LIVE COVERAGE: Eagle Farm 28 December 2019

The TAB Queensland Summer Racing Carnival continues this Saturday at Eagle Farm. The nine-race Road To Magic Millions program is highlighted by The Vo Rogue Plate, B.J. McLachlan Stakes, Bernborough Handicap, Nudgee Stakes plus four Magic Millions wildcard races!  

Follow our live blog for all the comments from jockeys and trainers, photos and race replays from all nine races on the card. 

Race 1 - 12:08PM MAGIC MILLIONS INSURANCE Class 3 Handicap (1800 METRES)

1st - Deladies Boy - Tony Gollan - Baylee Nothdurft

2nd - Slow Hands - Kelly Schweida - Mark Du Plessis

3rd - In Your Element - Kevin Kemp - Madeleine Wishart

Trainer - Tony Gollan

"It's good to have Baylee (Nothdurft) back riding he's hit the ground running after a couple of weeks off with suspension."

"He really gets on well with this horse who can be a bit tough to figure out, he went about one hundred metres at his first jump out so he's come a long way."

"When he begun and put himself into the race early there wasn't a time in the run I wasn't confident, you could just see he wanted to compete."

"I have a little liking for Silvera later in the card."

Jockey - Baylee Nothdurft

"I've fortunately been on him for a few jumpouts and on race day, he's a bit of a tricky horse but I think I've got him figured out it was good to win another race with him."

"Travelled really well came round the turn and still had a lapful of horse he felt great."

"Rapt to be backI've had to work hard to get down to 54 kilos after Christmas, but it's worth it riding winners.'

Race 2 - 12:47PM TAB BENCHMARK 75 Handicap (1500 METRES)

1st - Great Powers - Less Ross - Jason Collett

2nd - Red Doulton - Natalie McCall - Ron Stewart

3rd - Ziemba - Robert Heathcote - Robbie Fradd

Trainer - Les Ross

"She's been in war horse in work from last October and to get a win in town is well deserved."

"We thought she'd be up in the first three, but Jason (Collett) knows what he's doing and got her to relax midfield and had plenty left to the line."

"She's sound she's happy and keeps running in the first half of the field, so while she's doing that we'll press on and find another race for her."

Jockey - Jason Collett

"They clapped on the tempo mid-race whch we needed because they were walking early, I just had to bide my time because she probably didn't have the sprint to beat them but wound up well."

"Good to be in town a couple of weeks before the big races, very grateful to trainers like Les (Ross) giving me the chance on horses like this."

Race 3 - 1:27PM MAGIC MILLIONS QTIS RATINGS BAND 0 - 90 Handicap (1200 METRES)

1st - Jami Lady - Steven O'Dea - Boris Thornton

2nd - Boomtown Lass - Chris Anderson - Glen Boss

3rd - Pennino - Darryl Hansen - Robbie Fradd

Stable Rep - Matt Hoystead

"She's matured into a lovely mare now she paraded a treat today, she was a bit fresh at the Sunshine Coast first up and we were pretty confident she'd have a little more today."

"We drew soft and couldn't have got a better run in transit and she showed her class."

"The key is to ride her just a touch off the speed early on she was a go forward horse, but we've done a lot of work with her getting to settle and relax and it's paying off."

"Boris (Thornton) deserves a lot of credit he does a hell of a lot of work for the stable and he's riding in good form at the right time of year."

"It takes the pressure off straight through to the QTIS Magic Millions race, she should be flying in two weeks time."

Jockey - Boris Thornton

"We obviously wanted that box seat when we saw the draw (1) and she left a treat and got that cover we wanted."

"She found plenty from a similar spot winning at the Sunshine Coast last start, I knew she'd taken improvement from that and she handled the step up in class easily."

Race 4 - 2:07PM MAGIC MILLIONS SHOOT OUT (2200 METRES)

1st - The Candy Man - Barry Baldwin - Brad Stewart

2nd - Morton's Fork - Richard Litt - Glen Boss

3rd - Winning Ways - Gary Newham - Ryan Maloney

Trainer - Barry Baldwin

"Brad (Stewart) has done a great job and he'll be on for the Magic Millions Trophy, the only sad part is my old mate Michael Cahill will just miss out because of injury but I couldn't ask for a better replacement."

"I think he's better ridden negatively because you never know with barriers draws and stepping up to the 2400 metres at the Magic Millions will be no problem after that."

"He just needs room in the straight, he's about as good as I've ever had him I just have to keep him up for two weeks."

"I don't think it's restricted to the racecourse, whether it's the pub, the TAB anywhere they're all a fan of his."

"He's not the best horse in Queensland but I think they can relate to him being the best battler."

Jockey - Brad Stewart

"I had to shake him up a little more than last start but I probably put that down to the 60.5 kilos, but once he got moving on the outside it's just a wave of momemtum."

"Barry (Baldwin) has put a lot of trust in me with the ride, he's got a huge following this horse I could hear the roar out there and hopefully he takes it to the Millions."

Race 5 - 2:47PM MAGIC MILLIONS VO ROGUE PLATE (1400 METRES)

1st - Alligator Blood - David Vandyke - Ryan Maloney

2nd - Profit - Chris Anderson - Glen Boss 

3rd - Eleven Eleven - Gregory Hickmott - Keagan Latham

Trainer - David Vandyke

"I thought he'd improved on what we saw previous and it was a pretty painless watch up the straight."

