It is the time of year when all roads lead to the Gold Coast for the two-year-old Magic Millions graduates and trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are hoping their filly Uncorked can book her ticket north.
A $130,000 yearling purchase, Uncorked will step out in the opening 1200 metre race at Randwick on Saturday after finishing runner-up to Russian Conquest on debut in the Max Lees Classic at Newcastle last month.
That was over 900 metres and Bott expects the daughter of Pierro to appreciate a distance rise.
“She was excellent at Newcastle over 900 (metres). She was off the bit the whole way over that short trip,” Bott said on the Big Sports Breakfast.
“She is bred to be an Oaks sort of filly so she should really appreciate the step up to the 1200 for us.”
A $26 chance for the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 15, Uncorked will be partnered by regular Tulloch Lodge rider Tim Clark.
She is one of five Magic Millions eligible runners in Saturday’s race along with the Annabel Neasham-trained pair of Man In The Mirror and Hyde, Mr Rock It for Robert and Luke Price and Fly Nice from the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace yard.
Waterhouse and Bott had two runners in the Wyong Magic Millions feature on Wednesday with Command Approved finishing fourth and Speak Now unplaced.
While Speak Now will be spelled, the stable is keen to press on with Command Approved.
A winner at Canberra on debut, Command Approved did plenty wrong at Wyong, wobbling around the corner, getting on his wrong leg and racing greenly in the straight but Bott says he has the ability to feature at the Gold Coast if he can mend his manners.
“He needs to iron a few of those things out at that better level to be effective, so we will take him up to the Gold Coast and race him the week before the Magic Millions and give him another chance to qualify,” Bott said.
“Maybe just getting him away from Randwick and that change of scenery can help him grow up that bit mentally and mature that bit and a trip away can help them to put it all into place.”
Waterhouse and Bott have a light afternoon at Randwick on Saturday with former American gelding Bulletin their only other runner.
