For one of New Zealand’s finest trainers, Saturday’s $2 million Magic Millions two-year-old event will be a momentous occasion for two reasons.

Jamie Richards, 32, has been given one of the great honours of world racing by being selected to take a trainers’ licence in Hong Kong for their next season.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club go through a painstaking process to select trainers and jockeys for arguably the most competitive racing jurisdictions in the world.

However, while Richards’ stable will be taken over by Singapore horseman Mark Walker in the coming months, Richards is still poised for one of his most important race days at the Gold Coast on Saturday when he starts Bright Blue Sky in the Magic Millions feature for juveniles.

Due to the Covid outbreak Richards spoke at length about Bright Blue Sky – a $600,000 investment at last year’s yearling sales.

“She’s a very, very nice filly. She won here in New Zealand and then she got back in the race in Brisbane on Boxing Day but I still liked what I saw. She had an exhibition gallop on Saturday but the track was wet so we didn’t really get a good insight into her work.  What I will say though is I don’t think she will get that far back on Saturday,” Richards said.

The trainer said that the team that are overseeing Bright Blue Sky were “the best in the business” and were pleased with the work she had undertaken during her last five weeks in Australia.

“We’re very happy with her.  She’s a strong thing and she’s coped with everything we’ve asked of her. However I must say, the yardstick in this year’s race has got to be the local filly Coolangatta on what she has showed publicly, but I’m happy with my filly and will wait and see how things unfold,” he said.

Bright Blue Sky is currently $20 with bookmakers with the raging hot favourite, Coolangatta, at a $1.80.

Many experts on the coast believe that Coolangatta could be just the youngster to achieve the Magic Millions and Golden Slipper Stakes double come the end of the autumn.

Bright Blue Sky gain the last spot in the 16-horse starting line-up. As fate would have it, she drew barrier 16. If the four emergencies are not required, the Kiwi youngster will come into barrier 13, with Coolangatta three gates inside her.