A wide barrier for Whypeeo in the $2m Magic Millions 3yo Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday has seen trainer Toby Edmonds thinking twice about running against the three year olds.
Trainer Toby Edmonds, above, has not locked in a start for Whypeeo in the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas at the Gold Coast. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Whypeeo came up with the horror barrier of sixteen in the original drawn but could jump from fourteen with both the emergencies drawing inside of him.
Edmonds has told Racing Queensland Stewards that he intends to accept with Whypeeo for the $1m Magic Millions Snippets (1200m) for three year olds and older on Saturday’s program as an alternative.
Edmonds decision to run or not run Whypeeo in the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas will also dictate which three year old Queensland’s leading jockey Jeff Lloyd will ride.
Lloyd has been dual booked to ride Matthew Dunn’s Arrestar and the Edmonds trainer I Am Impinge who is currently the first emergency.
Should Whypeeo be scratched from the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas, stewards have indicated that Lloyd will ride I Am Impinge and Dunn will have to find a new rider for Arrestar, which won’t be hard as Whypeeo’s jockey Blake Shinn will then become available.
Whypeeo is currently marked at $18 at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas and did beat home $2.45 favourite Pierata two starts back when they ran the quinella in the Listed $100,000 Gold Edition Plate (1200m) at Doomben on December 16.
The Greg Hickman trained Pierata was quickly back in the winner’s stall at his following start in the Group 3 $200,000 Vo Rogue Plate (1350m) at Doomben on December 30 with Whypeeo finishing in eighth spot.
Pierata will jump from the pole position in the sixteen horse field and regular rider Corey Brown is certain to give the Pierro colt the run of the race.
Whypeeo has drawn barrier six of sixteen in the Magic Millions Snippets.