Magic Millions graduates have made a dream start to the new racing season with a clean sweep of all six metropolitan juvenile races around the country.
Led by stakes winners Alpha Miss, Law and Risen From Doubt, two-year-old graduates of Australia’s leading thoroughbred auctioneers lit up the tracks across Australia.
The winning streak commenced when bargain buy Alpha Miss(Lucky Owners-Soiree Girl) led home a Magic Millions one-two in the listed Gimcrack Stakes at Randwick.
A $6,000 purchase for senior part owner Graham Daley at the 2012 National Weanling Sale from the Kilto Park Thoroughbreds draft, Alpha Miss finished a touch too strong for I Am Invincible filly Tetsuko.
Prepared by Gary Nickson and ridden by Jason Collett, Alpha Miss looked likely type for the Gimcrack when winning a recent trial in great style and smart time.
Nickson said he would let the dust settle on the win before deciding the immediate future for the bargain buy.
Alpha Miss is the fourth stakes winner for her sire, Danehill’s Hong Kong Mile winner Lucky Owners.
She is the fourth winner for her dam, the winning Rory’s Jester mare Soiree Girl – a full sister to the McDougall Stakes winner Rory’s Classic (dam of fellow McDougall winner All Classic) and half sister to four other stakes performers including Tasmanian Derby victor Party Boy.
Aside from Alpha Miss, Soiree Girl is the dam of the Hong Kong winner Fascinating Rhythm (Danzero) and Brisbane winner Flying Lamborghini (Bernardini).
Law (Denman-Lady Cat) led throughout to give Gai Waterhouse and Star Thoroughbreds a win in the time honoured listed Breeders’ Plate at Randwick around 30 minutes later.
A $90,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase from Queensland’s Fig Tree Thoroughbreds, Law showed great speed and then produced a strong kick in the straight to hold out Darley homebred Mohave.
Bold Circle, another Gold Coast graduate from the Fig Tree draft finished third at good odds for the David Payne stable in a strong performance.
Waterhouse said Law would be sent to the paddock and set for the 2014 Golden Slipper in an attempt to complete the double achieved by stablemate Pierro two years earlier.
Law is the first runner for his dam, the former Peru based Group Three winner Lady Cat, a daughter of Storm Cat’s sire son Sir Cat.
Lady Cat, who won five races up to 11 furlongs, is a daughter of Chile’s Champion 4YO+ mare of 1995, 15 time winner Arabian Lady.
Lady Cat’s latest yearling, a lovely brown filly by sire sensation Northern Meteor, will be catalogued by Fig Tree Thoroughbreds for the 2014 Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The win of Law completed a quick fire first crop metropolitan double for Darley’s exciting sire Denman following the thrilling victory of Grapevine in Brisbane just minutes earlier.
Risen From Doubt (Not a Single Doubt-Coconut Mamma) will be spelled for the Blue Diamond Stakes after his brilliant debut win in Saturday’s listed Maribyrnong Trial at Flemington.
Prepared by top horseman Tony McEvoy, Risen From Doubt sat behind the leaders for much of the race before being asked to quicken by rider Nicholas Hall and from there the youngster let his class shine through.
The colt burst through runners to hit the front and then cruise to the line well clear of his rivals in a dominant performance.
A son of former star Magic Millions graduate Not a Single Doubt, Risen From Doubt was well educated for his debut after impressive trial wins at Gawler and Morphettville last month, on the second occasion Hall flew across from Melbourne to ride him.
Risen From Doubt was a $140,000 purchase for McEvoy-Mitchell Racing from the Tyreel Stud draft at January’s Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He is the first winner for his dam, the unraced Fantastic Light mare Coconut Mamma, a daughter of the stakes performed Melbourne winner Joie.
Joie in turn is a daughter of Queensland Oaks winner Joie Denise, making her a half sister to super stars Tuesday Joy and Sunday Joy – the latter being the dam of More Joyous.
