Two smart sprinters are battling for top spot in the 2015 Magic Millions Open Sprint odds for one of the feature races on the Gold Coast Magic Millions Race Day program in Sydney this weekend.
Whittington is narrow favourite to successfully defend his title in Saturday’s 2015 Magic Millions Open Sprint on the Gold Coast. Photo: Daniel Costello.
The $200,000 Myer Magic Millions Open Sprint (1100m), running as Gold Coast Race 4 at 2:00pm (local) on Saturday, features a full field of 12 starters plus two emergency runners.
Of those the bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au best like Whittington and Missy Longstocking for the win, the duo paying $3.60 and $3.70 respectively in the latest Magic Millions Open Sprint betting markets.
Narrow favourite, the Chris Waller-trained Whittington is one of a host of top fancies for Sydney’s premier trainer at Saturday’s meeting with Waller saddling up the punters’ pick in the Magic Millions Stayers Cup (Amovatio), Magic Millions Fillies & Mares Handicap (Champagne Cath) and Magic Millions Cup (Strawberry Boy).
A four-year-old son of Tale Of The Cat, Whittington has the outside barrier to overcome on Saturday in the short distance showdown with Hugh Bowman to ride him on 56.5kg.
Last start the stallion raced at Royal Randwick in early October with 57.5kg on his back to run fifth to Aomen over 1400m on the back of a sixth to Terravista in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) the month before.
He’s got a gun record over the 1100m with two wins, a second and a third from six starts, and is also a previous winner over the track and distance having won this race first-up last January with Tommy Berry aboard when prepared by rival Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse.
Missy Longstocking meanwhile has barrier nine for the weekend for jockey Glen Colless who rides the Liam Birchley-trained Sequalo mare on the 54kg minimum.
The four-year-old Group 3 winner hasn’t raced in a year, her last start being on this day 12 months ago when 11th to Sweet Idea in the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas after which she pulled up lame before heading to the paddock for a lengthy recovery she returns from this weekend.
In an open top half of the Magic Millions Open Sprint odds there are three other single figure hopes.
Rob Heathcote’s 58.5kg top weight Excellantes ($6) and the rails-drawn Seeking More ($6) occupy the third line of betting before Straturbo pays $8 to win.
Drawn in gate five for jockey Christian Reith, veteran seven-year-old Excellantes hasn’t won since July when taking out the Listed Ascot Handicap (1200m) at Eagle Farm with 59kg.
His latest run was a second to Saluter over 1200m at the Sunshine Coast on Boxing Day with 60kg that he’ll be out to improve on here when down in distance (10-3-2-1) at a track he’s yet to run top three on from three previous Gold Coast starts.
Seeking More has barrier one for Michael Cahill with the Kelso Wood-trained Sequalo five-year-old well weighted on 54.5kg.
That is four kilos less than the weight he had at Doomben on December 6 for a close fourth to The Storeman, the gelding having run third in the Group 3 WJ Healy Stakes (1200m) in the winter before a fourth to Excellantes in the Ascot Handicap.
Gary Portelli’s Sydney raider Straturbo is up in class here, the son of Stratum looking to atone for a seventh to Play Master in a run down the Flemington sprint (1000m) from December 20.
As for those over $10 in the markets the best ed include the first emergency Celestial Dragon ($13), the Gary Moore-trained Group 1 performed market mover Happy Galaxy ($16) backed right in from $21 and Pickabee ($17) first-up here off a six month break from racing.
See below for the full Magic Millions Open Sprint 2015 betting odds, fixed win prices open online at Ladbrokes.com.au who are offering you shares in a Peter Moody-trained racehorse when you have a punt at the Gold Cost this Magic Millions Day!
