Magic Millions: Aim firms as favourite after barrier draw but Tommy Berry wary of big task

This time it will be different for Tommy Berry as he attempts to make it three wins in the coveted Magic Millions Classic, with the jockey climbing aboard a horse who’s style is to run on late.

Tommy Berry’s two Magic Millions wins have been on front-running fillies and he’s well aware it’s going to take an entirely different ride if he’s to add a third win in the race when he partners Aim this weekend.

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Berry won his first Magic Millions on the fleet-footed Karuta Queen, who led throughout in 2011. A year later he gained the race on protest aboard Driefontein, who also did it all from the front.

Aim does not possess the same early toe as that pair and Berry was mindful of that after the Star Witness colt drew gate two on Tuesday.

“It is better than drawing out really wide. I would have preferred something like eight with him because of his style,” Berry said.

Jockey Tommy Berry.

“Karuta Queen and Driefontein were both front runners, which is an advantage around here. You take luck out of the equation by leading but if you’re on a good horse you can win from anywhere.

“This horse is going to get back from the start but we just need the luck to get through them.

“Hopefully I can find the right out to take us into the race.

“He has a real turn of foot and that is going to help us in the position we are going to be in. He has a good enough turn of foot to run over the top of them late.”

Berry worked Aim in Sydney on Saturday morning and suggested he has improved since his dominant Randwick win last month.

Co-trainer Paul Snowden is hoping with the experience of racing, Aim can show a little more speed early in the race on Saturday.

“I think he can be a pair or two closer than he has been from that draw, which will be handy in this race,” he said.

The Snowdens also have McLachlan winner King’s Legacy and Stellar Pauline, who is the least fancied of their trio.

“I think Stellar Pauline is little bit forgotten, she has drawn all right and she probably should have been a little closer to Aim last time,” Snowden said.

While the Snowdens are seeking a second win in the race (after Capitalist in 2016), Gai Waterhouse is aiming for win number four and thinks she and co-trainer Adrian Bott have the right horse in Farnan, who sizzled in a track gallop at the Coast on Saturday.

Tommy Berry has another hot Magic Millions chance in Aim. Picture: Getty Images

“He beat the Gimcrack Stakes winning filly (Every Rose) at Wyong and put her away. Then she made the form look very good in the McLachlan Stakes,” Waterhouse said.

“He has done everything right and keeps taking the right improvement from each run.”

Farnan opened the day as an $8 chance but was pressing Aim for favouritism late yesterday, into $6.50, with Aim $6.

King’s Legacy is third elect at $7.50.

In the $2 Million Magic Millions Guineas, Alligator Blood held his price of $1.80 after drawing barrier 11.

He will start from barrier eight if the emergencies don’t gain a start.

Diamond Thunder (barrier 20) was joined on the second line of betting with It’s Kind Of Magic (gate 6) at $13 following the draw, while Dubious (10) is a $19 chance.

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MAGIC MILLIONS 2YO CLASSIC (1200m)

