SIM juvenile race planned

Press, 2 June 1989, Page 33

SIM juvenile race planned

PA Wellington The Wellington Racing Club will host two $1 million juvenile races at Trentham next season.

The Magic Millions Classic in January will be followed by the $1.2 million Magic Millions Futurity over 1400 metres on March 10. Both races are restricted to horses sold at the Magic Millions yearling sale at Trentham earlier this year. The Futurity was originally scheduled to be held at Rosehill, in Sydney, in July but there was strong opposition to a race restricted to horses sold at a New

Zealand sale being staged in Australia. The Sydney Turf Club was keen to hold the race but could not gain the necessary approval from the Australian Jockey Club, the governing body in New South Wales. Attempts to have the race staged in Queensland, Victoria and Canberra also failed. However, the race will be held in Australia the following season and the March race at Trentham will be a “one-off” event.

The Futurity will be run a week after the Sovereign Lodge Stakes, held on the first day of the March meeting at

Trentham and two days before the Taranaki Classic at New Plymouth. The race will also be followed by the Magic Millions Gold Rush Sale at Trentham. Confirmation that Trentham will be the venue for the second two-year-old race has enhanced the prospect of a horse picking up a $1 million bonus for winning both races. The Magic Millions Classic will be run over 1200 m in January and successfully stepping up to 1400 m, in similar company, in March will not be an impossible task. In the original concept, the races wonid have

been at least five months apart and the Sydney race would have been over 1500 m. Because of the uncertainty surrounding the second race, the closing dates for the first acceptance for both the Magic Millions Classic and Magic Millions Futurity have been extended to July 1.

Modifications have been made to gain approval to hold the Futurity in Australia the following season and the second running will be open to graduates from both the Magic Millions sale at Trentham and the Magic Millions sale at the Gold Coast.