Annabel Neasham aiming for dual state double

Annabel Neasham is on the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions sale and raceday but will have strong chances in both the Magic Millions Fillies & Mares and the Listed January Cup at Randwick.

Naval College will jump favourite in the 2000m feature in Neasham’s home state with the last-start winner a $2.60 chance of giving apprentice Jett Stanley his first stakes winner.

“He’s going really well, I thought his win the other day was super, he drops in weight here, Jett knows him really well and it’s a good opportunity for him as well,” Neasham said.

“He hasn’t ridden a stakes winner yet, he’s still a two kilo claiming apprentice but he’s ridden him as well as anyone and a lot of the senior jockeys are up here this weekend so it does give a lot of the guys in Sydney a bit more opportunity.”

While Neasham will be keeping a close eye on Randwick, she will have to wait until the last of 11 races on the Gold Coast, with multiple stakes-winning mare Lady Laguna set to start favourite in the $1 million Magic Millions Fillies & Mares.

Neasham has one won Magic Millions race in her short Australian career, taking out the 2022 Open Handicap with Wisdom Of Water and Neasham is confident Lady Laguna can give the stable their second as their only runner of the day.

“She’s a good chance, she’s drawn out a little but I think the race is late in the day so it might not be the worst thing with the rain that we’ve had around… she can go on firm ground or wet ground but often the wet ground disadvantages other horses so I wouldn’t be afraid if there was a few more showers coming,” Neasham said.

“Tyler (Schiller) won on her the other day but he was already committed to another horse so we managed to get J Mac on which we’re pretty chuffed about and she’s just a really tough, honest mare.”

A last-start winner of the Listed Nudgee Stakes at Doomben, Lady Laguna is a $2.70 chance with online bookmakers on Saturday, drawn barrier 12.

“She’ll be one of our best chances on the day.”