Gold Coast, Saturday

Field Limit: 16+5 EM

No. Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight

1. KING’S LEGACY Peter & Paul Snowden Kerrin McEvoy 8 57kg

2. FARNAN Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Tim Clark 5 57kg

3. RATHLIN Ciaron Maher & David EustaceMark Zahra 19 57kg

4. CONCEITED James Cummings Damian Lane17 57kg

5. AIM Peter & Paul Snowden Tommy Berry 2 57kg

6. WISDOM OF WATER Toby & Trent EdmondsRobbie Fradd 7 57kg

7. NITROUS Peter & Paul SnowdenHugh Bowman 11 57kg

8. KAVAK Chris Munce Nash Rawiller 1 57kg

9. EUPHORIC SUMMER Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) Damien Oliver 6 55kg

10. EVERY ROSE Mark Newnham Joshua Parr9 55kg

11. GOTTA KISS Steven O’Dea Ms Stephanie Thornton (a) 4 55kg

12. DUSTY TYCOON Robert Heathcote Dale Smith 15 55kg

13. LADY BANFF Matthew Dunn James McDonald 12 55kg

14. AWAY GAME Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Luke Currie14 55kg

15. STELLAR PAULINE Peter & Paul Snowden Brenton Avdulla 13 55kg

16. SMART ’N’ SEXY (NZ)Toby & Trent Edmonds Matthew McGillivray 20 55kg

17e. BRIBERY Tony & Calvin McEvoy 10 55kg

18e. WAY BEYOND Stuart Kendrick 21 57kg

19e. THE DRINKS CART Toby & Trent Edmonds 16 57kg

20e. COSMIC GOSSIP Stuart Kendrick 18 55kg

21e. POUPEE Stuart Kendrick 3 55kg

MAGIC MILLIONS 3YO GUINEAS (1400m)

Gold Coast, Saturday

Field Limit: 16+5 EM

No. Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight

1. DUBIOUS Ciaron Maher & David EustaceJames McDonald 10 58kg

2. ALLIGATOR BLOOD David Vandyke Ryan Maloney 11 57kg

3. HIGHTAIL Peter & Paul Snowden Hugh Bowman 5 56.5kg

4. DIAMOND THUNDER Mark NewnhamJoshua Parr 20 56.5kg

5. EXHILARATES James Cummings Kerrin McEvoy 8 56kg

6. SUPERIUM Joseph Pride Nash Rawiller 1 56kg

7. KING OF HASTINGS Anthony Freedman Damien Oliver 7 56kg

8. PROFIT Chris Anderson Glen Boss 15 56kg

9. ELEVEN ELEVEN Gregory Hickman Keagan Latham 21 56kg

10. LEVIATHAN Peter & Paul Snowden Tommy Berry 14 56kg

11. STAR SURPRISE Michael Moroney Damian Lane 19 56kg

12. SCOUT Toby & Trent Edmonds Tim Clark 16 56kg

13. THE EXECUTIONER Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Luke Currie 12 56kg

14. OH FIVE GLORY Peter & Will HulbertLarry Cassidy 18 54kg

15. IT’S KIND OF MAGIC Brent Stanley Brett Prebble 6 54kg

16. HOWWONDERFULLIFEIS Tony Gollan Baylee Nothdurft (a) 9 54kg

17e. LET IT POUR Bjorn Baker 17 54kg

18e. GALA MISS Kelly Schweida 13 54kg

19e. DESIGNATED risten Buchanan 3 56kg

20e. BADOOSH Matthew Dunn 4 56kg

21e. BELLS APPROACHING Matthew Dunn 2 56kg

MAHER BACKS HIS AWAY GAME

Ciaron Maher tried to put on a brave face in the wake of his pair of Magic Millions aspirants drawing off the track and tipped his $26 chance Away Game to run better than expected.

Both Rathlin ($12-$15) and Away Game (out from $21) drifted with Ladbrokes after drawing barriers 19 and 14 respectively.

Maher trains the pair in partnership with David Eustace. Last year the stable finished second in the Magic Millions with Dubious after jumping from barrier six.

Rathlin and Away Game were both last start stakes winners at Doomben, but the market is shying away from their chances.

“At the Gold Coast you always hope for (barriers) one to 10, but it’s fine,” Maher said. “The horses are in good order, that’s the main thing.”

Maher said Dubious was a more natural two-year-old than this year’s pair, but there were both progressing the right way.

“Dubious was probably a little bit more well-rounded, whereas Rathlin is still learning. Dubious was straight forward. Rathlin is still learning but he’s improving with every start,” he said.

Interestingly, Maher gave a strong push for Away Game, who had the better of MM rival Smart ‘N’ Sexy when she won at Doomben.

“She’s got a bit of a sense of timing about her I reckon. She has really done well. I just think she’s really going to run a race. She’s pretty push button and you can do whatever you want with her,” Maher said.

Originally published as Magic Millions: Aim firms as favourite after barrier draw but Tommy Berry wary of big task