Locally trained horses have had plenty of success in the MIA Breeders Plate in recent years and Philip Maguire is hoping that trend continues in the upcoming series. Col Thomas trained the winner of the race in 2015 when Bettermatch accounted for his rivals and in 2013 Thomas was at it again with Business In Motion. Maguire drove Rich Virgin for Ben Matthews when it won the Breeders Plate in 2014.
While Maguire acknowledges Rich Virgin was a stronger chance going into the 2014 series than his pair of Our Chance Todream and The Loustar, he is hoping to qualify for the rich $40,000 final with at least one of his runners.
“Rich Virgin was going better in the lead up to the Breeders Plate than my two this year but I’m happy with how both of my horses are going and importantly they’re both bombproof which is so important in two year old racing,” Maguire said.
“Our Chance Todream has won two trials, he won a trial at Leeton on Tuesday night and is a four or five length better horse coming from behind so I’ll look to drive him that way on Saturday night.”
Our Chance Todream beat Miraculous Luck and The Loustar in Tuesday’s trial.
“He has early speed if I wanted to use it but he is best sat up and he got crossed on Tuesday night in the trial but was very strong to the line.
“He is a son of If I Can Dream, he is owned by my wife Kerry and I plus the kids Reece and Martelle so it is a real family horse, we bought him after the Bathurst Gold Crown yearling sale and I think he is going to make a better three year old.”
Our Chance Todream will compete in the first heat of the Breeders Plate on Saturday night while stablemate The Loustar is set to run in the second of the three heats.
“The Loustar is owned by Reece (Maguire) and Kristen Smart, he was purchased at the Bathurst sales and is another one that looks set to be a better three year old.
“He didn’t do a bad job in the trial on Tuesday, Reece drove him, but there are some very nice horses in the series so if he qualified for the final I think we would be happy with that.”
The $40,000 MIA Leeton Breeders Plate will be run on New Years Day.
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