Magic Millions 2YO Classic 2015: Liam Birchley trio homes in on his holy grail

YOU only have to look at Liam Birchley’s presence in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic over the past 10 years to know how underrated he is.

Gold Coast Races

YOU only have to look at Liam Birchley’s presence in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic over the past 10 years to know how underrated he is.

While the 49-year-old trainer is still searching for his first win in the rich race, Saturday will mark the 11th consecutive year Birchley has had at least one runner in the 2YO Classic.

It’s an astonishing feat, one that is not matched by Gai Waterhouse or any other trainer for that matter, and it highlights just how good a horseman Birchley is.

So what’s his secret?

It’s not spending millions and millions on expensive yearlings at the Magic Millions sales each year.

Liam Birchley with Pepperano and Flamenco.

After all he will barely raise his hand to bid for a yearling at the main sale this week and has to wait for day five of the sale on Sunday or the smaller sales for the rest of the year to find yearlings that are in his price range.

America is the answer — well at least part of it.

Birchley was an assistant trainer to Neil Drysdale in California in 1989-90 and this is where he gained his edge for getting precocious two-year-olds to make their mark early.

“The main ingredient is getting a right horse from the start and then I’m probably at a little bit of an advantage here through the work I did in America,” he said.

“Over there the horses when they come into work they don’t go out.

“You have to learn to deal with their problems while they are in work so things like shin soreness you learn to work through it.

“I’ve applied that knowledge back home and we have a very small percentage of horses that go shin sore as opposed to maybe other trainers.”

It doesn’t sound like rocket science but it’s a method that has been proven time and time again over the past decade.

It’s a big part of the reason why Birchley has had at least one runner in the 2YO Classic every year since 2005 and why he has a personal best three horses in the rich race this year.

He has had two runners in the 2YO Classic three times (2014, 2009 and 2006) and was set to have three representatives in the race in 2005 before Stakeholder had to be scratched due to injury.

To put his achievements into perspective, Birchley buys no more than 10 yearlings from the Magic Millions sales each year.

Pepperano has drawn gate 17 for the big race at the Gold Coast. Picture: Trackside Photography

He studies and buys the majority of the yearlings himself even when he trained for Aquanita Racing between 2002-2011.

He plucked out Flamenco ($30,000) and Saga Of The Storm ($85,000) from the Magic Millions sales last year and helped organise the mating that led to his other runner in the race Pepperano, who was passed in for $1000 at the sales last year.

Magic Millions managing director Vin Cox said Birchley “is one of the best judges in the business”.

“He always finds a good horse at low to moderate prices and that is a sign of a very good judge of horses and he is also a very good trainer,” Cox said.

But how does he do it?

How does this talented trainer manage to find a bargain from the Magic Millions sales each year and qualify it for the 2YO Classic one year later?

“It’s nothing you can explain in a nutshell,” Birchley said.

“You’ve heard all the talk that they have to balanced, athletic, precocious and strong but (the late champion Irish trainer) Vincent O’Brien used to say when he bought a particular high-profile horse it spoke to him.

$30,000 buy: Flamenco (rails), with Larry Cassidy aboard, wins at Doomben. Picture: Josh Woning

“I do definitely get a feeling about a horse but it’s hard to describe what that is.

“And I get a real kick out of it when I buy a horse that I really like for less than the price I thought it would make.”

While he is proud to have been involved in the 2YO Classic for so many consecutive years, Birchley is still desperate to tick off his first win in the prestigious race.

And you get the feeling that when he does, the floodgates will open.

“It’s good to have been involved in the race (every year since 2005) but you would still like to finish the job, too,” Birchley said.

“It’s been a bit of a holy grail of mine and it is obviously one of the most watched races at least Australia wide and it has a very high profile.

“It would help a bit business wise to win it and it’s good to compete in it but you would like to think if you could win it I might be able to compete at these yearling sales a bit better than I do.”

As for his best chance to break the drought on Saturday, Birchley can’t split his trio of runners and reckons track conditions will play a significant role.

Flamenco (2), Saga Of The Storm (10) and Pepperano (17) have all drawn in different parts of the track so at least he should be in the right spot with one of them.

“I’m unsure how the track will play and I don’t know if it’s better to be drawn in or out,” he said.

“I can’t split them.

“I’ve had better chances get beat in the race before and luck plays the most important role in the race because the best horse often doesn’t win for whatever reason and you need a big degree of luck.”

After four top-four finishes in the race to date, it’s fair to say Birchley is due for a bit of luck this year.

