Sweet Idea cemented her place at the top of Magic Millions Guineas betting charts when she confirmed first-up expectations in the $100,000 Magic Millions 3YO Stakes at Wyong on Thursday.
Not seen since she was banned because of a bleeding attack when narrowly beaten in the Silver Shadow Stakes at the start of the Sydney spring carnival, Sweet Idea rallied under James McDonald to hold off Melbourne colt Weinholt.
“From barrier one at level weights you expect them to win and you want to see them win,” Tulloch Lodge spokesman Mark Newnham said.
Sweet Idea is a $4.20 Guineas favourite ahead of stablemate Aussies Love Sport ($6.50) as trainer Gai Waterhouse chases her third win in the $1 million race.
But Newnham insists Sweet Idea is going to have to show the same amount of commitment to complete the Magic Millions double.
“I think she is just one of those fillies that is never going to make it look easy but she loves a challenge and she puts her head out when it counts,” he said.
“The best part today was the last part and she can put herself right on the speed and that is an advantage at the Gold Coast.”
Weinholt, who ran in many of the best three-year-old races during the Melbourne spring carnival, promises to be one of Sweet Idea’s main adversaries in a return clash on January 11.
Having his first run since the Caulfield Guineas, Weinholt ran up to Sweet Idea at the 200m before going down by a long neck.
“He’ll mainly improve in the way of education, having his first run in this direction,” said Claire Cunningham, who looks after trainer Peter Moody’s Sydney stable.
“To ask him to put it all together around a track like Wyong and run down quite a classy filly, it’s not disappointing the way he’s run today.”
