Champion jockey James Mcdonald has declared Sovereign Fund a “readymade two-year-old” after the youngster booked his passage to the Gold Coast with victory in the Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic.
Despite conceding race experience to several of his rivals, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt proved superior, camping behind the leaders and quickly putting paid to them to score convincingly and give McDonald a feature race double after he earlier took out the Magic Millions 3YO & 4YO Stakes (1200m) on Hell I Am.
McDonald won this year’s Gold Coast Magic Millions Classic on Coolangatta and believes Sovereign Fund has the scope to be a genuine contender in next month’s $2 million race.
“He is a readymade two-year-old. He’s big and strong and he will cope with the preparation that is going to be involved in getting to a Magic Millions,” McDonald said.
“If he improves off that, he is definitely a very good chance in the race.
“He’s got tactical speed and he’s going to be tough, he soldiered it out really well there.”
Sovereign Fund is by Capitalist who the Snowdens trained to win the Magic Millions Classic–Golden Slipper double in 2016.
Paul Snowden says it has taken time to build Sovereign Fund’s confidence, particularly after he showed signs of being field shy during his first barrier trial in September.
“He has come a long way in a short space of time,” Paul Snowden said.
“He was a very unassuming horse, very shy, he didn’t like getting cluttered up between other runners and it was quite evident in that first trial.
“We’ve done a lot of work with him at trackwork and tinkered with a little bit of gear and racing is the only key that is going to work that out of him in time.”
Sovereign Fund adds further depth to the Snowdens’ Magic Millions Classic arsenal, joining stablemates Empire Of Japan, who took out the Breeders Plate on debut, and last Saturday’s Brisbane winner Godfather on the road to the January 14 showpiece.
Dubbo juvenile Quasimodo ran a terrific race for his connections to finish 1-1/4 lengths away second while Summer Loving couldn’t muster early speed but was strong late to grab third.