Trainer Nick Olive finds it hard to separate his pair of juveniles ahead of their debuts at Kembla Grange, but he is hopeful they can plot a course to this year’s Magic Millions.
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Action Shale and Dreaming Of Biscay will have their first starts in the Christmas Racing At Kembla Grange 2YO Maiden Handicap (1000m) on Saturday.
Both were purchased at the Magic Millions Sales in the last twelve months and Olive will be eyeing off a trip north of the border if everything goes to plan on their debuts.
“They were purchased up there so we will just see how things go,” he said.
“If one comes out and wins convincingly we will obviously head that way, but we just have to wait and see what happens.”
The Magic Millions race day is held on January 13 next year at the Gold Coast racecourse. Both Olive’s juveniles are among a long list of horses that will be vying for a spot in the field.
Both horses trialled together at Queanbeyan on December 8.
Dreaming Of Biscay edged out her stablemate in the trial and was also successful at her first hit out at Canberra seven days earlier.
The chestnut filly is a daughter of Dream Ahead and has been backed from $10 into $4.60 in early markets.
Despite the money for Dreaming Of Biscay, Olive believes both horses should be competitive at their first visit to the races.
“I find it pretty hard to split them because they are both nice horses,” he said.
“I think Action Shale is going to improve as he gets older and Dreaming Of Biscay just has a really nice action already.
“They are both doing well. I’ve just given them a quiet week after they trialled.”
Action Shale ($21) will jump from barrier eight with Shaun Guymer on-board while Brendan Wade will ride Dreaming Of Biscay from barrier seven.
Mark Newnham’s Quarterjack ($3.10) held favourtism late on Friday afternoon.
The Not A Single Doubt colt finished last in the Listed Breeders Plate (1000m) at his first start before being tipped out by Newnham.
The Sydney trainer has since given him two trials ahead of his second visit to the races.
Gwenda Markwell is the only Kembla trainer to have a runner, with Big Data having his first start at his home track.
The colt finished fourth in a trial at Rosehill Gardens earlier this week.
Peter and Paul Snowden’s Laser ($4.50) as well as Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Royal Warfare ($4.50) are both prominent in the early markets.
