Gold Coast trainer Paul Facoory hopes another rails draw is the right omen as three-year-old filly Quite Magical attempts to maintain her perfect record at Ballina on Friday.
The Magic Albert filly has won twice in 10 starts - both wins coming at her only two appearances at Ballina. She won her Maiden there over 1255m on 16 November last year and four starts later took out a Class 1 Hcp over 1250m on 13 January.
Apprentice Corinne Miles, who rode Quite Magical in both Ballina wins, will be aboard again when the filly lines up in Friday's Domesday Standing At Aquis Farm Class 2 Plate (1400m). Quite Magical will carry 52.5kg after Miles' 3kg claim.
Facoory hopes the perfect draw and the light weight are the keys to a third Ballina success.
"Coincidentally, she has now drawn the rails in each of her three Ballina starts," he said. "She enjoyed the run of the race down in the weights at her two previous Ballina starts and has been too good.”
Facoory said Quite Magical's last run at Lismore when last of 12 behind Dusty in a Benchmark 50 Hcp on 4 February was a 'forgive run' as the filly was slowly away and was caught wide throughout.
Friday's race won't be an easy task with the Stephen Lee-trained Spiral and the Bevan Laming-trained King Red, winner of two of his past three starts, looming as serious contenders.
Ex-Godolphin galloper Spiral, a son of Lonhro and the Thousand Guineas winner All Time High, had his first start for Lee at the Gold Coast on 25 January after winning two barrier trials at Ballina. He ran an encouraging first-up third to Mystical Renegade and Kapgun in a Class 3 over 1200m at the Gold Coast and should relish the step up to 1400m on Friday.
Facoory will also have Daisy Wheel (Maiden Plate), Swindlers Miss (Benchmark 65) and comeback galloper Magnetic Miss (Benchmark 55) running at Ballina.
Magnetic Miss, an eight-year-old mare, is having her first run back from a long layoff - almost three years to the day since her last start at the Sunshine Coast on February 4, 2014.
"I'm not sure exactly what the problem was with her but she's been in work with me for four months since her owner decided to put her back in work," he said. "It's hard to know how she'll go after a such a long layoff but she's going along quite nicely and went okay in a recent trial at the Coast.
"Swindlers Miss will be better over more ground later on but can be competitive over the shorter trip first-up in the Benchmark 65."