Magic Millions 2YO Classic Preview and Tips 17/01/25

*Note: Due to poor weather on race day, the meeting at Gold Coast Racecourse was abandoned after three races. The 2025 Magic Millions 2YO Classic will now take place on Friday January 17. I will update my tips (if required) closer to the updated race day.*

The Magic Millions Carnival is on and we have two $3 million races this Friday for us racing fans to sink our teeth into. It’s always a spectacle on the Gold Coast and 2025 looks to be no exception. The two key races include the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas.

While they may not be Group One races, the prize money is out of this world, so we will see some of the best racehorses out on the track this Friday. It’s a pretty open field at the moment with six runners listed with odds of $8.00 or less and the current equal favourites with PlayUp are La Bella Boom and Memo.

My Friday tips have landed here at OnlyRacing and it’s going to be an epic day of racing, that’s for sure. I’ve gone through the entire field, evaluated each runner’s chances and produced five best bets for the race, so there’s something for everyone. Keep reading to see which runners I think will clock in a good performance.

There’s a lot of speed in this one, so expect it to be run at breakneck speed. Almost half the field has a fast barrier speed, so they will all be jostling for position in the early stages of the race. I think we’ll see runners like Hi Barbie, Invincible Woman, The Playwright and Space Rider try to hit the lead position.

Memo, the current equal pre-race favourite with PlayUp, jumps from barrier one but doesn’t really have a lot of barrier speed so will need to be careful as others look for the rail. I expect Memo will head to the rear of the field, find cover and wait for the best time to strike. He has decent closing speed but will need the gaps at the right time.

I know I say this pretty much every time, but man, this is a tricky field to tip. There’s plenty of speed in this race and the market is fairly open. There are a lot of genuine contenders, but I think Invincible Woman can take this one out.

Invincible Woman is currently paying $6.50 to win the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on Friday, thanks to PlayUp. For a 2YO, she is a very put-together horse and she had a great win on debut in the Magic Millions VIC 2YO Classic, winning by 2.8L. Has been at the trials since then, which was good as well. There are a lot of options for Damian Lane I reckon.

Locking in Gallo Nero as my safe bet for the 2025 Magic Millions 2YO Classic. The colt is currently on the second line of betting with Bet365, at odds of $7.00. The 2YO has two career runs under his belt and should be peaking in this one. In his most recent race, he won the Petaluma Handicap at Randwick.

He looks to be improving with every run, so I think he is good enough for a top-three finish here at least. Gallo Nero draws barrier five and should look to settle off the leaders with some cover. Jockey Tyler Schiller retains the ride and has a 23% strike rate with the Hawkes barn.

I think The Playwright is good enough to ruffle some feathers on Friday. Looks like the filly will enjoy a softer track, which is certainly something she’ll get. We saw her last time out finishing third in the Group Three Magic Millions B.J. Mclachlan Stakes, beating several rivals that line up again here.

This looks to be her Grand Final and it’s her second go at the 1,200m, so she’ll be all the better for the experience under her belt. Jockey Blake Shinn books the ride and he has a 26% strike race for the barn. At the moment, you can pick up The Playwright with odds of $15 for the win at Dabble.

I think Icarian Dream has enough talent to put in a top-three performance here. We last saw the filly take out the Group Three Magic Millions B.J. Mclachlan Stakes, the same race that The Playwright (my value bet) just finished third in. QuestBet is currently offering $8.25 for Icarian Dream to take out this one.

Gets no favours in the barrier draw and will jump from the widest barrier of them all, but I’m not exactly sure that matters because she doesn’t have a lot of barrier speed. She’ll look to settle into the race nicely, expending no additional energy and waiting for the perfect time to strike. Jason Collett retains the ride and it won’t be easy, but she can win this.

For my best roughie, it was a difficult choice, but I’ve sided with Vein Girl. I think she also presents a bit of value and is currently going around with odds of $15 to win the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, thanks to Bet Right. She tasted success in the first run of her career when she won the Magic Millions The Debut at Gold Coast Racecourse.

The win might have been by just 0.2L but it was the way she raced that made me stand up and take notice. She raced hard and ended up the only on-speed runner that kicked on for the entire race, with all the other on-speed runners falling away. It’s no secret that this is a step up, but she gets an ideal barrier draw and Cejay Graham retains the ride.

All my Magic Millions 2YO Classic horse racing tips and their odds can be found here:

Bookmaker	Tip	Odds
	Invincible Woman (win)	$6.50
	Gallo Nero (each-way)	$7.00/$2.75
	The Playwright (place)	$4.60
	Icarian Dream (each-way)	$8.25/$2.85
	Vein Girl (place)	$4.40