It was the case of right gate, right ride from Hugh Bowman in Saturday’s Magic Millions Fillies & Mare race on the Gold Coast.
The champion jockey took home the cool $1 million prize pool aboard $4.50 second-elect Invincibella, racing alongside Godolphin’s $2.50 favourite Manicure down the straight to win by a head.
Invincibella, above, won second-up at the Gold Coast on Saturday after finishing seventh at Doomben a fortnight ago. Photo Credit: Steve Hart.
The victory marked Chris Waller’s second of the day, but also moved him into the second spot among the Magic Millions All-Time winners list behind Gai Waterhouse. Waller’s main focus will be Winx’s trial at Rosehill on Tuesday, but he was happy to bask in another of Bowman’s brilliant rides on Saturday.
“Prior to the race we had a few concerns, there was some handy horses in the race, but Hugh Bowman gave her a lovely ride from a good barrier, but the small margin between first and second was the difference” Waller told Sky Racing.
After sitting sixth early on from gate 3, Invincibella went toe-to-toe with Manicure inside the final 200m. Coming in at no-hope odds, Magic Alibi ($61) also ran a phenomenal race to finish third.
“The pace was too slow, really the favourite had everything his own way” Bowman said after the race.
“I was just lucky, I was able to claw on his back at the corner.
“This mare, it’s the perfect distance actually, she’s not at her best at 1200m, and 1400m is a bit fast to see her at her best, she run this race last year, and her form has been very good in the subsequent 12 months.”
Invincibella carried the top-weight at 59kg’s, and despite needing every inch of the track, was simply too good for what was otherwise a very classy field of fillies and mares.
