Star 2-year-old Dubious (Not A Single Doubt) rounded off his preparations for next month's Magic Millions 2YO Classic with a hard-fought win in the first race run on the new Eagle Farm surface.
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace's colt, having his first start since winning the G3 Breeders' Plate at Randwick in September, tracked wide throughout, but hit the front in the final 200m and holding off Devine Factor (The Factor {USA}) to win by 0.3l.
While the margin of victory over the 1000m wasn't emphatic, Maher was glowing in his praise of the performance, considering the circumstances.
"He travelled wide and had to do it a little bit tough and together with the weight (59kg), he still had condition on him and it’s three weeks until his target race," Maher said.
"It was really good. He toughed it out. He's just got a really good way about him this horse. He's got a great attitude. He's very relaxed in this heat and he'll definitely come on from it."
"He's just got a really good way about him this horse. He's got a great attitude." - Ciaron Maher
Dubious immediately shortened into second favourite for the 2YO Classic behind Unite and Conquer (Hinchinbrook), which will be held on January 12 and Maher confirmed he would go to that race in three weeks without another run.
"We'll get to the beach for the next week. We'll get him down to the Gold Coast and give him a couple of hitouts around there," he said.
"He's pretty right. His condition is pretty good and he's really clean-winded so we won’t have to do a lot, it’s more familiarisation. Hopefully, he can draw favourably at the barriers and make it easy for himself."
A $350,000 buy at last January's Magic Millions Sale for Aquis Farm and Maher, Dubious is now owned by a syndicate of female owners, including Loretta Fung, the wife of Aquis supremo Tony Fung, who also had a share in last year's Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Sunlight (Zoustar).
Dubious as a yearling
Aquis' retained jockey Michael Walker took the ride and was full of praise for both Dubious and the Eagle Farm surface, which hosted its first meeting in over 600 days.
"The track felt beautiful. it was brilliant. It's good that the club have given it time to recover, but today it was beautiful." - Jockey, Michael Walker
"He's a top class colt. I think he showed everyone today why he is one of the Magic Millions' favourites. He carried 59kg, he was always going to improve off that today," he said.
"I reckon he's only going to get better and better."
"The track felt beautiful. it was brilliant. It's good that the club have given it time to recover, but today it was beautiful."
"Even going around to the start and in the prelim, you could just feel it was spongy, like they were bouncing off it. It was really, really nice.
Trainer Michael Costa confirmed that runner-up Devine Factor would head to the QTIS 2-year-old race on January 5 at the Gold Coast in a bid to qualify the filly for the 2YO Classic.
Ready for Millions tilt
There's no such worry for Girls Are Ready (Better Than Ready), who will go straight into the $2 million race after her win in the Member Get Member Hcp over 1200m at Warwick Farm.
Notching her second win of her three-start career, Girls Are Ready sat outside the early leader Aeecee Vinco (Charge Forward), and kicked clear to win by two lengths, booking her ticket for the Gold Coast feature.
Frank Cleary, stable representative for his son Joe Cleary, said it was full steam ahead to the Magic Millions.
"All roads lead there now, Joe was happy just to get enough prizemoney to get into the race today and he’ll be sitting back very happy now that he's going to the Gold Coast," he said.
Girls Are Ready was a $30,000 buy for Clearly at the 2018 Magic Millions sale. She will give her jockey Jess Taylor a chance at one of the richest 2-year-old races in Australia.
"She's such a nice little horse and she is such a professional." - Jockey, Jess Taylor
"I'm just flabbergasted. She's just going super. She's such a nice little horse and she is such a professional," Taylor said.
"I haven't (ridden in the Millions). I'm absolutely stoked and hopefully I can retain the ride. It will just be a blast to go up there for the race."
Girls Are Ready was a $30,000 Magic Millions purchase
Sebrakate (Sebring) is also likely headed to the Gold Coast, finishing second after making good ground late to get past Aeecee Vinko.
The challenge of Deterge (Exceed and Excel) failed to materialise and the Godolphin colt finished last of the seven horses.
