Gold Coast three-year-old Whypeeo may kick off Magic Millions campaign in Sydney

MAGIC Millions-bound Whypeeo will make his comeback in either Sydney or Brisbane after being scratched from a comeback run at Doomben.

Jockey Jeff Lloyd rides Whypeeo (No.6) to win at the Gold Coast on August 26, 2017. Photo: AAP Image/Albert Perez

MAGIC Millions-bound Whypeeo will make his comeback in either Sydney or Brisbane after being scratched from a comeback run at Doomben.

The three-year-old was to resume in a 1050m-race against his own age group at Doomben on Saturday but Gold Coast trainer Toby Edmonds­ scratched him 30 minutes before the race when rain continued to tumble.

The meeting was called off after the race in which Whypeeo was scheduled to run.

“We just didn’t know about him on a very, very heavy track,” Edmonds said.

“In the end we couldn’t take the risk of flattening him for the rest of the campaign.”

The three-year-old race at Doomben next Saturday is over 1350m which is an unsuitable­ distance for Whypeeo­ first-up.

Edmonds believes the better­ options are the Winning Rupert Plate at Doomben (1200m) or a three-year-old benchmark race (1200m) at Rosehill on December 2.

He may also trial him but will weigh up all possibilities in the coming days. Whypeeo confirmed he was one of the best three-year-olds in Queensland by beating high quality fields at his two runs before a break.

Edmonds scrapped plans to take Whypeeo to Sydney for the Golden Rose after the gelding won at Doomben on September 9.

“Our aim was always going to be the Magic Millions­ carnival,” Edmonds said.

“At this stage Whypeeo is being set for the Magic Millions­ Guineas over 1400m but a back-up plan is the Magic Millions Sprint (over 1200m).”

Many contenders for the Magic Millions race day at the Gold Coast on January 13 boosted their credentials at the weekend.

Equal Balance’s win in a restricted race at Rosehill on Saturday earnt him a trip to the Coast.

The winner of the Highway Handicap (1100m) for country-trained horses, Equal Balance will now be aimed at the $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas.

And while it may seem like a lofty ambition, Goulburn trainer Kurt Goldman has a blueprint with stablemate Eckstein a year ago.

Eckstein won a Highway race in October 2016 and went on to win a Listed race in Brisbane before running third in the Guineas.