Talented mare Show Stealer made it three straight wins and rounded out her racetrack career in style when she won at Sandown on Sunday.

A daughter of Tobougg, Show Stealer is trained by Ricky Maund and is raced by well known Corinella couple Kevin and Tanith O’Brien.

Under their Lauriston Thoroughbred Farm banner, Kevin and Tanith purchased Show Stealer for $90,000 at the 2006 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

The seven-year-old mare is now in career best form following wins at Geelong and Mornington – the latter of which was at metropolitan level.

But the mare’s eighth win will be her last with connections announcing her immediate retirement.

“That is it,” Kevin O’Brien said. “She bows out of racing a winner – she is off to stud and she’s booked into Exceed and Excel.”

“She’s never raced better – but she is seven now and she’s done a great job.”

“The plan this preparation was to get her prizemoney over $100,000 for the catalogue page – she’s well and truly got there now – almost $140,000 now.”

The O’Brien’s have built up a strong band of broodmares including their Magic Millions Guineas winning star Gold Edition.

Show Stealer, a daughter of the top producing Bataan mare Gay Performance, was bred in Queensland by Prue Head – a woman with Magic Millions running through her veins.

Prue is a daughter of Magic Millions brainchild Carl Waugh and she has continued the family tradition with a boutique breeding operation on her property at Kingsthorpe.

“I’ve seen Magic Millions grow from nothing,” Prue recalled. “To think it started from nothing and now it’s such a big event.”

“Dad was the brain and Mum the brawn. I remember painting the gutters on the toilet blocks – mum planting all of the trees around the place.”

“The first Magic Millions sale (in 1986) was held in a massive tent and it was a momentous occasion for the family – including my brother Roger who looked after the office when Dad went back to run the stud.”

The Waugh family bred for a number of years and were responsible for a number of classy gallopers and now it’s Prue who’s continuing that tradition.

“Gay Performance (the dam of Show Stealer) wass purchased by my late husband Marshall and she won a couple of races as a two-year-old without looking too special.”

“But Susie (as she is affectionately known) has really done the job as a broodmare.”

“Her second foal was Great Crusader who we raced and had a great deal of fun with.”

“He was favourite for the Golden Slipper, but had a terrible barrier – but it was such a thrill to be there and running in it,” she recalled.

Susie, aka Gay Performance, has been represented by eight winners – three of them black type performers – as well as Stolen Beauty, a sprint winner and dam of group winner Benny’s Buttons.

The Heads also raced Bold Reason, a son of Singspiel, who won nine races and earned over $360,000 and was placed in a Bribie Handicap.

Another progeny was Gay Performance – a three time winner and runner-up in the Sir Douglas Wadley Handicap.

“Show Stealer was a lovely yearling – in fact the mare usually throws a good type. She made $90,000 at the Magic Millions and it’s great to see she’s raced on with good success for her owners,” Head said.

Gay Performance, just turned 20, missed at stud last season and will be off to enhance her impressive breeding record.

“I haven’t decided just yet where she will go. I don’t have to rush a decision – this place is too cold for her to be having an August foal!”

Winner: Show Stealer
Breeding: Tobougg-Gay Performance (Bataan)
Race: MRC Le Pine Funerals Handicap (1200m)
Sold for: $90,000
Sale: 2006 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Head
Buyer: Lauriston Thoroughbred Farm
Earnings: $138,786
Owner(s): KE & Mrs T O’Brien
Trainer: Ricky Maund (Cranbourne)