$3m Sunlight slot race barriers: Arabian Summer draws wide

Some of the leading fancies have had contrasting luck at the barrier draw for the new $3m Magic Millions Sunlight slot race at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

Arabian Summer will jump from the cheap seats in the $3m Sunlight slot race at the Gold Coast on Saturday. Picture: Grant Peters, /Trackside Photography.

Flying Victorian filly Arabian Summer has an imposing record in the Sunshine State but will have to do it the tough way in the inaugural $3m Magic Millions Sunlight slot race at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

The new race, restricted to three-year-olds and to be raced over 1100m, is named after Tony McEvoy’s former star Group 1 champion Sunlight.

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But if McEvoy and his son Calvin are to claim the new race named after their former sprint star, it will be hard earned with Arabian Summer to jump from barrier 11 in the 12-horse field.

Arabian Summer loves Queensland, having won three from four and her only loss here was when finishing fifth in the 2024 Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic which was won by Storm Boy.

It’s not easy to win from out wide at the Gold Coast, however, and Arabian Summer will have to be at her best to take out the lucrative slot race prize.

The @tabcomau Magic Millions Sunlight barrier draw is complete! pic.twitter.com/daa3Fx8ORo

— Magic Millions (@mmsnippets) December 31, 2024

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Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot had better luck and will jump from barrier one, while trainer Nathan Doyle was delighted with unbeaten colt Private Harry, who has won three from three in NSW, coming up with barrier four.

Lady Of Camelot remained solid on TAB fixed odds as the $2.50 favourite, Arabian Summer drifted from $5 to $5.50 and Private Harry was solid as an $8 chance.

Post barrier draw, TAB reported some decent each-way bets on Spywire who was a $26 chance after drawing barrier six.

It's all Spywire in the Gold Nugget!@CWilliamsJockey the pilot for @cmaherracing. pic.twitter.com/EW1nQFxckk

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 6, 2024

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Ciaron Maher-trained Spywire, who hasn’t raced since May, finished third behind Storm Boy in the 2024 Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

Vestas, to be ridden by Jamie Kah who will make the trip north, is an $8 chance for Victorian trainer Clinton McDonald.

Saturday’s twilight Gold Coast card also features the running of the $500,000 The Wave (1800m) as well as a pair of two-year-old contests which are last chance races to qualify for the $3m 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast the following Saturday.

Originally published as $3m Sunlight slot race barriers: Arabian Summer draws wide