By Scott Bailey
The gavel has been knocked down hundreds of times during the week but 12 months ago the vast majority of the runners that line up for the $3 million TAB Magic Millions 2YO Classic on Saturday were in the same sales complex when the auctioneer dropped the hammer down to their new owners with this race in mind.
Race 7 at 4:05pm Gold Coast time over 1200 metres is the meeting’s headline act and the kind of assignment that can start big things for stud prospects. The prizemoney does the talking, with $1,739,100 to the winner, but it is the reputations on the line that make this contest feel even bigger. A win here does not just pay, it stamps a colt or filly as a genuine feature race horse, and the Classic has long been a proven launchpad into the best juvenile races in the country.
All eyes land on Warwoven, the short-priced favourite who was sold on the Gold Coast last year for $380,000 from the Kia Ora Stud draft arrives with the sort of wrap that punters latch onto early and seldom let go. And it has been his two impressive wins that has him in the spotlights. Bjorn Baker won this race last year with O’Ole and has him humming, Rachel King sticks, and the jockey’s own assessment has only added fuel to the hype. King has described him as “one of the better horses” she has ridden in her career, a statement that carries weight given the level she has operated at and the calibre she has partnered.
Warwoven has done little wrong, and more importantly, he has done it with authority. He won first up at Randwick over 1000 metres, showing a sharp turn of foot, then returned at Eagle Farm over 1200 metres and made it look like a mismatch. That second win was not just another tick in the form guide, it was a sign of a colt who can travel, settle, and put a race away when asked. Melbourne Cup winning trainer Tony McEvoy once said after Sunlights win back in 2018 “It’s hard travelling two year olds for this race, they need to handle the trip, the humidity and the crowd on the big day” He steps into the cauldron of a big field Classic from barrier six, which is just about ideal, close enough to hold a spot, flexible enough to ride with options, and far from the chaos that can come from the extremes.
If you are looking for the horse most likely to test him, Zip Lock profiles as the obvious danger on exposed form. Chris and Corey Munce have a smart one who is unbeaten from two, including a Group 3 win in the BJ McLachlan at Eagle Farm where he accounted for several he meets again. From gate three, Martin Harley should be able to land in the first half without burning petrol, and the colt has already proven he can handle give in the track, a trait that matters in mid-summer when conditions can turn quickly.
Tornado Valley is the type who can make this messy for the favourite if the gear change has the desired effect. Ciaron Maher reaches for blinkers first time, a move that often sharpens a young horse at the business end, and he has already mixed it with quality down south. His run behind Zip Lock in the BJ McLachlan reads well, and barrier five gives Ethan Brown a clean map to stalk and pounce.
The local speed and strength comes via Itchintogo, who has been a winning machine in Queensland and arrives with confidence sky high after an authoritative victory at the Gold Coast earlier this month. He draws wide in gate eleven, which adds a layer of difficulty, but he is tough, genuine, and knows how to win. In a race where luck and timing can matter as much as talent, a colt with race craft can keep turning up when it counts.
Then there is the Waterhouse and Bott battalion, always a factor in these high tempo two-year-old races, with Knightsbridge and Shiki headlining their chances. Knightsbridge gets James McDonald, draws eight, and has that stable’s trademark profile, early speed, strong through the line, and built to absorb pressure. Shiki, meanwhile, has proven class and a sharp finish, and while she is up against the boys at set weights, she has the quality to be competitive if she gets the right run from gate ten.
In a race this rich, there is no shortage of stories waiting to happen. A perfect start, a clean lane, a moment of hesitation at the wrong time, the Magic Millions Classic is often decided by the smallest margins and the biggest nerves. But if Warwoven produces what he has hinted at so far, this could be the day he turns promising into proper.
And twelve months from now a yearling purchased for $50,000 or $2,000,000 has a chance at the rich 2027 2yo Classic.
Ranging from elite seven-figure prospects like Knightsbridge ($750k) to bargain buys such as Leaves Of Lorien ($8k), all lining up on the same $3 million stage.
Here is a look at the purchase price of each runner from the 2025 Gold Coast Yearling Sale
$AUSD
1 ZIP LOCK $160,000
2 TORNADO VALLEY $300,000
3 ITCHINTOGO $60,000
4 WARWOVEN $380,000
5 UNIT FIVE $80,000
6 KNIGHTSBRIDGE $750,000
7 SHIKI $420,000
9 BY CHOICE $220,000
10 MASVINGO $580,000
11 MYSTICAL $425,000
12 MAGRITTE $65,000
13 TIGRONI $85,000
14 LEAVES OF LORIEN $8,000
15 INHABIT $200,000
16 DOUBLE COOL $50,000
17 IRANSOFAR $50,000
