Promising filly Miss Maggiebeel can cap a fairytale result for connections when she lines up in Friday night’s $150,000 Chandler Macleod VOBIS Gold Star (1500m) at Moonee Valley. A $13,000 purchase at the 2012 Inglis Melbourne Autumn Yearling Sale, the daughter of Magnus took her earnings to over $100,000 with a last-start victory at Flemington.

Raced by syndicator First Light Racing, she pocketed connections over $78,000 in that triumph and should she prove successful again on Friday then she could earn in excess of $100,000 with a $30,000 Super VOBIS bonus on top of the $150,000 prize money.

Admitting that he was pleasantly surprised by Miss Maggiebeel’s debut victory at Cranbourne in December, co-trainer Simon Zahra said she has improved again since her Flemington win.  

“She’s tightened up a bit since the run and it’s probably the best that she has looked the whole preparation,” Zahra said.

“She’s been a bit of a surprise packet. She was a $13,000 purchase and we probably didn’t expect this much from her (at the start of her career).

“The VOBIS Gold prize money is bloody fantastic.

“With the Super VOBIS and VOBIS Gold incentives if you place them right you can win a lot of money. You only have to look at the top weight (Trust In A Gust) he’s won a couple of these races and has won over $300,000.”

In-form apprentice Katelyn Mallyon will retain the ride on the three-year-old with the pair drawn in barrier six of the capacity twelve horse (plus one emergency) field.

Notably, in the six weeks since Miss Maggiebeel’s victory on December 14 at Cranbourne, the Ellerton/Zahra stable has trained 18 winners including seven in town.

In the same period, Mallyon has ridden 14 winners including nine in town, of which five have been for Ellerton/Zahra for whom Mallyon is now officially working with.

While admitting he hopes the forecast showers don’t eventuate on Friday, Zahra said should Miss Maggiebeel continue to step up then she could potentially be aimed towards a race like the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks (2000m) in Adelaide in April.

“The way that she relaxes and can finish off, if she can do that at 2000 metres then she’ll be an exciting filly,” he said.

“There are a lot of opportunities in the coming months to keep her against her own sex and age.

“We were looking to go to a mile (1600m) following her run at Caulfield on Boxing Day but there just wasn’t anything around. We’re pretty keen to step her up in distance.

“We’ll just see how she goes on Friday night and then decide where we’re at with her. If she goes to the paddock now then she’ll be back in the winter and she doesn’t like wet tracks.”

Miss Maggiebeel has opened the equal second favourite at $5.50 with TAB fixed odds alongside Darley three-year-old Adirondack, with Darren Weir’s Trust In A Gust the $2.80 favourite.

Should Trust In A Gust prove successful again on Friday, then it would be the son of Keep The Faith’s third straight VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series victory following wins in both the $100,000 VOBIS Gold Eureka Stockade (1400m) at Ballarat and the $150,000 VOBIS Gold Carat (1200m) at Caulfield.

Click here to view the full TAB fixed odds market for the VOBIS Gold Star

Click here to view the full field, form and barriers for Friday night’s Australia Stakes program at Moonee Valley