Winx’s amazing win in the Group One Turnbull Stakes was the day’s highlight at Flemington with the crowd of over 22,000 exploding into cheers when their darling of the turf stormed home a mighty winner.
The daughter of Street Cry is a hot favourite to win her fourth consecutive WS Cox Plate and extend a record winning streak and prizemoney haul.
Bred by Fairway Thoroughbreds and sold on their behalf by Coolmore Stud at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Winx was certainly turned out a $230,000 bargain.
Her prizemoney is almost $20 million and she continues to rewrite the record books each times she steps onto the track to race.
While Winx was the clear star performer of the day, the efforts of Unite and Conquer, Eckstein, Amphitrite and Invincibella to win feature races were also outstanding.
Hinchinbrook juvenile Unite and Conquer made the best possible start to his racing career when he led home a Magic Millions trifecta result in the listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m).
An $80,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy for Blueblood Thoroughbreds from Musk Creek Farm, Unite and Conquer showed speed throughout and easily held out Sun City (Zoustar) and Grand Scholar (Wandjina).
The Maribyrnong Trial Stakes was the first two-year-old race held in Victoria this season and it was the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained youngster who proved too strong.
Waterhouse said the Maribyrnong Plate next month would likely be the next target for Unite and Conquer before a likely trip to Queensland in January for the $2 million The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m).
The stakes winning run for progeny of leading Yarraman Park Stud sire I Am Invincible continued when quality mare Eckstein stormed to victory in the listed Paris Lane Stakes (1400m).
The Kurt Goldman prepared five-year-old finished full of running and staked her claims for the Group One Myer Classic with a brilliant victory.
A multiple stakes winner in Brisbane and a placegetter in the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas, Eckstein was a $165,000 buy from the Vinery Stud draft at the 2015 Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
With six wins and four placings, including a runner-up finish in last year’s Myer Classic, Eckstein has won her connections over $940,000.
Exciting filly Amphitrite could back up in this week’s Group One Thousand Guineas after she continued her rapid rise with a strong win in the Group Two Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) later in the afternoon at Flemington.
The untapped daughter of Sebring was a $50,000 Adelaide Yearling Sale buy for Flying Start Syndications and Darren Weir Racing from Goldin Farms.
It was a dream result for Cameron Bennett of Flying Start Syndications who with representatives of the Weir stable found Amphitrite in Adelaide and syndicated her to an ownership group stretching across the country.
She led home a stable trifecta when finishing a length and three quarters ahead of Gold Coast 2YOs in Training Sale purchase Krone – who is a confirmed runner for the Thousand Guineas.
Amphitrite is one of three winners for the Melbourne winning Redoute’s Choice mare Ocean Dream, a half sister to Toorak Handicap winner Marble Halls.
The massive day of success for Magic Millions graduates was completed at Flemington when star mare Invincibella won the Group Two Blazer Stakes in brilliant style.
As usual the daughter of I Am Invincible was off the pace thought must of the race before coming with a stunning burst to reel in the leaders and race clear to beat Savatiano by a widening two and a half length margin.
A half sister to the group performed juvenile Secret Blaze, Invincibella carries the famous purple and white colours of Star Thoroughbreds, having been purchased by Denise Martin and her team for $185,000 at the 2016 Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Sledmere Stud.
Now a Group Two winner in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, Invincibella has earned her lucky connections $1,389,678 during her 30 start career to date.
Outside of Flemington another pair of two-year-olds impressed with metropolitan wins. Courseshewill (Unencumbered-Corsaire, $170,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy from Three Bridges Thoroughbreds for Birchley Racing) made it two wins from two starts at Doomben while Sebrakate (Sebring-Kakakakatie, $150,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy for Lindsay Park Racing from Baramul Stud) was a strong winner.
