This is not a meeting I’ve attended before, let alone shot as a photographer. I’d heard plenty about how crowded and tough the conditions were on the small track, so I was prepared for the worst. While it’s not the ideal place, things were better than I’d mentally prepared for. A temporary cabin was set up for media overflow, it wasn’t spectacular, but workable. The main bugbear was the complete lack of functioning Wifi, but eventually the pictures got filed, although others were not so lucky.

The Two Year Old Classic and the Guineas were the standout races on the card, but another really interesting one was the Fillies and Mares race, which Invincibella (I am Invincable-Abscond) was seeking to win for the third time (something that hadn’t been done before).

Magic Millions Guineas

Alligator Blood was star of the show and the horse I was most looking forward to seeing. He was just nosed out in the Caulfield Guineas during the spring, by the fast and wide finishing Super Seth. There is a school of thought that he may have held on if he’d seen the swooper coming, which would mean he would now have an unbeaten record.

After a short break Alligator Blood had two very easy wins in his prep races for this, and was a dominant short priced favourite all week. A horse with ample gate speed, a widish draw (11) did not diminish the enthusiasm of punters who were willing to take the odds on prices on offer.

Plenty of planning goes into winning a $2M race, right down to the trip and arrival to the course on a busy day. However not even the most diligent planner, which trainer David Vandyke is, could have accounted for the bedlam that preceded Alligator Blood’s arrival on track. A major accident on a freeway involving a petrol tanker made it look unlikely that horse and trainer would make it trackside. Stewards made the bold and unusual call to put all races back one, to allow all horses caught up in the traffic jam to arrive. They eventually did and the show went on.

Once the gates opened there was little to worry about for Alligator Blood and jockey Ryan Moloney. He jumped well, took a handy position and when they turned he kicked clear and the result was never in doubt. Trainer Vandyke spoke after the win “He wanted to run today but I wasn’t happy with him (given the delay on the float) – but I wanted to give him an opportunity to do what he does and that is to get out there and compete,” Vandyke said.

“Ryan rode him a treat and gave him plenty of room in the straight and the horse did the rest.

“We got beaten narrowly in the Caulfield Guineas but to see him race away and win $2million race, it’s a big relief.

“Considering everything it would have to be the highlight of my career.”

Jockey Ryan Moloney said: “Nothing went right before the race but once we jumped it was a dream we had a beautiful spot three back one off and he just eased up three wide and went bang.”

Magic Millions 2yo Classic

This was a wide open affair with no obvious favourite, whereas the last couple of years we’ve seen at least one horse strongly favoured. The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Aim (Star Witness x Vintage Strike) started favourite @ $4.6 with the bookies. Starting price mattered little here as the first two home were pretty much friendless in the betting ring.

Away Game (Snitzel x Elusive Wonder) was not well fancied, despite a last start win in the Calaway Girl Stakes at Doomben. Jockey Luke Currie had her in a three wide trail, but she put the field away quickly at the top of the straight and never looked in doubt of losing in the run home.

Currie, who won his second 2YO Classic here said “I was a bit worried where we would get to on the turn but ended up in the three wide line with cover with cover lane and she hasn’t had that in her first two starts and it has worked a treat.

“She was breathing beautifully through the run and that turn of foot was electric.

“I thought she should have been less than $10-1 to win this race but the bookies didn’t see it that way and Ciaron and Dave have done a fantastic job in getting her to come on from that run.”

It was a big win for the training partnership of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. “I don’t know what it is I’ve had some big wins in this career, but I’ve never been quite this emotional,” Maher said.

“We’ve put a lot of time and effort into our two-year-olds this year and to culminate with a Magic Millions win is unbelievable.”

“The filly is already a Stakes winner and now to win the Magic Millions, it’s fantastic.”

Magic Millions Fillies and Mares

Invincibella (I Am Invincible-Abscond) has been a great advertisement for the Star Thoroughbred syndication team. Prior to Saturday, she’d won 11 from 42 starts and banked over $2M, showing great durability as a now six year old mare, and was looking to make it three wins here and tick over the $3M mark.

Her previous wins here were by narrow margins, but this one was quite comfortable, at just shy of a length. Trainer Chris Waller said “After a few years, and we’ve seen it with a few other good horses in our stable, you keep things simple and they keep turning up and performing their best and it’s very special to be a part of horses like that,”

“We like our young horses, the two-year-olds, but the four, five and six-year-olds are still very much a part of our team and if you look after them, they look after you.”

“She has these three wins but more importantly she has a Group One beside her name.

“Invincibella really has been great for our stable.”

Jockey Hugh Bowman commented “She’s been really lucky with this race, it’s just the perfect distance for her,” Bowman said.

“The management of her, to keep her coming back year after year and to race at the top level throughout the year at the other carnivals is just extraordinary.

“I’ve had a great association with her, she’s got a real soft spot in my heart and I’m just so proud she could come here and do it again.”