Royal Entrance showed great determination to win on debut
The crosshairs of the China Horse Club / Newgate Farm / Trilogy Bloodstock syndicate are locked squarely on the AUD2,000,000 2023 Magic Millions 2YO Classic with Royal Entrance becoming the fourth possibly contender after a gritty debut win in the AUD55,000 Dundeel At Arrowfield Handicap (1000m) at Warwick Farm (Australia).
The syndicate is already positioned to effect with G3 Breeders’ Plate winner Empire of Japan and last week’s Wyong Magic Millions victor Sovereign Fund set to run. It can also lay claim to another possible entrant in Snapback, runner-up on his Randwick debut last Saturday, who can secure his berth with a win between now and the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on 14th January 2023.
Empire of Japan will stoke up his tilt at the Magic Millions when he returns to Royal Randwick this Saturday. A final prep race has still to be finalized for the talented Sovereign Fund.
The athletic Royal Entrance showed fight beyond his years to stave off a challenge from rivals that lasted the length of the straight and deliver in a tight finish. Co-trainer Adrian Bott and jockey Regan Bayliss were sporting smiles post-race and with every reason. The AUD25,400 first prize ensures Royal Entrance is in the hunt for one of the most lucrative races on the Australian juvenile calendar.
“[Royal Entrance] got suitable conditions today and, with the inside draw, he had a fence to follow which helped a lot,” Bott said.
‘He is still a bit raw, a bit new, and needed every bit of urging by Regan to get the best out of him. He has had a good grounding with plenty of trials, so it was going to take a good fit horse to get over the top of him.
“[Magic Millions] is well and truly on the radar, and Henry Field (Newgate Farm) is here today to see the colt and witness the win. The win gives us a potential path to get there.”
Like Snapback, Royal Entrance will need to bolster his prize money levels to guarantee a start in the rich juvenile contest but that may not be beyond him.
Royal Entrance was an AUD425,000 yearling purchase in January. The chestnut is a son of the imperious Snitzel who has also sired China Horse Club and partners’ G1 winning stars Russian Revolution, Wild Ruler, In The Congo and the above mentioned Empire of Japan. He heralds from an antipodean family that has produced a succession of crack juveniles including The Heavyweight (G2 Maribyrnong Plate) and more recently Tchaikovsky (3rd G2 Todman Stakes).
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