Liam, with strapper Diane Scriven, has come close to winning the Classic many times but has never cracked it. Picture: Claudia Baxter

LIAM BIRCHLEY’S RECORD IN THE RACE SINCE 2003

2014- Ruby Soho (third), Sagatona (equal sixth)

2013- Missy Longstocking (third)

2012- Snipzu (ninth)

2011- Pepper Jet (fourth)

2010- Wandering Star (15th)

2009- Paprika (second), Fairchild (eighth)

2008- Pandemonia (15th)

2007- My Man Murphy (11th)

2006- Charmana Star (11th)

2005- Upilio (sixth), Rashini (seventh)

2004- no runner

2003- Helter Skelter (ninth)

MAGIC MILLIONS FIELDS AND BARRIERS

$2 million MM 2YO CLASSIC (1200m)

No. Horse Trainer Jockey Weight (Barrier)

1. WICKED INTENT Barry Mitchell Chris Munce 57kg (5)

2. ZOUTENANT Kevin Moses Glyn Schofield 57kg (7)

3. LE CHEF Darryl Hansen Luke Tarrant 57kg (3)

4. OLD TRIESTE Andrew Noblet Jim Byrne 57kg (20)

5. SURF SEEKER M, W & J Hawkes James McDonald 57kg (18)

6. CARRIAGES Gai Waterhouse Tommy Berry 55kg (21)

7. FREQUENDLY Les Ross Brad Stewart 55kg (4)

8. SINGLE Gaze Nick Olive Damien Oliver 55kg (6)

9. FLAMENCO Liam Birchley Larry Cassidy 55kg (2)

10. MISS IDYLLIC D Hayes & T Dabernig Michael Walker 55kg (19)

11. PERIGNON Gerald Ryan Brenton Avdulla 55kg (11)

12. MADOTTI Matthew Dunn Timothy Bell 55kg (15)

13. SAGA OF THE STORM Liam Birchley Robert Thompson 55kg (10)

14. CLAUDIA Jean D Hayes & T Dabernig Stephen Baster 55kg (1)

15. PEPPERANO Liam Birchley Damian Browne 55kg (17)

16. RACY Gary Portelli Josh Parr 55kg (9)

Emergencies

17. FLAMENCO Girl Danny Bougoure 55kg (16)

18. RIGHT OF WAY Gai Waterhouse Tim Clark 55kg (12)

19. REAL GOOD Trevor Miller 57kg (14)

20. STAR OF NIGHT David Kelly 55kg (13)

21. WICKED INVESTMENT Paul Butterworth 57kg (8)

CLICK HERE: TAB FIXED ODDS

Pepperano winning at Doomben. Picture: Trackside Photography

$1 million MM 3YO GUINEAS (1400m)

No. Horse Trainer Jockey Weight

1. FIXATION Tony Gollan Ryan Wiggins 57.5kg (2)

2. DEIHEROS Lloyd Kennewell Ric McMahon 57kg (7)

3. TESTASHADOW Gary Portelli Tim Clark 57kg (13)

4. CYCLONE Bjorn Baker Damien Oliver 57kg (1)

5. BOLD CIRCLE David Payne Hugh Bowman 57kg (17)

6. VIENNA ROYALE Tony Gollan Tegan Harrison 57kg (12)

7. MURT THE FLIRT Brendan McCarthy Brenton Avdulla 57kg (19)

8. YEAGER Tony Gollan Chris Munce 57kg (3)

9. LIBERTY ISLAND Chris Waller --- 57kg (16)

10. MYWAYORTHEHIGHWAY Mick Mair Daniel Griffin 56kg (8)

11. HIJACK HUSSY Tony Gollan Timothy Bell 55.5kg (6)

12. TALES OF FASHION Trevor Bailey Damian Browne 55.5kg (5)

13. ECHO GAL GAI Waterhouse Tommy Berry 55kg (9)

14. STROAK BRYAN Guy Brad Stewart 55kg (11)

15. AEROBAR Gerald Ryan James McDonald 55kg (4)

16. HERSTORY Peter Moody Scratched 55kg (20)

Emergencies

17. SHE’S MISS Devine Kelso Wood Michael Cahill 55kg (15)

18. MISTER BOOZE Peter Fleming --- 57kg (10)

19. POLYNIKES Bryan Guy Jim Byrne 57kg (21)

20. I AM ZELADY Sam Kavanagh --- 55kg (18)

21. I AM IMPRESSED Ron Quinton Josh Parr 57kg (14)

CLICK HERE: TAB FIXED ODDS