Kevin Kemp aiming to sneak filly Sheza Chiquitita into Magic Millions field in pursuit of $500,000 women’s bonus

Kevin Kemp believes his filly will be a “red-hot chance” of claiming the $500,000 Magic Millions bonus if she can sneak into the race via the Gold Pearl on Saturday.

Kevin Kemp is looking to sneak his filly Sheza Chiquitita into the Magic Millions. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

Toowoomba trainer Kevin Kemp can’t see many horses standing in his way to the lucrative $500,000 Women In Racing Bonus with Sheza Chiquitita, but concedes he needs to sneak into next week’s Magic Millions field by running in the top two in Saturday’s Gold Pearl at the Gold Coast.

The former taxi driver teams up with Kenji Yoshida in what is an all-Toowoomba pairing looking to pull off a Magic Millions miracle.

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Yoshida first moved to Australia from Japan in 1998 and went through the Racing Queensland apprentice school, before calling Toowoomba home, where he has been a stalwart of the local racing scene.

Kemp praised the jockey, saying he is riding at the peak of his powers and said he was more than happy to stick with him on Saturday, despite a number of big-name hoops in town.

“I think he has ridden a winner for us the last seven weeks for us in Toowoomba, I know it’s only Toowoomba but he has done an exceptional job for us,” Kemp said.

“Watch him ride our winner (Ozarch) the other day at Toowoomba, he rode it like George Moore.

“Kenji is probably riding in the prime of his career, I think he’s going as well as he ever has.

“He was with (Tony) Sears to begin with and he has been a great asset to our stable for years and years.”

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Kenji Yoshida has been a Toowoomba stalwart.

As a $34 chance in Saturday’s $150,000 Golden Pearl, Kemp is under no illusions as to the challenges facing him, but said the lack of two-year-olds around this year work in his favour.

“It’s a ladies horse, have a look at the list and see how many are above her,” Kemp said.

“She is number 35 on the (Magic Millions) ballot and I reckon if we run second even, we could sneak in, then we are in with a red-hot chance of the ladies bonus because a lot of the horses above us are in the paddock.

“I’m not saying she will beat a stack of them home in the Millions but if there aren’t any others in the race, she will be up for that prize.

“We have put the winkers on her and left Kenji on, who knows her very well, he rides all her work.

“This filly is a cracking sort but she is a bit quirky and he gets on well with her.”

Originally published as Kevin Kemp aiming to sneak filly Sheza Chiquitita into Magic Millions field in pursuit of $500,000 women’s bonus