Racing: Aussie youngsters eye Karaka Million

File photo / 123RF

At least two Australian juveniles have the Karaka Million on their January shopping list.

Experienced Australian trainer Tony McEvoy has Sharp Diamond on track for a tilt at the $1 million 1200m Ellerslie feature on January 29.

In addition, Sydney filly Te Amo will be on trial for a Karaka Million bid when she makes her debut at Warwick Farm today. .

Australian horses have punched above their weight in the Karaka Million, with three wins and a second from eight runners.

Sharp Diamond, a Showcasing colt who cost $250,000 at Karaka last January, has been placed in small fields in his two starts in Adelaide but McEvoy is confident that the horse is better than his form might suggest.

"He should have won both his starts. He was unlucky in both," McEvoy said. "He's a smart horse."

Sharp Diamond ran third of four at Morphettville on debut and ran second, in a five-horse field, at Morphettville on December 3. Both races were over 1000m.

"He missed the start by two lengths at his debut and ran his last 200m in 22.1," McEvoy said. "He was flattened before the turn at his last start but still got to within about a neck of the winner."

The two placings have put Sharp Diamond in 10th place in the entry order for the Karaka Million but the horse will need to perform well at his next start, probably on Boxing Day, to both confirm the Ellerslie trip and to ensure a place in the field.

Sharp Diamond has been sent to McEvoy's Melbourne stable since his last race and his Christmas options will include races at Geelong and Moonee Valley and in South Australia. "We will assess where he's best placed but at this stage he's on track for Ellerslie," McEvoy said.

"He's a big strong colt and when we bought him [at Karaka] he looked like a horse who could get back there [for the Karaka Million].

McEvoy, who has stables in Adelaide and Melbourne, has already had five individual two-year-old winners this term.

Aspect won the group three Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington on debut, with stablemate Azazel fourth, after winning the A$250,000 Inglis Banner at his only previous start.

McEvoy won another lucrative two-year-old race when Despatch beat stablemate Nistaan in the A$200,000 Clockwise Classic at Ballarat and Despatch will race in Brisbane this weekend, as a leadup to the A$2 million Magic Millions Classic on January 14.

Te Amo, a Not A Single Doubt filly who cost $220,000 at Karaka, ran second in her only trial and opened at $8 for the maiden juvenile at Warwick Farm.

Randwick trainer Peter Robl has always had the Karaka Million in mind for Te Amo and expects her to be competitive on debut. "She's only had one soft trial but I'm sure she will measure up."

The entry order for the Karaka Million is headed by the unbeaten filly Gift Of Power, ahead of three other fillies in Talaria, Hasahalo and Melody Belle.

Black type challenges await Galloping Gerte, but in the meantime she looks ideally placed at Matamata today to add another winning strike to her record.

The promising Align filly has made an encouraging start to her career and trainer Brian McKeagg is confident she can go close in the NZB Insurance Pearl Series.

- NZ Racing Desk