YEAR-OLD GUINEAS

First leg of the Treble – An Open class for three-year-olds race over 1400 metres – the second main feature race on this spectacular program.

I reckon the NSW trained horses have the race in their keeping here.

I like the Lee & Cherie Curtis trained Bauhinia (14) to be ridden by Tommy Berry. Was the last start winner at Wyong over 1200 metres in sensational time. She does have to step up to 1400 metres for the first time, however, the way she races off the speed and finishes off her races very strongly would suggest that she'll have no trouble running this distance right out. There is one prohibitive factor and that is the wide barrier - drawn barrier 20.. She will come in a few barriers when emergencies are scratched, however she will need some lock in the running.

Bosustow (7) Is trained by Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald with Joshua Parr to ride. He resumed a few weeks ago at Eagle Farm over 1300 metres and got too far back in the running, however finished off the race nicely. On that effort you would suggest that he will strip fitter for the run. If he performs up to his Victorian carnival racing efforts he should be very hard to hold out here from a nice barrier.

Dance To The Boom (13) is trained by Bjorn Baker. She is a last start winner at Wyong over 1200 metres. The run was solid. She's only lightly raced and is the only unbeaten runner in the field with three wins from three starts. Damian Lane will ride. Has drawn poorly in barrier 18. We all saw Lane ride the Munce Racing Payline to victory last weekend at the Sunshine Coast in what was an amazing ride. Maybe he can repeat that effort and get this filly home.

Zoubaby (15) is trained by Freedman Racing. She was second up at Eagle Farm last time out over 1300 metres.She did seem to get a little way back however worked home nicely late in the race. I would not be surprised - at $61 – if she could upset this field or at least run a place. Andrew Adkins is a great rider with limited chances – look for him to be throwing everything at her late to get her home.

Selections:

14 – Bauhinia
7– Bosustow
13 – Dance To The Boom
15 – Zoubaby
Rough chance – (6) Snitzanova & (2) Give Me Space

Race 9 MAGIC MILLIONS CUP

An Open class race over 1400 metres. This race is very tough to call. I've gone wide looking for some value.

I think I have found that with Flying Trapeze (8) trained by Gary Portelli. He is second up over a distance that he loves and he is drawn the rails in barrier one with Cejay Graham to ride - $26 each way all day for mine. The other factor that sticks in my mind is he always comes to Queensland and performs exceptionally well.

Charm Stone (6) is trained by Victorians Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr). She has been sent for a spell since racing in the Victorian Carnival in Group races. She does struggle to win on occasions - her last victory was 69 weeks ago but, in saying that, she may just sprint well fresh here. Damian Lane has the ride.

Abounding (2) is trained by Robert Heathcote. This mare won the 2024 Magic Millions Guineas. She has been racing very well and will be very competitiv in this race, however, I feel barrier 16 is going to be a difficult assignment to overcome. Martin Harley will ride again.

Perfect Thought (15) is trained by John Sergeant. Hs a last start winner in restricted grade at Randwick over 1400 metres. He carried 61.5 kilograms on that occasion and drops to 53 kilograms here with Craig Williams in the saddle and is drawn nicely in barrier 7.

Selections:

8 – Flying Trapeze
6 – Charm Stone
16 – Perfect Thought
2 – Abounding
Rough chance – (15) Bel Air & (5) Moravia

Race 10 RACING QLD MAGIC MILLIONS OPEN

An Open class race over 1300 metres. Hopefully we are all cashed up come this race.

I like the Matthew Dunn trained Boom Torque (6) with Blake Shinn to ride. He resumed in a Listed race over 1200 metres at Eagle Farm last time out and got too far back in the running. He worked home nicely. He has an exceptional second up record and, with that in mind and he's good form on this track, he does appeal.

Gollan Racing is well represented with three genuine chances in the race. Busting (15), Skirt The Law (12) and Hidden Wealth (3).

Find Your Own (7) is trained on the track by Scott Morrissey. He has been winning over shorter distances. He has some ability and the trainer has a high opinion of this runner. He’ll probably ping the gates and racing a forward position and there is no better frontrunning rider in Australia than Tim Clark who was being booked to ride him.

Cifrado (2) trained by Rex Lipp is not without an each way chance.

Selections:

6 – Boom Torque
7 – Find Your Own
12 – Skirt The Law
15 – Busting
Rough chance – (3) Hidden Wealth & (2) Cifrado
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Jockeys Challenge

Looks like an open battle with all the interstate jockeys in town – Tommy Berry, Craig Williams, Damian Lane, Jason Collett, Tim Clark and Blake Shinn. Maybe a narrow win for Tommy Berry.

Early Quaddie (races 3 to 6)

4,5,7 / 3,5,6 / 1,3,6,8 / 5,6,11 - cost is $108 to $1.

Value Early Quaddie (races 3 to 6)

5,7 / 3,5 / 1,6,8 / 5,6,11 - cost is $36 to $1

Quaddie (races 7 to 10)

2,6,10 / 6,7,13,14,15 /2,6,8,15,16 / 6,7,12,15 - cost is $300 to $1

Value Quaddie (races 7 to 10)

2,6 / 7,13,14 / 6,8,16 / 6,7 - cost is $36 to $1

Treble (races 8 to 10)

6,7,13,14,15 / 2,6,8,15,16 / 6,7,12,15 - cost is $100 to $1.

WINNO V FLEMO

The battle pauses this week between WINNO and FLEMO. I will post some late mail this weekend – see if I can lock in some winners – so, be sure to check the up to date and amended tips each Saturday morning on Facebook after any track changes and scratchings!

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