Unit Five up for Magic Millions Victorian 2YO Classic debut

MELBOURNE – In an ideal world, the Ciaron Maher stable would be waiting for an extra week to debut dual jump-out winner Unit Five.

But the son of Supido is down to run in the A$250,000 (S$214,000) Magic Millions Victorian 2YO Classic (1,100m) at Caulfield Heath on Dec 20, after winning his second jump-out at Cranbourne on Dec 15.

Trainer Maher’s assistant Jack Turnbull said there are no written rules for the preparation of youngsters.

“He’s (Unit Five) unbeaten in his jump-outs and he’s physically the type that can head to the races off a short turnaround,” said Turnbull.

“It’s never ideal and you would like to go 12 days in a perfect world, but there’s no written rule.

“The race has come up fairly light and we look one of the better ones from the trials, along with Guest House, going into it.”

The two-year-old colt won his first hit-out over 650m at Cranbourne on Nov 17 with Ethan Brown in the saddle. Thomas Stockdale had the sit on him at his second jump-out over 800m on Dec 15.

Stockdale has been booked to steer Unit Five on debut.

“We instructed Tom to get a feel and not get to the bottom of him with the view of running him on Saturday,” said Turnbull.

“He’s bounced through the run. He’s a spritely, outgoing type of horse and he’s been like that since the jump-out.”

With the Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1,200m) at Gold Coast on Jan 17 still four weeks away, Turnbull said there was the potential for Unit Five to be Queensland-bound.

He said there was still time to make that decision. If the stable felt the colt would benefit from another week before having his debut outing, then there was a race on Dec 27 that could be a suitable option.

“The other option for him is that there is a A$150,000 race over 1,000 metres at Cranbourne as a back-up,” he said.

“He could potentially head north, but everything would have to fall into place.

“So, he could run Saturday or the following Saturday.

“Then if you run top two, you are pretty much qualified and then you can look north.”

Unit Five heads the market at 9-5 in early betting, ahead of the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr-trained Guest House at 11-5.

In a bid to get Gold Czech to the Gold Coast on Jan 17, Sunshine Coast-based trained Liam Birchley has made the call to head south to Victoria.

Birchley would have preferred to remain in Queensland with the son of Prague and tackle the lead-up two-year-old races, before the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. 

But, with no two-year-old race in Brisbane this weekend and the Group 3 B J McLachlan Stakes (1,200m) at Eagle Farm on Dec 27, the Magic Millions Victorian 2YO Classic is considered by Birchley as the best option. 

But he said the long float trip to Melbourne via Sydney, arriving on Dec 18 and then returning, was not ideal.

It is also an unknown if Gold Czech will handle the Caulfield Heath layout, having only done slow work on his “Melbourne leg”. 

“He’s shown something,” said Birchley. “He won his last trial.

“It was a two and three-year-old trial, but it’s hard to gauge the form out of it. 

“He did get back and ran on, and whether that will be conducive to the Caulfield Heath track, that will be another thing as well. 

“He will be in there with a hope, but there are more unknowns than usual.” 

Luke Nolen has been booked for the ride.  

RACING AND SPORTS