The Magic Millions carnival has changed plenty over the years. But some things never change, notably the fact that 1200 metres in mid-January with a two-kilo advantage is a good recipe for two-year-old fillies.

The Magic Millions Classic is a rare beast — a major open-sex two-year-old race won by fillies more often than by males.

If you ignore the four years when it was run in single-sex divisions, as well as the additional 1400-metre race run in 1992, the fillies hold a 19-17 advantage.

They had some catching up to do, too. The colts and geldings led 11-5 when Bradbury’s Luck won in 2005. Since then the fillies have dominated 14-6, including 7-2 over the past nine years.

Another maxim applicable to this race is that winning form is good form. Of the past 16 Magic Millions Classic winners, 14 have been last-start winners and another a last-start runner-up.

That’s not as startling a stat as it might sound. Saturday’s main field of 16 contains six last-start winners and five last-start runners-up.

The favourite, Warwoven, is one of those six last-start winners, albeit a mere male.

In his favour is that he’s trained by Bjorn Baker, one of only four living trainers to have won the MM Classic more than once.

(The others are record-holder Gai Waterhouse with five, Ciaron Maher and the now Hong Kong-based David Eustace. Maher and Eustace combined to win it twice.)

It’s worth noting the market gets it right more often than not. Nine favourites and an equal favourite have won the MM Classic in the past 16 years.

While female horses and a female trainer have led the way, the only woman to have ridden the winner is Clare Lindop (2008). Rachel King (Warwoven) and Jamie Melham (By Choice) will be out to change that on Saturday.