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Magic Millions favouritism on the line at Randwick
It is rare for followers of two-year-old racing to get the treat they are in for at Randwick this Saturday.
Empire Of Japan and Platinum Jubilee, the horses who so impressively won the first juvenile races of the season in Sydney, will clash in the $150,000 Drinkwise Plate (1100m) that kicks off the card.
It will be the first time in almost 30 years that punters will be given the chance to marry up the form of the winners of those two Group 3 events this early in the season
Not since Marwina and Warning Siren finished third and fourth respectively in the 1993 Silver Slipper Stakes, when that now-late summer event was run in spring, have the Breeders Plate and Gimcrack Stakes winners met before the new year.
Those with an eye to the juvenile majors have been itching to see them again ever since they posted what remain two of the highest-rating juvenile performances this season.
Empire Of Japan earned a 109 Timeform rating for his three-length win Breeders' Plate win over Mach Ten, which is the highest-rating two-year-old performance so far in 2022.
Platinum Jubilee's fast-finishing Gimcrack Stakes win over Perfect Proposal earned her a rating of 106, which sits equal with King's Gambit's Debutant Stakes win as the second-highest rating returned.
Racing And Sports head of handicapping Adam Blencowe pointed out that Empire Of Japan's figure in particular compares favourably with early-season stars of recent seasons, including last year's Magic Millions winner Coolangatta.
"Empire Of Japan is rated 109 which matches the crop leader at this point of the past two seasons, Coolangatta and Acrobat, who were both top of the table and rated 109 at this point," he said.
"Farnan was rated 110 and Tassort 112 the season prior. That small set shows that things can go one of two ways from here and a key fork in that road comes up this weekend."
Saturday's race will have a significant impact on next month's $2.5 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m), for which Empire Of Japan is TAB's $5 favourite, just ahead of Platinum Jubilee ($6).
Godfather, who occupies the $11 fourth line in Magic Millions betting off the back of an effortless debut win in Brisbane – which earned a rating of 99 – is also engaged.
Also likely to have an impact on the Magic Millions market is the Group 3 B J McLachlan Stakes (1200m) at Doomben, which features star local Miss Coota – who has been $15 into $9 with TAB in Millions betting this week – and brilliant maiden winner The Novelist, who is at $15.
A list of the highest-rating two-year-olds in Australia so far this season is available here.
