Vinery Stud’s Magic Millions graduate Garza Blanca has been backed into an odds-on favourite for the Schweppes Hcp (1300m) at Randwick on Saturday.

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained colt opened at $3.50 for Saturday’s sprint before a flood of money saw him firm into $1.85 by Friday morning.  He needs to bank the $76,000 winning prizemoney to guarantee a start in the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (RL, 1400m) at the Gold Coast on January 14.

Garza Blanca (I Am Invincible) is on the borderline to make the final field of 15 plus 5 emergencies, nevertheless, he’s currently the $7 second favourite behind Wednesday’s Gosford Guineas (LR, 1200m) runner-up Russian Conquest (Russian Revolution).

“We’ve always had a high opinion of him,” Maher said after he broke the 1200m track-record (69.52s) at Cranbourne last month.  “He’s a pretty exciting horse – all 580kg of him – but he’s still quite raw.”

Garza Blanca was a certainty beaten last-time out at Rosehill when runner-up to Felix Majestic.  He was left with too much to do on a day when it was an advantage to race on the pace.

Vinery’s recent Gold Coast graduates includes Group 1 colts Farnan (ATC Golden Slipper), Artorius (MRC Blue Diamond) and Godolphin filly Exhilarates who won the 2019 Magic Millions 2YO Classic RL.

Garza Blanca (3c I Am Invincible – Mousai by Fastnet Rock) topped Vinery’s 2021 Magic Millions consignment at $700,000 when purchased for a colts syndicate by agents Mark Player and Robert Roulston.

Bred by Vinery partner Steve McCann, he’s a son of Australia’s Champion Sire from a winning half-sister to Group 1 racehorse and sire Starspangledbanner.  “He was impressive when I inspected him for the first time at Vinery,” Player said at the Gold Coast.  “It was obvious he had kept progressing through the whole prep when I saw him again on the sale grounds.

“He’s a terrific type with a deep girth, strong hindquarter and a lovely temperament.  He uses himself so well and there’s stallion potential with I Am Invincible over that page.”

Victorian-based Noorilim Park owner Peter Carrick heads the syndicate that purchased Garza Blanca.  He calls the colt “Big Gaz” and a Magic Millions victory will help ease the pain of the recent floods that swept through his 1,700 acre property which fronts the Goulburn River.