Important Stats for the big Magic Millions races on the Gold Coast

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The Gold Coast hosts a massive day of racing as the Magic Millions races are centre stage.

Magic Millions 2yo Classic Restricted Listed (1200m 2yo SW)

• First Running: 1987 (won by Snippets).
• Notable Winners: Snippets (1987), St Jude (1990), Bold Promise (1991), Clan O'Sullivan (1992), Brave Warrior (1994), General Nediym (1997), Testa Rossa (1999), Assertive Lad (2000), Excellerator (2001), Lovely Jubly (2002), Regimental Gal (2003), Dance Hero (2004), Phelan Ready (2009), Driefontein (2012), Capitalist (2016), Sunlight (2018), Exhilarates (2019), Away Game (2020), Shaquero (2021).
• The Magic Millions 2yo Classic is open to both genders and the race was originally a one off to coincide with the Magic Millions sales from the previous year.
• But after the growth of the meeting and sales, it has become for all MM sold horses with multiple million dollar races on the card.
• For the next few years the race was split with a fillies race and a colts/geldings race. In 1991 Bold Promise won the fillies edition and then a week later won the open race.
• Three horses have done the Magic Millions/Golden Slipper double – Dance Hero (2004), Phelan Ready (2009) and Capitalist (2016).
• It has been split basically 50:50 between the fillies and colts/geldings. And to back that up there are 8 colts/geldings and 8 fillies in the 2022 field.
• After taking the race in 2018, Sunlight would return to place in the Golden Slipper and then as a 3yo end up winning the Coolmore Stud Stakes on Derby Day at Flemington and the Newmarket/William Reid in the Autumn.
• Most winners have been hard in the betting but Phelan Ready was 50-1 and would win the Slipper at 25-1 two runs later. Away Game was 40-1 in 2020.
• Since 2013, six winners of the $2m race all competed one week before. Of those Le Chef, Houtzen, Sunlight and Exhilarates all won at this track then backed up to do the double.
• The vast majority of winners have been last start winners (24 of last 29).
• To highlight this, just in the last 20 years, 15 of the Magic Millions winners have scored at their previous start. Prior to Shaquero last year, who was only narrowly defeated, the previous 11 had all won. 7 of the finalised field are last start winners this year.
• Inside gates have often been everything in this race. However 3 of the last 5 drew 12 or worse.

Magic Millions 3yo Guineas Restricted Listed (1400m 3yo SW&P)

• First Running: 2001 (won by Paradiddle).
• Notable Winners: Ha Ha (2002), Gold Edition (2007), Sweet Idea (2014), Mahuta (2016), Pierata (2018).
• Some winners have gone on to win G1s like Sweet Idea, Gold Edition and Pierata. However many placegetters have also succeeded later. Dash For Cash, Absolut Glam, Rock Kingdom, Driefontein and Single Gaze but a few.
• Deiheros cost as little as $6500 at the Adelaide sales.
• Flying Jess was 100-1 in winning in 2017.
• Pierata would end up running in some of the top 3yo races to end the season and then run brilliantly as a 4yo. He'd win a Missile Stakes and Sydney Stakes at Randwick and placed in the VRC Sprint Classic before the All Aged was on the mantelpiece in the Autumn.
• There was an unbelievable storyline prior to Alligator Blood's win in 2020. He was on his way to the track but his float was caught up in road delays following a tanker overturning on the way between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Stewards' delayed the races by 40 minutes but he made it in time and was then far too good. However he subsequently lost the race after being disqualified months later*.
• Ryan Maloney was on him that day and then 12 months on he was on another short elect only for Isotope to clip heels at the 400m and stumble, losing her rider.
• There have been double figure priced winners aplenty in the 3yo race.
• Barriers have made no difference here. In the last 20 years, 12 of the winners have drawn 10 or worse.