TWO-year-old colt Ticket To Toorak flew out of Tullamarnine airport yesterday morning with the $2 million Magic Millions Classic firmly in his sights.
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His Warrnambool trainer Matthew Williams was given permission by the Warrnambool Racing Club to gallop the horse over 1000 metres on the course proper last Monday morning with his stablemate Mr Obvious.
“It was great we could gallop on the course proper. We went over 1000 metres but the main part of our work was over 600 metres when we did a working gallop,” Williams said.
“I was really pleased with how the horse worked. He feels well within himself. He’ll fly into Brisbane and then be floated to the Gold Coast.”
Ticket To Toorak earned a start in the January 12 classic on the Gold Coast following a win in a maiden over 1000 metres at Ballarat on November 1 and a second placing in the Ballarat Magic Millions Clockwise Classic over 1000 metres on November 25.
Williams said to have a runner in the Classic was a thrill, particularly given that about 15 Warrnambool people who are involved in the syndicate which race the two-year-old are flying up for the event.
“They will be doing the barrier draw down on the beach at the Gold Coast on Tuesday morning,” he said.
“People from Warrnambool who have shares in Ticket To Toorak have all indicated they are going up. It should be a big few days as they are going to the barrier draw.
“We just hope to draw an inside barrier in the race.
“I reckon the first eight barriers are the best to have in a race like this.
“We would be rapt if we could finish in the top five at the end of the race.”
Williams said he would like to gallop Ticket To Toorak at the Gold Coast tomorrow and Saturday morning.
“We really don’t have to do much work with him. We’ve done a lot of work at home already,” he said.
“We’ll gallop him on Friday and Saturday morning depending on his temperature after his flight.
“Next week we’ll just keep him ticking along, swimming him and having a trot and canter,” Williams said.
Connections of Ticket To Toorak have already pocketed more than $54,000 in stakemoney after his two starts.