Heavenly Impact heads to Gold Coast Guineas

By Glenn Davis 

Magic Millions Maiden Plate winner Heavenly Impact has given Marcus Wilson his biggest pay cheque of his career so far and he’s hopeful more is to come during the Queensland Racing Carnival. 

Wilson breathed a sigh of relief when bargain buy Heavenly Impact secured a start in the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas on Saturday when it looked doubtful the three-year-old would make the final field at nomination time. 

Wilson has pencilled in an ambitious winter campaign for Heavenly Impact who hasn’t raced since claiming the $250,000 Magic Millions Maiden Plate on his home track in January. 

Heavenly Impact is a $61 outsider in early markets and hasn’t trialled ahead of his biggest test of his career in the Gold Coast Guineas. 

But, that doesn't faze Wilson who believes the son of Harry Angel has ticked all the boxes ahead of his return.

 “He hasn’t trialled but he’s been in work a long time and has done plenty of work,” Wilson said. 

“I haven’t trialled him as he’s a hard horse to load and I didn’t want to risk anything before race day.

“He’s got plenty of ability and is probably the best horse I’ve put a bridle on.”

Wilson is taking the Stradbroke Handicap path with Heavenly Impact but has several fall-back options if he doesn’t qualify for the $3 million Group 1 feature at Eagle Farm next month.

“At the moment we’re looking at the Stradbroke, but he’ll need to win a race like the Fred Best which would automatically qualify him as his rating isn’t good enough,” Wilson said.

“If he doesn’t make the Stradbroke there’s the (Group 3) Gunsynd Classic over 1600 metres on the same day or he can aim for or possibly a race like the Winx Guineas at the Sunshine Coast.

“There’s plenty of three-year-old options for him, but I’d like to keep him around 1400 to 1600 metres.

“He’ll race well first-up and 1200m metres in the Gold Coast Guineas will be right up his alley.

“He’s developed into a big lump of a horse now and has really filled out after his spell.”

Wilson paid a paltry $30,000 for Heavenly Impact at the Magic Millions yearling sales

“He was in book two and the Harry Angels weren’t going too well at the time compared to now,” Wilson said.

“The progeny of Harry Angel are jumping out of the ground now like Private Harry.”

The Nathan Doyle-trained Private Harry is unbeaten in five starts including wins the $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight at the Sunshine Coast and Group 1 The Galaxy at Rosehill in March.

Heavenly Impact campaigned during last year’s Queensland Racing Carnival but failed to make an impact at Group 2 level in the Champagne Classic and Sires’ Produce Stakes.

“He struck a lot of shifty tracks last winter and he was very 'colty' and needed to be gelded as he had his mind on the girls,” Wilson said.

“He was never a two-year-old type really and his three-year-old year was always going to be his best.”