Enquare delivers a present to savour for birthday boy Jason McLachlan

JASON McLachlan is now in the box seat to win back-to-back Magic Millions Guineas with Enquare after her Vo Rogue Plate win yesterday.

Trainer Jason McLachlan and jockey Jimmy Byrne have a genuine Magic Millions Guineas chance with Enquare. Picture: Jono Searl...

SPECULATION about his age may have been off the mark but birthday boy Jason McLachlan was far more direct in his assessment of Enquare after she took the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate yesterday.

McLachlan is now in the box seat to win back-to-back Magic Millions Guineas with the Stratum filly, who has won five of her nine starts, including three at stakes level.

"I won the Guineas this year with Saluter and this filly would eat him," McLachlan said.

"I just hope she wins by further than he did. He was only a head, so it would be nice if we didn't have to stress as much."

McLachlan's mum Lorraine confirmed he turned 43 yesterday, but the trainer was happy for others to shave a year or two off that number.

"I'll be whatever age you want me to be after that," he said.

"Wait until we ride this filly quiet."

McLachlan made special mention of his mother during the presentation speech, pointing to her support during his recent break from racing.

"The two months I spent on the sideline I drove her mad. Thanks mum," he said.

Jockey Jim Byrne was a Magic Millions winner on General Nediym in a one-off weight-for-age race in 1999 and thinks Enquare is his best chance to add to his tally.

"It would be nice to win one of the big ones," he said.

"She's a good filly. You can go forward or back on her but I think we are riding her a bit against her natural pattern at the moment.

"With the awkward alley we had to make a decision and I decided to go forward rather than getting caught in no man's land."

With such a slow tempo, there were some hard luck stories behind the winner.

Glen Colless said to totally ignore the run of Splendora, who never got clear at any stage.

Tim Bell said Shiraz Attack "will win" the Magic Millions if she can scrape into the field after he was caught three wide yesterday.

Liam Birchley is still undecided whether to push on with Missy Longstocking, after her third placing.

"We are sitting on it a bit, but you don't get too many chances to run in a $1 million race and she is in the top few in betting, so it's hard to pass up," he said.

"It's still a bit murky after that. If we did go there, I would probably take the blinkers off and just hope we draw a good gate."