An idea hatched by Warwick Farm trainer John Sargent a couple of years ago paid off handsomely when his two-year-old Readily Availabull stormed home to win the Magic Millions Clockwise Classic.
The youngster is now Magic Millions Classic-bound after winning at Ballarat on Saturday and securing enough prize money to ensure he will gain a start in the $2 million two-year-old Classic at the Gold Coast in January.
Sargent, who watched the $250,000 race from Kembla Grange, said he had a runner at the Ballarat Cup meeting a couple of years ago and thought the Clockwise Classic would be a race he’d like to win.
“I saw this race and thought that I’d like to find a horse and train it up to win it,” Sargent said.
Sargent identified Readily Availabull as a contender and his work during the week convinced him the colt was up to the task.
“When he worked well during the week I thought that this would be a good chance to do it and I thought he’d go well,” he said.
Sargent purchased the son of Fastnet Rock stallion Bull Point for $25,000 at the Tasmanian Magic Millions sale.
“He’s done everything we’ve needed him to do so far. He’ll come back now and spend a week in the paddock, or I might take him to the Wyong Magic Millions race, or head straight to Queensland,” Sargent said.
Jockey Michael Dee said he wasn’t concerned that Readily Availabull settled close to last as he was a relaxed colt with a great temperament
“He can improve, bearing in mind that it’s only his first start,” Dee said.
“He didn’t have as much speed as the others so that just shows that in time he could get over slightly further and relax and show a good turn of foot.”
Readily Availabull ($8) defeated Prince Among Men ($7.50) by a neck with Rambeau ($8) a long head away third.