Unite And Conquer broke hearts in winning the $200,000 Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic on the Central Coast on Wednesday prompting co-trainer Adrian Bott to compare him to the likes of Golden Slipper winners Vancouver and Sebring.

The $80,000 Magic Millions purchase led from start to finish and didn’t give her rivals a chance by opening up a three-length lead approaching the home turn.

He kicked at the 300m and held on to beat a fast finishing Exhilarates by 1 ¼ lengths with Spaceboy in third.

The Hinchinbrook two-year-old colt is now a $4.50 favourite to take out the $2m Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast on January 12 for Gai Waterhouse and Bott.

“He showed really good speed today and may have raced a little bit fresh being first-up off the break. The most pleasing thing is that there’s improvement to come.

“He wandered a bit today but he’s showing all the special qualities of Gai’s other top two-year-olds like the Vancouvers and the Sebrings so hopefully he’s another one for us going forward.”

Jockey Adam Hyeronimus said the colt simply took everything in his stride on the way to a dominant win.

“He’s a very unassuming character and everything he does he does properly but Late there he just wanted to run around a little bit but I think that’s more to do with the track,” Hyeronimus said.

“His attitude is so professional and he hasn’t let me down. I told Gai and Adrian from day one that this is the horse I want to ride.”

Meanwhile, $1.50 favourite Invincible Star was beaten by Gerald Ryan’s Problem Solver in the $100,000 Magic Millions 3YO & 4YO Stakes earlier in the day.

The Waterhouse/ Bott-trained mare led the field, as expected, into the home straight but she was being stalked by Problem Solver who sprinted past her at the 100m as the favourite faded to run third.

Stable representative Blake Ryan said the team were quietly confident about her chances after a close sixth place finish behind Demerara last start at Rosehill.

“We thought she’d run to her best and if the favourite was a bit off the mark we knew we’d give her a run,” he said.

“She had a really good run and improved a hell of a lot off her last run. She’ll go to the fillies and mares race on the Gold Coast now.”

SNOWDENS’ STRONG SUIT FOR SLIPPER
WITH 100 days until the Golden Slipper, trainers Peter and Paul Snowden can strengthen their team for the world’s richest juvenile race when Strasbourg, Stronger and Enforcement clash at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

The Snowden trio are at the top of betting for the $500,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m) with Strasbourg the early $3 favourite ahead of Enforcement ($6) and Stronger ($8).

Strasbourg scored a brilliant debut win in the Max Lees Classic at Newcastle earlier this month, first starter Enforcer has impressed in two barrier trial wins and Stronger has a provincial win and city placing to his credit from two starts.

“I’m sure Strasbourg will appreciate further, 1200m or even 1400m, but he is still fresh enough for 1000m,’’ Peter Snowden said. “He’s a nice colt and going well enough to be competitive on Saturday.

“Stronger comes out of a good form race at Rosehill and this distance is ideal for him. Enforcement has trialled well and is ready to go to the races.’’

Snowden, who has trained Golden Slipper winners Sepoy (2011) and Capitalist (2016), already has unbeaten two-year-olds Anaheed and Catch Me among the leading chances for this season’s $3.5 million race, run at Rosehill Gardens on March 23.

Anaheed was a runaway winner of the Victory Vein Plate on debut, while Catch Me was also an easy winner of her only start, the Gimcrack Stakes. Snowden’s fillies are on the second line of Golden Slipper betting at $15 behind Godolphin’s boom colt, Tassort, the $5 favourite. As the countdown to the Golden Slipper begins in earnest from today, Australian Turf Club chief executive Jamie Barkley confirmed the club is planning a concerted marketing and promotional push for the world’s richestrace for two-year-olds.

“We are now on a final countdown to the biggest Longines Golden Slipper Carnival that Sydney has seen in many years,’’ Barkley said.

“Sydney racing is at an all-time high and the 2019 Longines Golden Slipper takes Rosehill Gardens to another level.

“Next year’s race is the historic first leg of a potential Golden Slam, ahead of the running of the De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose next Spring.’’

There is a $5 million bonus for any horse that can win the