Youngsters chase big cash in Magic Millions The Debut

Only eight runners will line up in the $250,000 Magic Millions The Debut under lights at the Gold Coast on Friday night in pursuit of prize money which will see, at very least, the winner of the race leapfrog into the starting line-up of the $3 million Two-Year-Old Magic Millions Classic, which will take place at the same track on January 17.

Having only trial form available from which to try and assess the field, the task of separating the real contenders from the also-rans is one obviously fraught with pitfalls, particularly in the case of two-year-olds which are often a day-by-day proposition.

That said, the betting boards have it as a two-horse race between the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Lumbini and the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Face The Wild as they fight for favouritism, currently at $2.40 and $2.45 respectively.

Lumbini, who was purchased by Glentree Thoroughbreds/Badgers Bloodstock for $450,000, has had two trials finishing second behind the smart Shiki, who won the Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes on debut, before going on to win her second trial beating Billecart Blue, who, like Lumbini, has yet to taste race action.

Tim Clark, who partnered Lumbini in her trial win, will ride the daughter of Russian Revolution on Friday.

Face The Wild firstly came through the 2024 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, where the son of Wild Ruler was purchased for $55,000, and he was then offered at the 2025 Magic Millions Yearling Sale where he was purchased by First Light Racing for $150,000.

Face The Wild has had four trials at four different tracks, winning trials at Flemington, Caulfield and the Sunshine Coast, and running second in a trial at the Gold Coast.

Face The Wild will be ridden by Luke Currie.

The only other runner under double-figure odds in the current betting is the Chris and Corey Munce-trained Say You Will, who was also purchased at a weanling sale for $55,000 before going to the 2025 Magic Millions Yearling Sale where he was knocked down for $170,000.

Say You Will will be ridden by Martin Harley.