Lee Curtis believes the barrier draw is irrelevant for promising three-year-old Bauhinia, with the fast-finishing filly drawn in 20 for Saturday’s $3 million Magic Millions 3yo Guineas (1400m).
That will likely come into barrier 16 of 18 if the emergencies fail to get a run, but Curtis, who trains in partnership with his wife Cherie, is excited by the daughter of Hellbent who was an impressive first up winner of the Wyong Magic Millions 3yo & 4yo Stakes (1200m), breaking the 1200m track record in a time of 1.07.67.
“She’s been to races four times and pretty much every time she’s come out, or three of them, she’s come out on her ear. You’ve got to assume she’s probably going to do that again anyway, so she just comes from impossible positions. I think if she drew two and that happens, she’s going to be in the same position, so I’m not worried about it,” Curtis said.
Bauhinia went into the Wyong run with one trial under the belt and Curtis has tried to follow that formula into Saturday, since readying her with a tick over trial at Rosehill and a gallop, with no concerns about the filly’s fitness.
“(Her) trial was really good, and I said to Jeff Penza who rode it on Saturday, ‘Look, give it a really good hit out; I don’t want you to bust any clocks so just last bit have a lap full and see what happens. She ran amazing time anyway,” Curtis said.
“She probably went in there with fresh legs; she’s only had one trial, and just a jump out and I tried to reproduce that, and then the thing was, she made a 700-meter run first up, so you know she pulled up well, so she’s fit.””We’re very happy with her.”
Tommy Berry has ridden Bauhinia in every start to date and has been booked to ride again on Saturday, and Curtis was buoyed by the leading jockey’s comments after the Wyong victory.
“I’ve known Tommy a long time, and his brother Nathan used to ride for me a lot, and he said, ‘Lee, I’ll tell you something. I know the horses you’ve had; she’ll be the best horse you’ll ever train.”
Bauhinia is a $9.50 chance for the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas, one of just three horses at single figures in a market narrowly headed by Snitzanova at $5.50.
