Sunsource lights up Magic Millions Ballarat 2YO Classic to book ticket to Gold Coast

Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have a runner in the Magic Millions after taking out the Ballarat 2YO Classic for the second straight year with Sunsource.

Sunsource streaks away from his rivals to win the Magic Millions Ballarat 2YO Classic. Picture: Pat Scala-Racing Photos via Getty Images

Sunsource lit up a wet and gloomy Saturday with victory in the lucrative $250,000 Magic Millions Ballarat 2YO Classic in emphatic style.

The big and raw Zoustar colt, bought for $370,000 as a yearling, benefited from a cool Daniel Moor ride to swamp Pure Paradise and Dubenenko in the 1000m dash.

Co-trainer Trent Busuttin, who won the Ballarat qualifier last year with Cusack, said Sunsource would need “one run, maybe two” before the $2m Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast on January 14.

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Sunsource absolutely storms home! 😮 @[e-mail]/XEbYpGEB0S

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) November 19, 2022

“He’s a big gross colt, obviously now he’s in the race with the prizemoney that takes the pressure off,” Busuttin said.

“He’s done it good and we’ll certainly pack our bags and get up there (Gold Coast), but there is those big flash Sydney colts.

“We won’t get ahead of ourselves but we’ve got a runner in the race now.”

Pure Paradise and Dubeneko collared leader Gitalong with 100m to go but the pair were no match for the big striding Sunsource, who won quite softly in the end.

“You could see at the 600 (metres) he was coming up underneath Daniel and even though he was a fair way off them he was looking like he was going to let down,” Busuttin said.

“At the 300 (metres), I thought he was going to really charge late.”

Sunsource races away for an easy win. Picture: Reg Ryan-Racing Photos via Getty Images

Moor endorsed the smart colt’s credentials and “great attitude”.

“He was slow out (of the barriers) but that was due to his perfect behaviour really,” Moor said.

“He stood there best in the barriers. I wasn’t in a rush to drive this horse because I know how much ability he has, and that’s good ability.

“I believe he’s got the ability to buck the trend of this race being an ordinary form race.

“Going forward he can train on at three and he’s got a great brain and a great attitude.”

Stewards reprimanded Moor for shifting ground at the top of the straight and causing interference to Capulet.

Meanwhile, Direct booked a ticket to Gold Coast with a stylish victory in the Magic Millions Ballarat 3YO/4YO Classic (1100m) on Saturday.

Trainer Lloyd Kennewell will target the $1m Magic Millions Snippets on January 14 – a race he won with star mare Viddora in 2018.

“He’s a different horse to her. She was going there as a Group 1 winner,” Kennewell said.

“This horse is a good horse and he is progressive. We’ll head up there, he likes a bit of the warm weather and we can enjoy it with a nice team that will be going up there.”

Direct way too good 💪 @[e-mail]/L3TK0NwGb0

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) November 19, 2022

Direct nestled in behind the speed and finished powerfully under jockey Zac Spain to put a margin on A Little Deep and Penthouse.

“It turned out perfect. Zac executed my plan perfectly. I couldn’t have asked for anything better really. It was a painless watch,” Kennewell said.

“I had to turn the radio off, the TV off, everyone was saying he couldn’t run 1100 (metres) but he was clearly the best horse in the race and he won like it.”

Direct, a son of SIyouni bought by Kennewell for $400,000 as a yearling, has won his past three starts since being gelded.

“He’s racing in terrific form since he’s come back as a gelding,” Spain said.

“He’s doing it the right way. He’s settling well … he got to the front and had a good look around, but if something came at him, he would have gone again.”

Originally published as Sunsource lights up Magic Millions Ballarat 2YO Classic to book ticket to Gold Coast