Gold Coast trainer Toby Edmonds may trial Houtzen at Randwick in Golden Slipper lead-up

GOLD Coast trainer Toby Edmonds has several options for Houtzen in the lead-up to the Golden Slipper, including a barrier trial at Randwick.

Houtzen wins the Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast on January 14. Picture: Tim Marsden

GOLD Coast trainer Toby Edmonds has several options for Houtzen in the lead-up to the Golden Slipper, including a barrier trial at Randwick.

The Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner is the equal Golden Slipper favourite alongside She Will Reign, who runs in a barrier trial at Warwick Farm today.

Edmonds is looking at the Randwick trials a week later for Houtzen, who won the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast on January 14 from the outside gate.

“She had 10 days in the paddock and was probably doing a bit too well, so we brought her back in,” Edmonds said.

“One option is to trial her at Randwick on Monday week and then run in the Sweet Embrace two weeks after that but nothing is set in stone.”

Another option for Houtzen is to resume in the Reisling Stakes at Rosehill on March 4.

There are trials in southeast Queensland in the next fortnight at the Gold Coast, Deagon and the Sunshine Coast.

Edmonds will make a decision this week after seeing how Houtzen has progressed in what has been a record hot summer in Queensland.

“But it hasn’t been much cooler in Sydney,” he said.

Brisbane trainer Liam Birchley has sent New Zealand Karaka Millions failure Ameridon to be gelded.

“He was not drawn to win the Karaka race but he never really got into it. He is better than that,” Birchley said.

“He is being gelded. It should make a real horse of him.”

Birchley had another good Karaka sale, coming away with nine horses. “The second day was a buyers’ market and I got some nice horses.”

Birchley, who has a great record in New Zealand, is hoping to go back for million-dollar races for two- and three-year-olds at Ellerslie next year.