Kelly Schweida has won a Magic Millions race twice in his expansive training career and will take a competitive team to Saturday’s meeting, headlined by Miss Joelene and Hella Fast.
Miss Joelene backs up after taking out the $500,000 The Wave (1800m) at Sunshine Coast on Saturday and will line up in the $1 million Magic Millions Subzero (2200m), with Schweida confident the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) placegetter will handle the extra ground.
“I’ve backed her up 10 days, never backed up in a week. Got a blood done yesterday and it came back as if she’s had no harm from the run, so that’s good. Light knock a little bit, but by the end of the week she’ll put that weight back on. Can run 2200 (metres) running third in the Oaks, so that’s not an issue,” Schweida said.
“She’s good. I mean, how do you know if they back up or not until you actually do it. But everything seems right… it’s a million-dollar race so we’ll find out.”
Miss Joelene’s jockey changed a number of times prior to Damian Lane eventually taking the ride, but regular jockey James Orman will be back aboard on Saturday after returning from an injured finger with the mare drawing well in barrier five.
Schweida will also saddle up Hella Fast in the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas (1400m) and believes the horse will improve again from a third placing in the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate (1300m)
“He’s been a good little horse, I love him. Kyle Wilson-Taylor to ride him, good the other day and I thought he ran really good because he was second up after he’d had his first run, he’d missed a jump out and trial, so he went in it with just one jump out,” Schweida said.
“I had to run him on that really heavy track at Eagle Farm (first up) and he got in the worst part of the track and he was just bobbing up and down the last little bit and I thought, well, if I don’t run him you can’t run in the Magic Millions.”
“We backed him up the next week, and he ran third in that in that quality race the other day, a group race, we went and had a look at the steward’s film, the protest against the second horse, but it wasn’t quite its fault; the one inside it came out and bumped it, so I think he ran better than it looked and I think he’s a live hope,” Schweida said.
Miss Joelene is a $4.60 second elect for the Subzero while Hella Fast is a $26 chance for the Guineas.
