My Country, Hopfgarten, Cradle Me, Tsaritsa, Spill the Beans and Benzini led from the front – all notching black type successes on Queensland’s second richest raceday.
Exciting youngster My Country kicked away the big day in style when she led home a Magic Millions quinella in the listed Lancaster Stakes (1200m).
The daughter of Poet’s Voice finished too well for Invincibella to notch her third win in just four starts.
My Country was a $140,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase for Astute Bloodstock from the Millbrook draft and her win today was an important breakthrough at black type level.
The Peter and Paul Snowden trained youngster is the first Australian stakes winner for Poet’s Voice and his fourth overall with three in the Northern Hemisphere already.
My Country was bred in Queensland by Tony and Ruth Thomas – the same breeders of the ill fated multiple Group One winner Boban.
There was a win for the locals in the second event of the day, when Hopfgarten raced to victory in the listed Wayne Wilson Mile (1600m).
Given a lovely ride from Damian Browne, Hopfgarten was able to sprint clear in the straight and then hold out his rivals for a strong win.
A $26,000 purchase from Enterprise Stud at the 2012 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, Hopfgarten is trained by Robert Heathcote and sent his earnings soaring toward the magical $600,000 mark with an 11th career win.
Hopfgarten is by Mossman and from the unraced O’Reilly mare Black Tourmaline. O’Reilly later in the day was the damsire of the Queensland Oaks winner Provocative.
Cradle Me gave her new connections plenty to celebrate when she raced home brilliantly along the fence to win the Group Two Dane Ripper Stakes (1400m).
The daughter of Easy Rocking, a second placegetter last time out in the Glenlogan Park Stakes, was sold last Wednesday at the Gold Coast – the third time she’d been sold through the famous Magic Millions sale ring.
Originally a $3,000 Gold Coast Yearling from Wattle Brae Stud, she was then sold for $28,000 by Pointon and Howard Racing at the Gold Coast 2YOs in Training Sale.
After a successful racing career for her former connections she was then offered at the recent National Broodmare Sale through the draft of Widden Stud where she was purchased by Aquis Farm for $300,000.
Today’s first price cheque of $128,000 and a first win at Group Two level provided a quick fire return for the Aquis team.
Aquis Farm had further reason to celebrate when Spill the Beans scored a thrilling win in the Group Two QTC Cup (1300m).
Carrying the colours of his breeder Arrowfield Stud, Spill the Beans added another feature win to his impressive record, boosting his stud potential.
The three-year-old son of Snitzel has now won three of his past six runs at group level and it was a welcome win for Aquis Farm who recently secured the colt for stud duties.
In a deal brokered by Magic Millions’ David Chester, Spill the Beans will head to stand at Aquis’ new stud base at Canungra.
Benzini, the sole Magic Millions graduate in the field, led home his rivals to win the Group Two Brisbane Cup (2400m) in grand style.
A son of Tale of the Cat, Benzini was knocked down to New Zealand bloodstock agent Paul Beamish for $25,000 from the Emirates Park draft at the 2011 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale.
Prepared by Adrian and Harry Bull and raced by Adrian, Benzini was ridden to success by Rosie Myers and in winning send his earnings to over $460,000.
Benzini put the writing on the wall at his previous run, when a closing third in the Premier’s Cup over 2200 metres. The six-year-old gelding relished the step to a mile and a half for a hard fought win today.
Untapped three-year-old Tsaritsa looked one of the day’s most progressive gallopers when she rattled home to win the Group Two Queensland Guineas (1600m).
The Chris Waller trained daughter of Dane Shadow came from back in the field and between runners to fly home and beat a quality field.
The win was the third in succession for Tsaritsa after victories at Canterbury and Rosehill and her overall record reads out at four wins and two seconds from just seven starts.
Tsaritsa was purchased by trainer Chris Waller for $165,000 at the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Edinglassie Stud.
She is one of two stakes winners, from three to race, for the three time winning Xaar mare Xaar’s Jewel.
The other group winner produced by the Xaar’s Jewel is the Villiers Stakes winner and $800,000 plus earner Ninth Legion.
