Bushies' fairytale: Bargain buy to take down million dollar Magic Millions babies
BY BEN DORRIES (Racenet, 3 January 2023)
Quasimoto is the Magic Millions bargain basement buy which is owned by "bushies" and is poised to take down the million dollar equine babies.
It would be the fairytale story of Gold Coast Magic Millions time if Dubbo trainer Clint Lundholm, a former jockey, could qualify the $46,000 buy to tangle with the big guns in the $2m Gold Coast Magic Millions Classic on January 14.
Quasimoto put the writing on the wall he could be a serious Magic Millions force when flashing home from last to run second behind the smart Team Snowden colt Sovereign Fund in the Wyong 2YO Classic in mid December.
Sovereign Fund is now the $6 second pick for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic after winning easily at Doomben last Saturday.
Country weapon Quasimoto, with $40,075 in prizemoney, currently sits outside the field for the Magic Millions.
But the two-year-old can qualify for the big dance by scoring in the $150,000 Gold Nugget (2YO colts and geldings) on the Gold Coast on Saturday.
It is likely that a runner-up finish could also sneak him into the field.
Quasimoto is the feel-good story and the potential giant killer in the lead-up to Magic Millions.
Gun hoop Kerrin McEvoy has been booked to ride on the Gold Coast on Saturday as Quasimoto looks to take another huge step in his rags to riches journey.
"We have this $46,000 horse who is racing against million dollar colts, at times it has knocked my confidence a bit and you actually question how good is he," Lundholm said.
"But we think he is pretty good, Magic Millions is where we want to be and we want to have a crack at it.
"We want him to win this race on Saturday and prove he should be going to the Magic Millions and can be a definite contender in the big race.
"I have looked into it and it's well known that horses have been pretty successful backing up seven days later into the Magic Millions.
"I honestly think at Wyong, if we swapped our wide barrier with the winner it would have possibly changed the result."
Regardless of the result on Saturday – and potentially seven days later – Quasimoto has already taken his owners on the racing ride of their lifetimes.
Quasimoto wasn't originally nominated for the Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic but connections paid a late fee on the same day he produced a slashing run at Wyong.
"He has given plenty of bush blokes a great thrill in racing, some of them have been in racing for 30 or 40 years," Lundholm said.
"They have never had a runner like this in their lifetimes.
"A lot of the owners are from Coonamble, my former home town where my grandfather is from.
"They are people I rode for over the years and some of them are great family friends."
Lundholm celebrates his 33rd birthday on Wednesday and it would be a perfect belated birthday gift on Saturday if Quasimoto could qualify for the Magic Millions.
TAB currently has Quasimoto as a $26 chance in the Magic Millions but that price will be slashed if the gelding wins on Saturday.