Godolphin duo set for Eagle Farm challenge

An opportunity to compete on one of Australia’s richest race days is available to the Godolphin pair Multaja and Gaulois when they run at Saturday’s Eagle Farm meeting.

Multaja’s chance comes in the Listed Nudgee Stakes in which she has the advantage of a good gate and a promising last-start effort to support her prospects.

A G3 winner against similar-class opposition at Randwick last autumn, Multaja (Ryan Maloney) goes into the Nudgee Stakes off a strong run in the Listed Razor Sharp at Randwick two weeks ago.

“She got a long way back in that race and was only beaten a half-length by Signore Fox who is in good form,” said assistant trainer Paul Reid.

“This is a good quality race but she has raced well in this company before and certainly looks up to this class.”

Prominent among Multaja’s opponents is the well-performed Invincibella, along with Sugar Boom and Grand Scholar, fillies who have both won their past three starts.

The added attraction for the winner of the Nudgee Stakes is a “wild card” entry to Magic Millions day on the Gold Coast on Saturday, 11 January, a race meeting otherwise restricted to horses sold at a Magic Millions sale.

Multaja’s goal would be the A$1 million Magic Millions Fillies and Mares over 1,300m.

Like Multaja, the Street Cry gelding Gaulois (Damien Oliver) is a Godolphin home bred and, as such, wasn’t offered for sale.

He will be attempting to win a place on Magic Millions Day by winning The Buffering, an ungraded race, but one offering $200,000 in prize money and entry into the one million Magic Millions Cup.

Saturday’s “wild card” attempts follow the success a week ago at Eagle Farm of Isaurian who won his way into the one million Magic Millions Snippets by taking out the Listed Falvelon Quality at Eagle Farm.

Another Godolphin-trained runner guaranteed a place at the Magic Millions meeting is last year’s MM Two-Year-Old Classic winner Exhilarates who will attempt to bring up the double in the $A2 million MM Three-Year-Old Classic.

Earlier, an overwhelming finishing burst has carried Isaurian to victory in Listed Falvelon Quality at Eagle Farm and earned him a start on one of Australia’s richest race days.

Isuarian also maintained an unbeaten record when fresh, taking his first-up record to five-from-five.

Despite being forced to race wide for much of the 1,200m race, Isaurian surged to the front with 100m to run and held off the runner-up Scallopini to win by a half-length.

As well as retaining his perfect fresh record, Isaurian demonstrated his liking for Brisbane racing, his latest success following that of last winter in the Listed Chief De Beers Handicap at Doomben.

Assistant trainer Nacim Dilmi confirmed Isuarian would now be set for next month’s Magic Millions race meeting where he will run in the $1m sprint.

“He just seems to love racing fresh,” Dilmi said.