"He's adaptable if they go fast he can get cover and switch off and if they go slow he can sit up there, he's the complete race horse."

"Ryan (Maloney) knows I like him to take care of him and he made sure he did enough to win without taking anything out of him for two weeks time."

"He's come on beautifully and should bounce back perfectly off that run."

"Alligator Blood actually refers to someone in poker with resilience who doesn't lie down, so it suits him to a tee."

Jockey - Ryan Maloney

"I was surprised just how well he pulled up, it was a slow pace and a sprint home but he never really got out of second gear which is probably the most impressive part about it."

"I thought he could have skipped this race and gone straight to the Magic Millions, but that's why David's (Vandyke) the trainer he know he would take more improvement and I couldn't agree more."

Race 6 - 3:27PM MAGIC MILLIONS B.J. MCLACHLAN STAKES (1200 METRES)

1st - King's Legacy - Peter & Paul Snowden - Kerrin McEvoy

2nd - Every Rose - Mark Newnham - Joshua Parr

3rd - Euphoric Summer - Mick Price & Michael Kent - Damien Oliver

Trainer - Peter Snowden

"All his trials early he showed no gatespeed at all and i kept saying this guy wants the mile."

"His first start over the 1200 as soon as they backed off the pace he was up on the bridle and probably should have won that race."

"Kerrin (McEvoy) was fairly aggressive on him and landed a lot closer than I thought he would be and coming the corner I thought he'd be all out catching the leader but he wore it down, it was a sign of a good horse."

"We hoped he would be where he is but it's another thing to see him go out and do it."

"It's hard to measure him up against other Millions hopefuls but he's done everything he can."

Jockey - Kerrin McEvoy

"He's sharpened up from his trials and his first start, he knuckled down there from the top of the lane home he's got a great attitude and a lot of ability to boot."

"I've always thought that he would be better suited beyond 1200 metres, is he quick enough to win a Magic Millions? we'll wait and see but there's still a horse there that will be better next preparation."

Race 7 - 4:07PM MAGIC MILLIONS BERNBOROUGH HANDICAP (1600 METRES)

1st - Niccanova - Steve Tregea - Jimmy Orman

2nd - Looks Like Elvis - Bryan Dais - Brad Stewart

3rd - Cool Chap - Robert Heathcote - Jason Collett

Trainer - Steve Tregea

"I just gave him a 1200 last week for a fitness gallop and with the long straight here he's always a winning chance."

"I certainly didn't expect him to be leading today, we were worried with the draw and a lot of speed in the race we just wanted cover but when he was three wide he had to pull the trigger and go forward."

"I thought about taking the blinkers off him today, but didn't want to change anything and he's managed to do it again today."

"He's been the best horse in the stable all along, probably a bit underrated given the injuries he's had over the trip, but in the end he's been a star."

Jockey - Jimmy Orman

"Wasn't the plan to go to the front I gave him a dig to go midfield at the start and when we couldn't get in I had no other option than to take it up."

"I was a bit worried in the run he wanted to run along still, i wasn't sure at the top of the straight how much horse I had left but to his credit he really found."

Race 8 - 4:47PM MAGIC MILLIONS THE BUFFERING (1400 METRES)

1st - Deep Image - Robert heathcote - Robbie Fradd

2nd - Miss Fabulass - Kris Lees - Glen Boss

3rd - Tyzone - Toby & Trent Edmonds - Noel Callow

Trainer - Robert Heathcote 

"To win the Buffering it's a nice touch having trained the horse but this horse is just going super and him and Robbie Fradd are making a hell of a team."

"Robbie (Fradd) didn't worry about the tearaway leaders he knows him so well he just let him cruise up and hit the go button when it mattered."

"Even though we hit the front early Robbie's (Fradd) hands hadn't moved and the way he races he doesn't muck around when he gets to the top."

"We were tossing up whether to go straight to the Magic Millions Cup over the 1400, but the lure of this race was always there and he looks to have come through it a treat."

Jockey - Robbie Fradd

"He can lead most races if he wants but we knew there would be a couple of tearaways today and they actually set up the race very nicely for us."

"He never pulls this horse he just gradually made his way forward to where we actually hit the front on the turn, with most horses that'd be a worry but he's just getting stronger heading towards the Magic Millions Cup."

Race 9 - 5:30PM MAGIC MILLIONS NUDGEE STAKES (1200 METRES)

1st - Tahitian Dancer - Shane Nichols - Damien Oliver

2nd - Multaja - James Cummings - Ryan Maloney

3rd - Epic Girl - Chris Anderson - Linda Meech

Trainer - Shane Nichols

"We were hoping they would run along looking at the form of the race they were always going to go fast and she needed hem to it was just a matter of if she had enough runway left."

"Terrific effort Ollie (Damien Oliver) showed a lot of poise and I think having her up here under the care of John and Chris Meagher over the last couple of weeks has helped her a lot."

"They've been putting big raps on her all weeks and to come up here and get a listed win before heading to the Magic Millions is just great.'

Jockey - Damien Oliver

"I probably didn't think i was going to get there till about fifty metres before the line I reckon we were twenty lengths off them in the run."

"The track is a little on the firm side but it's racing well, winners are coming from everywhere.'