Now unbeaten in two runs, both at black type level, Unite and Conquer is the $5 favourite with BetEasy for the two-year-old spectacle of the summer.
The strapping colt by Hinchinbrook burst from the barriers and established a decent lead during the early and middle stages before getting a slight breather approaching the turn.
As the rest of the field attempted to make ground the speedy youngster quickened in the straight under Adam Hyeronimus and the pair held a length and a quarter margin over Godolphin’s Exhilarates, while Spaceboy was another two lengths back third.
Unite and Conquer was purchased by Bluebloods Thoroughbreds in conjunction with co-trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott for $80,000 at January’s Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Musk Creek Farm draft.
“He’s going to be a very special colt for us,” a delighted Adrian Bott said. “He showed superior speed today.”
“He may have raced a bit fresh but he coming off the break and that’s the most pleasing thing, there’s improvement to come.”
“Late in the race he was a little bit green. He just wanted to wander a little but he was dominant today and there’s a lot of upside.”
“Gai was just commenting that he’s showing all the same qualities that all those special colts had shown before – the Vancouvers, the Pierros, the Sebrings – he’s got a fantastic attitude.”
Unite and Conquer is the first named foal for the Melbourne winning Magnus mare Maglissa, herself a daughter of Magic Millions’ Flight Stakes winner Danglissa.
The win was a timely boost for the So You Think half brother to Unite and Conquer who will go under the hammer at next month’s 2019 Gold Coast Yearling Sale as part of the Valiant Stud draft.
Meanwhile, classy mare Problem Solver will chase a second win at the $10 million Gold Coast raceday on January 12 following a strong win in today’s Magic Millions 3YO & 4YO Stakes (1200m).
The four-year-old came with a storming finish in the straight to beat Bondi and hot favourite Invincible Star, giving Hinchinbrook the first leg of a Magic Millions Wyong feature double.
Raced by David Raphael’s Stallion Racing Australia, Problem Solver shot to prominence earlier this year when she won the $250,000 Magic Millions Maiden Plate on the Gold Coast.
The classy mare will return to the Gold Coast with options including a couple of million dollar races – one at open class and the other for fillies and mares.
Problem Solver was a $160,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy in 2016 for trainer Gerald Ryan from the draft of Yarraman Park Stud.
The former Yarraman Park Stud based Hinchinbrook has 26 yearlings catalogued for the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
