Winner: Mr Chard (Al Samer-Najar)
Race: MRC Gothic Stakes LR (1400m)
Sold for: $18,000
Sale: 2009 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Bowness Stud
Buyer: Dean Lawson
Earnings: $182,592
Owner(s): Mrs SL Lawson, WA & Mrs BA Harrison & S & Mrs HG Cameron
Trainer: Dean Lawson (Flemington)

Quality three-year-old Mr Chard made history for his sire Al Samer when he cruised home to win the listed Gothic Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield today.

The colt broke through stylishly at stakes level to be the first stakes winner for Al Samer.

And if connections have their way he will be his first group winner too – with a run in the Carbine Club Stakes at Derby Day next on the cards.

An $18,000 bargain buy for Dean Lawson at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Mr Chard was sent out one of the leading chances today after a narrow stakes race second placing last time out at Flemington.

“He’s been thereabouts and at Caulfield two runs ago, he had absolutely no luck at all,” Lawson said.

“Every other start this time in he’s been fantastic.”

“You could see up the side, Craig (Williams) just had to keep a hold of his head, because he kept slipping and sliding, and he couldn’t let his head go all the way up the straight.”

“We bought the mother’s half brother Cool Trent as a yearling and that’s what attracted us to him at the sales and we picked up his sister up the year later.”

“We’ll go to the Carbine Club (Stakes at Flemington) in two weeks and then he’ll probably have a break and come back for the autumn.”

“I’m sure he’ll be better in the autumn.”

Mr Chard is eligible for the $1 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast in January but at this stage he would most likely not be heading to the race.

“The owners have got Top Drop with Gerald Ryan and they are looking at the race with him,” Lawson said.

“And that enables him to run at Flemington and then have a good break.”

Lawson said there was the option to target the rich Magic Millions Cup a year later.

The stable had double reason to celebrate the win – earlier this year they paid just $9,000 for Mr Chard’s full sister at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.

“We couldn’t be happier,” Lawson beamed.

Al Samer won a quality two-year-old who won the Group Three Black Opal Stakes at Canberra. He trained at three to win the listed Darby Munro Stakes.

Mr Chard’s dam, the unraced Secret Savings mare Najar, is a half sister to Lawson’s former stakes winning and Magic Millions 2YO Classic placegetter Cool Trent – a winner of over $474,000.

His second dam Canny Queen is a half sister to Jesmond Lass – the dam of Group One winning siblings Canny Lad and Canny Lass.

It is also the family of quality group winners Camaera, Rothesay and Rich Dreams and this season’s stakes winning juvenile Sepoy.