James McDonald has tuned up for Saturday’s Magic Millions program with two soft victories at Randwick Kensington on Wednesday.
The 123-time Group 1 winning jockey took the opening race on the card aboard the John O’Shea & Tom Charlton trained debutant Astronomix before a carbon copy ride aboard hot favourite Unleeshing for the Bjorn Baker yard.
Dropping back from a narrow third placing in Benchmark 78 company to Wednesday’s Myplates Benchmark 64 (1550m), Unleeshing was heavily supported to start $1.55 and never looked like losing.
McDonald settled the My Racehorse syndicate owned mare just off the pace and edged off heels around the turn, looming up strongly at the 200m mark and coming right away to score by a widening four lengths over Shanoni ($14), with a further length back to $3.80 second elect Kilkenny.
As Bjorn Baker prepares Magic Millions 2yo Classic favourite Warwoven, stable racing manager Luke Hilton hoped it would be the start of a winning run for Unleeshing.
“It was an easy win,” Hilton said.
“She might even get a little bit further and hopefully she takes come confidence.”
For McDonald, it was the easiest of victories, with perhaps a bit more pressure on than normal given racing manager Mark Guest’s father owns a share in the horse.
“That was painless, she never felt like she was ever going to lose,” McDonald said of Unleeshing.
“They just dawdled the first furlong and a half, and then obviously a little bit of pace got injected. We ended up in a good spot and away she went.”
“There’s about a million owners so I’m sure there’s uncles and sisters and brothers that are related to anyone in the horse!”
McDonald has eight rides at the Gold Coast on Saturday, including Knightsbridge for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic, and Memo for Peter Snowden in the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas.
