While From Within and Ours to Keep made strong cases for the upcoming $2 million Jeep Magic Millions 2YO Classic, it was a richer pay day at Eagle Farm for Winning Rupert and Most Important.
Winning Rupert, one of the country’s most exciting racehorses, extended his unbeaten run to five when he easily won the Group Three Vo Rogue Plate (1300m).
The Bjorn Baker trained son of Written Tycoon showed his usual high cruising speed and added another track record to his growing resume in the process.
Eased down near the line by rider Jeff Lloyd, Winning Rupert still held a three length margin and his time of 1-15.07 was 1.68 seconds under the previous track record held by Cruising Speed.
Completing the third leg of the Summer Crown bonus the outstanding sprinter swept a $500,000 boost to the original win cheque of $128,000.
Winning Rupert’s career earnings have shot to $989,500 – not bad in five runs and considering he cost connections just $67,500 at the 2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale.
The excitement machine is scheduled to start next in the $2 million Gold Coast Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) on January 14.
A little later in the afternoon it was the turn of Most Important to race for the big dollars and he did it in style, steaming home to win the $150,000 Buffering Quality (1300m).
Prepared by Tony Gollan, Most Important also swept a $500,000 Summer Crown bonus for his owner Linda Huddy – a fitting result considering it came on the same day as the Shoot Out Quality – a horse the Huddy family raced to multiple Group One wins.
A son of I Am Invincible, Most Important was a $260,000 purchase for Linda Huddy at the 2014 Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Yarraman Park.
Most Important clinched the bonus for older horses with consecutive stakes wins at Eagle Farm (George Moore Stakes G3) and Doomben (Lough Neagh Stakes LR) respectively.
Earlier in the day Ours to Keep extended his unbeaten run in the Group Three BJ McLachlan Stakes (1200m).
A colt by Seidnazar, Ours to Keep tracked the leaders throughout before coming with a strong run and racing away for the easiest of wins.
A $28,000 purchase for trainer Chris Munce at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, Ours to Keep now heads to the $2 million Jeep Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
Should the good looking colt win the Classic he would sweep a $500,000 bonus as well as the $1.2 million prizemoney cheque.
Munce, who shares the Classic riding record with Mick Dittman, is hoping to win his fourth, but first as a trainer with either Ours to Keep or his stakes winning filly Champ Elect.
Meanwhile, From Within emerged as one of the horses to beat in the rich juvenile feature when she scored an auspicious debut win at Canterbury in Sydney.
A member of the all conquering Chris Waller stable, From Within was sent out an odds on favourite after a pair of outstanding trial wins.
A $360,000 purchase for Blue Sky Thoroughbreds, From Within is raced by Mark Sowerby in partnership with Raffles Thoroughbred Racing.
Winning rider Glyn Schofield was impressed with the win and described her as a “superstar.”
Like Most Important, From Within is a graduate of Yarraman Park Stud.
Also at Canterbury the rising sprint talent Le Cordon Bleu emerged as a Magic Millions Sprint contender with an impressive win in the listed Canterbury Classic (1200m).
Prepared by Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes, Le Cordon Bleu produced a stunning finishing burst in the straight to win by three parts of a length from fellow Magic Millions graduate Wouldnt it Be Nice.
A $350,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase in 2012, Le Cordon Bleu is by Snitzel and from Ultimate Fever. The latest yearling from Ultimate Fever, a full brother, is being prepared by Luskin Park for the 2017 Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
