Business as usual at home for Taylor ahead of Magic Millions day

By Glenn Davis

Magic Millions nerves are beginning to emerge for trainer Clinton Taylor but it will be business as usual at Rockhampton this week.

Taylor is hoping his star mare Chinny Boom can give him his biggest ever pay packet on Magic Millions day at the Gold Coast on Saturday while at home he has a runner entered for Tuesday’s Callaghan Park meeting.

“I’ll be at the Gold Coast sales all week looking to buy some horses,” Taylor said.

“I suppose I’m getting a bit nervous with Chinny Boom but we’re still undecided which race she’ll head to.

“She’s in the QTIS race as well as the Snippets and Fillies and Mares races but it all depends where she's placed in the balloting order for those races.

“My preference is the Fillies and Mares and we’re hoping she’ll run a big race.”

Chinny Boom is Taylor’s surviving Magic Millions hope after his talented two-year-old Astapor was spelled after pulling up shin sore following the colt’s unplaced run in the Group 3 B.J. Mclachlan Stakes at Eagle Farm last month.

A daughter of Spirit Of Boom, Chinny Boom finished second in the Listed Mode Plate at Doomben just over 12 months ago before two uncharacteristic performances in the Listed Mick Dittman and the QTIS Fillies Plate during the Queensland winter carnival.

Chinny Boom returned from a spell for a runaway win at Rockhampton on December 1 before finishing second to Lady Laguna in the Listed Nudgee Stakes at Doomben on December 30.

“Her last run in Brisbane was so good and she was very strong through the line,” Taylor said.

Meanwhile, Taylor, who has 30 horses in work, has scratched Janean from the Benchmark 70 Handicap at Rockhampton on Tuesday and will rely on Obliquity as his sole runner in the 0-55 Handicap at Callaghan Park.

Obliquity - a three-year-old - is coming off a last start second to Chill Out Miss in a 1200 metre Class 1 event at Callaghan Park last month.

“He’s been racing well but he’s got an awkward draw,” Taylor said.

“He just got beaten last start after winning his maiden impressively and I think he’ll run well.

“He’s got a sticky draw but he’s a big horse and needs a bit of room and will run well.”

Taylor scratched Janean because of her awkward draw.

“I was just worried about her draw and there was a lot of speed inside her so I’ve decided not to run her,” he said.

The four-year-old daughter of Spill The Beans - Janean - suffered her first defeat in five starts for Taylor last outing when run down to finish second to Just Super in a 1050 metre Class 6 race at Rockhampton on December 21.