Risen From Doubt’s fourth dam is none other than Denise’s Joy, the 13 time winner and former champion three-year-old filly who won four Group Ones including the VRC and Queensland Oaks and WA Australian Derby during her classic season.
It is therefore the same family as other Group One winners including Joie De Grise, Arlington Road, Euphoria, Bentley Biscuit ad Miss Danehill.
Grapevine (Denman-Lasoron) launched her claims for the $2 million Jeep Magic Millions 2YO Classic with a gutsy debut win in the Two-Year-Old Fillies Plate at Doomben on Saturday.
Prepared at the Gold Coast by Bryan Guy, Grapevine was sent out the favourite after an impressive two length trial win at Doomben on September 19.
After showing speed throughout, Grapevine had to call on all her reserves when challenged over the concluding stages by fellow Gold Coast graduate Totally Sure (Not a Single Doubt). At the post a mere nose separated the pair.
The first winner for her former outstanding sire Denman, Grapevine was purchased by Guy for $42,500 at March’s Gold Coast based QTIS Yearling Sale from the draft of Glenlogan Park.
Denman made it a quick fire double a short time later when the aforementioned Law won the Breeders’ Plate in Sydney for Gai Waterhouse and Star Thoroughbreds.
Grapevine is the first named foal for the Group Three Doomben Roses winner Lasoron (Oarsman), a two time winner at two who trained on to win five more at distances to 2000 metres.
Lasoron is a half sister to three winners including the five time winner and stakes placed sprinter Fair Decree.
The latest yearling from Lasoron, a chestnut filly by Real Surreal’s sire Real Saga, looks set to go under the hammer at the Gold Coast March Yearling Sale.
Glenlogan Park celebrated selling both juvenile winners at Doomben on Saturday when exciting colt Vienna Royale (Falvelon-Plachutta) steamed away to win the boys division of the season opening two-year-old races.
Sent out the odds on favourite after a stunning seven and a half length trial win at Doomben on September 19, Vienna Royale took the first step on what his large group of connections are hoping is a Magic Millions Classic win.
Trainer Tony Gollan, who watched the win from Flemington, said the colt had always shown plenty of ability and was impressed with his acceleration in the home straight after a brief challenge was issued by his opposition.
Clicked up by Michael Cahill, the son of Falvelon responded beautifully and he quickly dashed clear to establish the easiest of wins – the margin five and a half lengths.
Vienna Royale cost his connections just $25,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale.
Vienna Royale is the third winner, from three to race, for the three time winning Kbenjar mare Plachutta, a half sister to the stakes performed, nine time winner Birthday Bash.
Plachutta is from a Night Shift half sister to the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Brisbane Cup winner Chiamara and hails from the family of former crack sprinter Primacy, a four time Group One winner.
Duckworth (Gonski-Always Vain) made the perfect start to his racing career with a strong win in Saturday’s season opening two-year-old race in Adelaide at Morphettville.
Prepared at the track by former top jockey Jon O’Connor, Duckworth led home fellow Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale graduate Scarlet Arrow to win by a length.
With Todd Pannell in the saddle Duckworth broke from the barriers nicely and sat second for much of the race before striking the front with just over a furlong to run.
Despite the efforts of the outsider Scarlet Arrow to fight back, Duckworth was able to draw clear late and win nicely.
A graduate of Craig Curtis’ On Focus Lodge, Duckworth is by former classy Magic Millions stakes winner Gonski and from a daughter of another former top Adelaide Sale graduate Keltrice.
Always Vain, Duckworth’s dam, is a half sister to the one time Curtis trained Always Flying, a winner in Adelaide sold to Hong Kong where he won the Group Three Sha Tin Vase.
Duckworth’s sire Gonski, a son of Danehill, won the Poseidon Stakes at Flemington before retiring to stud where he’s sired 62 winners to date including stakes performers Gone Skiing and Gonski Girl.
PICS – Sportpix (Sydney), Greg Irvine (Melbourne) & Dan Costello (Brisbane).
