Sunlight may need more racing to shine

Sunlight has worked and trialled strongly in the lead-up to her first Queensland start but her trainer believes she will need another run before the Magic Millions Classic.

Tony McEvoy was a strong buyer at the last Magic Millions yearling sale and has been rewarded with some promising two-year-olds including Sunlight and Crockett.

Sunlight, who was third in the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes on debut in October, will contest the Listed Calaway Gal Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday.

Crockett won his first start in a stakes race in Adelaide and will be among the favourites for the Listed Phelan Ready Stakes.

Sunlight narrowly won a Gold Coast trial last week, beating one of her Saturday rivals, Outback Barbie with the pair nine lengths in front of the third horse.

She worked strongly on the course proper at Doomben this week but McEvoy believes she still needs to tighten up.

“At this stage I think she will need another run on top of Saturday before the Magic Millions Classic,” McEvoy said.

“There is the McLachlan Stakes in two weeks and there is a race a week before the Millions. Le Chef and Houtzen both won that race before winning the Millions so there are plenty of options.”

“I will be in Brisbane on Saturday so we can decide which way to go then.”

The Calaway Gal has a capacity field of 16 fillies but the Phelan Ready attracted only five colts and geldings.

Crockett has also worked strongly since coming to Brisbane and wasn’t knocked about when fourth in a recent Gold Coast trial.

He will need to only run a place, which seems likely, on Saturday to be assured of a berth in the $2 million Magic Millions Classic on January 13.

Premier Adelaide jockey Jamie Kah, who rode in Queensland last week over three-day Origin jockeys series, will be back to ride the stablemates.

South Australia finished third in the series but Kah had better luck as part of an international team at Ellerslie in Auckland on Wednesday when she joined Jason Collett and Damian Lane to win the challenge.

Credit: AAP

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