Bright Sunlight At The Gold Coast

At this time of the year, one thing that the Gold Coast sees plenty of outside of yearlings that is, is Sunlight, and in this instance, we are speaking about the Tony McEvoy trained filly who will start as one of the favourite in Saturday's A$2-million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m).

Stakes-placed on debut behind Shadwell Stud's 'forgotten' runner Nomothaj (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), the dual-winning Sunlight (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}) has won her past two starts on the Gold Coast track, by a combined margin of over nine lengths, with her highlight performance coming last start Jan. 6 where she recorded a much quicker time than Houzten (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) produced the year prior before going on to claim the juvenile feature at her next start.

The unbeaten pair of Jonker (Aus) (Spirit Of Boom {Aus}) and Ef Troop (Aus) (Spirit Of Boom {Aus}) have already given their Group 1-winning sire a dream start to his stud career with his first crop runners, and success on Saturday will only further highlight the progeny of the Eureka Stud-based stallion whose second crop yearlings sold up to $500,000 on day two of the Magic Millions yearling sale, when a colt was secured by leading bloodstock agent James Harron.

A winner of the Wyong Magic Millions race Dec. 21, the David Atkins-trained Jonker will be aiming to emulate Capitalist (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) who captured the double in 2016, before going on to record success in the G1 Golden Slipper. With Hugh Bowman set to partner the unbeaten colt, connections drew barrier three at the draw during the week, with some feeling that the inside may be of a disadvantage to the colt, but his trainer is still nothing but confident.

Drawing wide, the Tony Gollan-trained Ef Troop is a go forward style of horse who has very good gate speed, and like last year's winner who started from a very wide barrier, looks capable of getting across and taking up a forward position, possibly even leading. Having made her debut in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial in Oct., with Sunlight third, the David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig-trained Nomothaj has had two trials in the clockwise direction, winning her most recent impressively in readiness for Saturday's assignment and should not be taken lightly.

Another at odds who appears capable of causing an upset is Tony Gollan's second runner, another by the 'boom' stallion. Outback Barbie (Aus) (Spirit Of Boom{Aus}) had trialled well against Sunlight before making her debut in the Listed Calaway Gal S. over 1110m at Doomben Dec. 6 where she recorded a narrow victory, but it was the manner in which she won that should see her competitive here from a very good gate.

Successful two years back with Capitalist, Blake Shinn and Peter and Paul Snowden team up together on Saturday, this year with Bondi (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) for a large group of big name owners carrying the China Horse Club silks. A narrow second on debut in the Listed Breeders' Plate behind the now Golden Slipper favourite Performer (Aus) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), Bondi resumed from a break with a third to Jonker at Wyong, but has since won a trial and will sport blinkers on Saturday.