By Glenn Davis
Co-trainers Peter and Will Hulbert are confident Oh Five Glory can stake a claim for the Magic Millions Classic when the filly has her final dress rehearsal for the $2 million feature at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Oh Five Glory was a borderline contender in 15th place for the Magic Millions Classic on Saturday week but her position improved when Sun City was ruled out with a leg infection on Wednesday.
Oh Five Glory can guarantee a spot with a placing in Saturday’s QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap (1100m).
The daughter of the ill-fated 2016 Magic Millions Classic winner Unencumbered is owned by a Sydney syndicate of five who are rugby league fanatics.
Oh Five Glory is named in honour of West Tigers’ famous premiership win in 2005.
“Jeff Kennedy runs the syndicate and they are all mad West Tigers fans and named Oh Five Glory after the club won the premiership in 2005,” Hulbert said.
Oh Five Glory cost only $25,000 at the Magic Millions sales.
While Team Hulbert has only been in operation for the past few years, Peter Hulbert has been training for several decades.
“I’ve never had a Magic Millions Classic runner but I did have a runner which failed in a consolation race the first year it was run and won by Snippets,” Peter Hulbert said.
However, Hulbert has tasted Magic Millions success with Endless Shadow who won the Fillies & Mares race in 2015.
“I think we’re just about in but you can’t take it for granted so she’ll need to place to make sure,” Hulbert said.
Oh Five Glory, barrier 13, ran second on debut at Doomben in November before an eye-catching win on the same track last month.
“I thought she was going to run second last start but she really hit the line well to win,” Hulbert said.
“She’s drawn awkwardly but there’s a lot of speed outside us so she’ll just follow them across.
“She needs a hit out before the Magic Millions and we know she’ll run 1200 metres.”
Oh Five Glory will be ridden by Taylor Marshall, the son of former champion jockey John Marshall who lost a battle with cancer last week.
Marshall has been promised the Magic Millions Classic ride as a reward for all his hard work with Oh Five Glory during his education.
Racing Queensland webnews January 3