Skirt The Law has handed lead trainer Tony Gollan his first win in the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast and in doing so has broken a six-year drought for Queensland-trained horses.
Following an unconventional build-up, Skirt The Law had not raced since taking her record to two wins in as many starts at Doomben on December 3 and Gollan admitted he wondered if he had taken the right reins by choosing to remove her from a race at The Law. Wave meeting earlier this month.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Skirt The Law brings out the 2YO Classic.
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“You start to have some doubts,” Gollan said.
“I didn’t let anyone know what led to this, but the last three or four days there were some sleepless nights and I worried if I had done enough. Had he checked all the boxes for her?
“I talked about it as if I had, but I was a bit nervous about the gap between races, but I shouldn’t have been. He pulled ahead across the line and he is a quality horse, they overcame a lot of things.”
Skirt The Law wins the 2YO Classic. Credit: Channel 7
Jockey Ryan Maloney took advantage of Skirt The Law’s ($7) low shot, setting her up behind speed before hooking her around the heels in the straightaway and the filly broke clear to score by 1-1/2 lengths.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott provided the two minor qualifiers Platinum Jubilee ($6.50) in second, a length ahead of Summer Loving ($20), who finished quickly.
Gollan has been Brisbane’s dominant trainer in recent years and was delighted to become the first Queensland jockey to win the 1200m race since Toby Edmonds’ success with Houtzen in 2017.
“I really wanted this race,” Gollan said.
“It’s one of the best races in Queensland and now we’ve won it and to do it with this group of people means a lot.”
It was also the first Magic Million Classic win for Maloney, who described Skirt The Law as a professional filly with a wonderful temperament for an inexperienced horse.
“From the barrier draw and from his work on the track, he was so confident,” Maloney said.
“It went to the script and it was perfect for us in the race. She’s that versatile and gives everything she’s got and once the gap was there, she was basically over.”
Skirt The Law went from $51 to $15 for the Golden Slipper following his Magic Millions performance and will strive to become the first horse since Capitalist (2016) to claim the two-year-old double feature.
Empire Of Japan was fielded as a $5 favorite and appeared to struggle on the Gold Coast track, although he was not out of favor finishing sixth and less than three lengths behind the winner.
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Fashion Legend pulls out the 3YO Guineas.
Fashion Legend pulls out the 3YO Guineas.
Meanwhile, the outsider Fashion Legend took an incredible victory in the 3YO Guineas with a spectacular finish.
The $26 shot edged past Yellow Brick, who stormed home to run second, while Hell I am finished third.
Gollan seemed to have a chance to claim double the Magic Millions, but Spiritualised fell out in the closing stages.
-RAS NewsWire
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