Another year, another win in a Magic Millions raceday feature for King Of Sparta, who on Thursday took out the It’s Live! In Queensland Magic Millions Snippets (1200m). |
The victory came 12 months after the son of I Am Invincible claimed the $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (RL). King Of Sparta was heavily backed from $6.50 into $4 that day and again provided a popular win this year, with the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained gelding scoring a 1-1/2-length win as $1.90 favourite in the $1 million event. “He’s just got to win one of these races every year and he keeps ticking all the boxes for us,” Snowden said. “He loves coming up here and being away and he loves the sunshine. God bless him.” King Of Sparta took his career earnings to a tick over $2.2 million after earning connections $580,000 at what was his sixth win from 22 starts. He is also a two-time Black Type winner, having won last year’s Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield and the Listed Falvelon Stakes (1200m) the start before his Snippets success. King Of Sparta has now more than three times the $700,000 that China Horse Club, Newgate Farm and Starlight Racing paid for him at the 2020 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Yarraman Park. A son of Yarraman’s Australian Champion Stallion, King Of Sparta is from the Holy Roman Emperor mare Octavia, who was a winner of the Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m). James McDonald brought up a winning treble, following earlier wins aboard Alpine Edge and Brookspire, guided King Of Sparta to victory over Shooting For Gold ($8.50) with Vowmaster ($21) a half-length back third. “It worked out really well, the pace was nice and he travelled. He was the best horse in the race,” McDonald said. |