*Update: The remaining eight Magic Millions Day races abandoned on Saturday will be transferred to Aquis Park, Gold Coast, on Thursday January 19.

The Gold Coast’s $11.75 million Magic Millions Day has been abandoned after the opening two races due to ongoing rainfall, deteriorating track conditions and unsafe jockey conditions.

The postponed races will take place at an unconfirmed later date.

Ezekeil won the 2023 Magic Millions Country Cup, which was one of just two races that ran at the Gold Coast before the meeting was abandoned. Photo: Steve Hart.

There were early delays at the meeting with track inspections taking place before the final eight races on the bumper 10-race card were officially called off.

The decision to sensationally abandon Queensland’s richest race meeting was led by the jockeys who voted to call off the racing for safety reasons.

The $500,000 Magic Millions Country Cup (1200m) saw Cody Morgan-trained Ezekeil enjoy a dream run and score an easy three and a half-length win for the punters with Jamie Kah in the saddle to kick off the day.

Stewards and the senior jockeys at the meeting then came to a decision to continue the meeting on a “race-by-race” basis.

Chief steward Josh Adams then downgraded the track to a Heavy 10 before Race 2.

“We believe it is a genuine Heavy 10, if the riding group hasn’t withdrawn their service, we will continue on a race by race basis,” Adams said.

The inaugural running of the $500,000 Magic Millions The Debut 2YO Plate (900m) went ahead and saw the Newcastle-trained Russian Revolution colt Rush Hour dominate on debut franking his two lead-up trial wins in New South Wales with a half-length win over Getty.

Last in the Magic Millions The Debut was the Bjorn Baker-trained Desperately, ridden by jockey James McDonald.

Subsequent footage showed the young horse slipping on the turn, which led to the call to abandon the remainder of the meeting.

“We tried to push through, but safety of horse and jockey is paramount so we will cancel the rest of today’s races,” Adams told Channel 7.

The abandoned races that did not take place were the:

• $1 million Magic Millions Subzero (2200m),
• $1 million Magic Millions The Syndicate (1200m),
• $1 million Magic Millions Fillies & Mares (1300m),
• $1 million Magic Millions Snippets (1200m),
• $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m),
• $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1425m),
• $1 million Magic Millions Cup (1425), and the
• $1 million Magic Millions QTIS Open (1300m).

The Gold Coast track had been heavily irrigated throughout the week in anticipation of the meeting before being inundated with non-forecasted heavy falls Friday night and Saturday morning.