Gary Portelli will rely on Single Bullet in the $100,000 Magic Millions race for three and four-year-olds at Wyong believing the race will be beyond Hutcho.
Even though Thursday’s field is small, and with Hutcho out will be reduced to six, Portelli will look elsewhere for the four-year-old.
“We put him because I though it might not be a strong field, even with Single Bullet in it,” Portelli said.
“But even though it is a small field, it is a good one.
“I don’t want to run him round for fifth prize money so we can find something else for him.”
It is a different story with Single Bullet who struck all sorts of trouble early in an 1100m-race at Rosehill on December 9 and never recovered, finishing last of the 10 runners.
His Magic Millions Guineas hopes hang on a good performance at Wyong over 1200 metres.
“I want to see him running out the 1200 metres strongly to give an indication he can get 1400,” Portelli said.
The winner of the Group Three Pago Pago Stakes in the autumn, the colt has run six minor placings.
Single Bullet is a $15 chance in the Magic Millions Guineas with the market headed by the Greg Hickman-trained Pierata who finished second to Whypeeo in the Gold Edition Plate at Doomben.
He is the second favourite at Wyong with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Arbeitsam the dominant favourite
The Waterhouse-Bott stable also has the well-supported favourite Terminology in the Wyong 2YO Classic.
The filly has been backed since markets opened based on her performance to win a 900m-barrier trial by 10 lengths earlier this month.
She is now the second favourite for the $2 million Magic Millions Classic behind EF Troop, winner of Saturday’s Phelan Ready Stakes.
