Equal Balance’s win in a restricted race at Rosehill has earned him a trip to Queensland to chase summer riches.
The winner of Saturday’s Highway Handicap (1100m) for country-trained horses, Equal Balance will now be aimed at the $2 million Magic Millions Guineas at the Gold Coast in January.
And while it may seem like a lofty ambition, Goulburn trainer Kurt Goldman has a blueprint with stablemate Eckstein a year ago.
Eckstein won a Highway race in October 2016 and went on to win a Listed race in Brisbane before running third in the Magic Millions Guineas.
Earlier this month she came within a short half head of giving her trainer a Group One win when second to Shoals in the Myer Classic at Flemington.
“The plan was always to go to Queensland if he won today,” Goldman said.
“There is a Listed three-year-old race for him at Doomben in two weeks.
“You don’t get many chances at a $2 million race so we will aim at the Guineas.”
With apprentice James Innes Jr taking two kilograms of Equal Balance’s 59kg topweight, the $4.40 chance overhauled race lader She Knows ($3.50 fav).
Star Aspiration held ground for second, 1-1/4 lengths from Equal Balance with She Knows tiring a little to finish a long head behind the runner-up.
Equal Balance will be joined at the Gold Coast in January when she will contest the Magic Millions mares race.
