Australia: Swift Witness expected to win career debut in Magic Millions 2-year-old Classic

Swift Witness will have her career debut in Wednesday’s $150,800 Magic Millions 2-year-old Classic at Wyong Racecourse in Australia with the expectation of immediate success.

The 2-year-old Southern Hemisphere filly was purchased for $179,400 as a yearling in January and is trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, who have won this race the last two years.

In that sense, Swift Witness has a difficult act to follow. Farnan, who won the 2019 Magic Millions Classic in his second start, later won the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes, a $2 million race at six furlongs at Rosehill Gardens in March.

Swift Witness, by Star Witness, is one of 10 fillies in a field of 14 in the Magic Millions Classic, which is run at 5 1/2 furlongs and is a prep for the similarly named $1.5 million Magic Millions 2-year-old Classic at Gold Coast Racecourse on Jan. 16.

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Swift Witness will be ridden by Tim Clark who was aboard the filly in two training races, or barrier trials, at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Nov. 24 and Dec. 8. Swift Witness finished first in both of those training races.

There are 19 juveniles entered in Wednesday’s race, which has a safety limit of 14 starters. Miss Ostend, the winner of a five-furlong handicap at Canterbury Park on Nov. 15, is the only winner in the field, but is not rated as a top contender.

Astrologer and She’s All Class, third in their only starts, are well-regarded. Astrologer was third from an inside post in the Group 3 Breeders’ Plate at five furlongs at Randwick on Oct. 3. Astrologer drew post 13 in Wednesday’s race.

She’s All Class was third in the Victory Vein Plate at five furlongs at Randwick on Oct. 17 behind Captivant, who returned to finish fourth as the 2-1 favorite in the $730,000 Golden Gift Stakes at Rosehill Gardens on Nov. 7.

The six-race Wyong program begins at 10:20 p.m. Eastern, or 7:20 p.m. Pacific, on Tuesday. Wagering and viewing is available through DRFBets.com.