"Excellerator Wins Magic Millions"
GOLD COAST, Jan 13 AAP - Irrepressible trainer Gai Waterhouse has the Golden Slipper squarely in her sights with unbeaten gelding Excellerator after his magnificent win in today's $1 million Conrad Jupiter's Magic Millions Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast.
No winner of the Magic Millions has gone on to win the Golden Slipper but Waterhouse believes Excellerator can end the hoodoo in the wake of today's win.
"He's a thoroughly professional two-year-old who always gives his best and you saw today that he can overcome any obstacle in his path and still win," Waterhouse said.
"Remember Assertive Lad won this race last year and was narrowly beaten in the Golden Slipper and I honestly believe Excellerator can go one better."
Waterhouse paid $50,000 for Excellerator at last year's Magic Millions sales and today the gelding earned his connections first prizemoney of $570,000.
"When I saw him in the sale ring last year he looked exactly like his older brother Consolidator and I knew right away I wanted him in my stable," Waterhouse said.
"I knew he had the task in front of him when he was caught three wide but he's a very good horse who never knows when he's beaten."
Waterhouse supplied three of the first four placegetters with Excellerator, Miss Bussell (second) and Ha Ha (fourth) with her remaining runners Time Out (sixth) and Admirable Robinson (14th).
Excellerator (13-4 fav) scored by a long neck from stablemate Miss Bussell (9-1) with Magic Albert (16-1) three-quarters of a length away third.
Jockey Chris Munce hustled Excellerator out of the barriers but was unable to cross Ha Ha and Time Out and was forced to race three wide.
"He's got a lot of heart and when I put the acid to him he found plenty," Munce said.
"There's no reason why he can't go on and win the Golden Slipper because he's a natural two-year-old and puts himself in a wining position in his races.
"As we've seen, this race is a good form pointer to the Slipper."
While Waterhouse and Munce were celebrating, jockey Brian York rated Miss Bussell a certainty beaten.
"I can't blame the alley because I got over three deep with cover," he said.
"But she cost herself the win because she wouldn't go straight and I'm so disappointed.
"I think she should have won the race."
Magic Albert was pushed four wide on the home turn and fought on courageously to finish third.
Shovoff (11-2) made ground in the straight to finish fifth but jockey Glen Boss was never confident of victory.
"She didn't put herself into the race at any stage and I was half digging at her the whole way," Boss said.
"She jumped out of the ground in the last 100m but it was all over by then."
King Of Prussia was heavily backed from 6-1 in to 9-2 but was never a winning possibility and finished ninth.
"When the pressure was on he just couldn't come on and he might have felt the ground a little bit," said trainer David Hall.
AAP TURF
