Cuddles For Kimmy a thorn in side of Magic Millions hopefuls

By Glenn Davis

There will be no Magic Millions celebrations for the Geran clan from Toowoomba if talented filly Cuddles For Kimmy wins the Group 3 BJ McLachlan at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Cuddles For Kimmy was not paid up for the Magic Millions after being passed in as a yearling and is ineligible for next month’s $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast.

While disappointed to be ineligible, the training partnership of Kylie Geran and son Corey are hoping to be a thorn in the side of several Magic Millions contenders chasing valuable prize money.

Cuddles For Kimmy was shunned in the Magic Millions sale ring as she had a minor foot deformity when passed in after failing to meet her reserve.

While her foot deformity hasn’t bothered her on the racetrack, it was enough to discourage her from being paid up for the Magic Millions.

A daughter of Spirit Of Boom, Cuddles For Kimmy is coming off a close second to the Tony Gollan-trained Hi Barbie in the Listed Phelan Ready at Doomben last month.

“It was a very heavy track that day for the Phelan Ready but she ran a great race,” Corey Geran said.

“She’s got black-type now which we were chasing and she pulled up in great order after the Phelan Ready and had a few days out in the paddock.

“She should race well again and we’ll just continue chasing good QTIS prize money with her for the time being.

“It’s unfortunate she wasn’t paid up for the Magic Millions.”

Geran rates the BJ McLachlan as a difficult race to assess.

“It’s a very tricky race with a lot of southerners coming up but I feel the local Hi Barbie is the one to beat again,” he said.

“Hi Barbie was very impressive against us last time and looks our biggest threat again.”

The Gerans have been a highly successful team on Queensland’s Darling Downs for the past five years and capped off their biggest wins with stablemate Nikkau Spur.

Team Geran claimed its first Stakes win with Nikau Spur in the 2400-metre Listed Queensland Cup in October and then hit the road south to win the Listed Beauford Stakes over 2300 metres at Newcastle.

Geran rated the Newcastle triumph as easily the highlight of his brief training career but is now aiming higher with Cuddles For Kimmy in her Group 3 attempt.