David Harrison will saddle-up four two-year-olds in the same race at Ascot tomorrow when they take their place in the Magic Millions Plate (1000m).
With the $250,000 Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic only four weeks away, the Serpentine-based trainer is starting to wheel out his younger brigade and has a mixed of debutant and race-experienced horses among his quartet.
Lucky Sue ($3.20) and Vonsnip ($4.80) will be having their second and third respective race starts, while unraced duo Snippenova ($9) and Sunny Honey ($23) both impressed David Harrison at their recent Lark Hill trial on December 31.
“I thought they trialled really good,” he told TABradio’s The Sports Daily.
“My other filly won the trial obviously, Devine Belief, but I think she’s probably my best two-year-old.
“Unfortunately she’s gone a bit shinsore so she’s just had to back off for a little while.
“That trial was run about 10 lengths quicker than all the other two-year-olds trials so that was an exceptional trial.”
Snippenova, a daughter of Snippetson, finished two-lengths second to her stablemate in the trial while Sunny Honey – a Patronize colt – finished a further length-and-a-half away in fourth place.
Harrison says the filly has the natural pace to overcome her wide draw in barrier eight in tomorrow’s nine-horse field.
“Snippenova sort of made the time (in the trial) by going hard, so she’s got a lot of speed and you’d expect her to lead from the second outside barrier,” he said.
“Her and Roy Rogers’ will come across and you’d think they’d be one-two, but that barrier shouldn’t really worry her because she should be in front straight away.
“Sunny Honey isn’t a real jump-and-run sort of a two-year-old, he’s more for a late two-year-old and three-year-old sort of type so we’ll just give him this one run for education and will see how he goes.
“He’s got a lot of ability.
“It’s hard to beat race experience and the other two have had race experience so it’s hard to line them up, really.”
Vonsnip, a filly also by Snippetson, hit the line strongly when finishing fourth to Revitup and stablemate Lucky Sue on debut on December 18 before settling for the same position behind Sheeza Belter after racing outside of the leader at Ascot last Saturday.
“They’ve both had race experience,” Harrison said.
“Vonsnip was probably ridden a bit too close last start, so we’ll sit her back tomorrow.
“The start before she was a bit slow out of the gates and hit the line really good.
“Lucky Sue just got out a bit late the other day and she only got a couple hits in before she came through with a fast-finishing second.
“I thought she was a really good run and she’s probably the pick of them with the barrier, I suppose.”
Harrison’s only other runner on the day, Blazing Away, is the current $2.80 favourite in the TABtouch – Westspeed Platinum Handicap (1400m).
He is expecting the City Place four-year-old to be at peak fitness at his third run back from a spell.
“I think he just peaked a bit last start with the big weight,” he said.
“He’s got the same weight again tomorrow but just peaked a bit.
“It’s done him good and I think he’s come on well since the run.
“It’s not an overly strong field and he’ll probably sit outside Sea Waif and hopefully he’s good enough at the finish.”
