| Ciaron Maher and David Eustace put a frustrating run of Magic Millions Raceday near-misses behind them to win Saturday’s $1 million Jewel Magic Millions Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast with improving mare Semana. |
| The powerful stable saddled up third-placed Spywire and fourth-placed Erno’s Cube in the $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic, and also went close with Zenzella in the Magic Millions Subzero and Froebel Star in the Magic Millions Debut Fillies earlier in the day. But it was Semana, a daughter of Winning Rupert, that had them smiling thanks to a dominant two length win over Meridius and Revolutionary Miss. Sold for $200,000 out of the Newgate Farm draft at the 2021 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Semana was purchased by James Bester Bloodstock and Vantage Thoroughbreds. Maher said he was impressed with the mare’s effort to race wide and keep finding the line. “She’s been a real revelation, this mare since she’s come back into the yard,” Maher said. “The owners have always had a lot of faith in her. “That was a pretty big win. She had no cover all the way. She looked like she worked most of the way and was very strong to the line. “It is a long week but we were professional placegetters today. I needed a winner but it has been fantastic.” It was also day to remember for jockey Dylan Gibbons, who had never ridden at the Gold Coast before Saturday. “This was my first time to the Gold Coast so I think I might try and come back every year,” Gibbons said. “She jumped. The other day they rode her cold and that probably shows how to ride her. “Today, albeit I was three-wide with no cover, she was smoking where she was and when I presented I thought it wasn’t pretty and we were getting there a bit soon, but she is absolutely flying.” Maher has been very active across the first four days of the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale with more than 30 purchases, including Lot 392, Segenhoe Stud’s Too Darn Hot colt that he bought for $1.9 million on Wednesday. |
