Some great two-year-old action around Australia on Saturday with the Drinkwise Plate at Randwick and Group III Magic Millions BJ McLachlan Stakes at Doomben, sure to provide a pointer to the Magic Millions 2yo Classic at the Gold Coast in January.
The Breeders' Plate winner, Empire Of Japan (Snitzel), and Gimcrack Stakes winner Platinum Jubilee (Zoustar) return to the track in the Drinkwise Plate. They will face off against the $1.1 million I Am Invincible colt Godfather, which made an impressive career debut in the Phelan Ready Stakes at Eagle Farm on December 10.
In the BJ McLachlan Stakes, Chris Munce's speedball Miss Coota will stretch out to 1200m for the first time.
The daughter of Spirit Of Boom is unlikely to have an easy time of it in front with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained, The Novelist among the nominations.
The Novelist honoured Blue Diamond Stakes winner Written By with his first winner with a 5-length romp on debut at Kembla Grange on December 10.
The chances do not end there with Chrysaor (Better Than Ready), Worx (Capitalist), the debutant Godzilla (Shalaa), Mighty (Spirit Of Boom), and Excel D'Or (Exceed And Excel) all having their supporters.
Still, you have to believe in what you see with Miss Coota. Nothing has come near her in two starts.
After debuting with a seven-and-a-half length romp on a good track at Eagle Farm on October 8, she barely broke a sweat with a five-and-a-quarter length win over 1100m on a heavy 8 at Doomben a fortnight later.
Miss Coota's owners, Gerard and Debbie O'Toole bought the daughter of Spirit Of Boom in association with Arthur Hoyeau for $140,000 from the Raheen Stud draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Bred by the Nolan family, Miss Coota, like the recently retired American sensation Flightline, descends from the Phipps family's foundation mare Blitey (River Ridge).
A daughter of the American champion 3-year-old filly of 1966, Lady Pitt (Sword Dancer), Blitey, some notable performers.
They include;
Fantastic Find (Mr Prospector) won the 1990 Hempstead Handicap and is the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Finder's Fee (Storm Cat). Finder's Fee is the great-granddam of Flightline.
Dancing Spree (Nijinsky II) won the 1989 Breeders' Cup Sprint, Suburban Handicap, and the 1990 Carter Handicap.
The unraced Oh What a Dance (Nijinsky II), dam of 1994 American champion 3-year-old filly Heavenly Prize and 1998 Matron Stakes winner Oh What a Windfall.
Furlough (Easy Goer) won the 1999 Ballerina Stakes and is the granddam of Miss Coota's dam Rock Garden (Fastnet Rock).
A $150,000 Easter Yearling, Rock Garden was a ten-start maiden. Her best results came when second at Ipswich and third at Doomben.
Rock Garden has a yearling colt by Nicconi in the Raheen Stud draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
