Viddora on target for Magic Millions day

Viddora has returned for another crack at a rich Magic Millions race and her Adelaide trainer Lloyd Kennewell is convinced the Group One-winning sprinter is a vastly improved horse than when she last raced at the Gold Coast.

The mare was narrowly beaten in last year’s Magic Millions Sprint (1200m) and that race, now called the Magic Millions Snippets, looms as the most likely target on Saturday’s program.

“She ran second in the race last year but she’s probably a six to eight-length better horse than what she was last year, I reckon,” Kennewell said.

“So I’m really happy with her leading into it and she’s the horse to beat.”

Viddora, who won the Group One Winterbottom Stakes in Perth at her most recent start, is also nominated for the Magic Millions Fillies and Mares (1300m).

“She’s spot-on,” Kennewell said.

“She had a gallop on Thursday and will have her final hit-out on Tuesday. We’re more than likely leaning towards the sprint over 1200 metres.”

Viddora was beaten a neck by Target In Sight in last year’s Sprint but since then has proven herself at the elite level.

Since winning the Group Three Irwin Stakes in Adelaide in April, Viddora has raced four times at Group One level.

She was second in both the Robert Sangster Stakes and Moir Stakes before a luckless fourth in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley in October.

Attention then turned to the Winterbottom Stakes in Perth and Viddora broke through for her first Group One win at Ascot on December 2.

“She deserved it,” Kennewell said.

“She’d been in the firing line and really close a couple of times and it was good to get the monkey off the back. Now we can go and enjoy the Gold Coast and hopefully she can do it again.”

Viddora is already in Queensland and Kennewell said everything had gone to plan since her last start.

“She has just ticked over really nicely,” he said.