| Records tumbled as O’ Ole and Bauhinia stakes claims for the two feature races at January’s The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Raceday with stirring wins at Wyong today. |
| O’ Ole broke the race record held by Magic Millions 2YO Classic and Golden Slipper winner Capitalist when she beat a quality field in the $200,000 Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic (RL, 1100m). At her third start the daughter of exciting freshman sire Ole Kirk broke through for a valuable win for trainer Bjorn Baker and jockey Jason Collett. After bursting to the lead shortly after entering the home straight the precocious youngster was then able to hold out the late challenge from a flying Memo and eye catching debuting stablemate Horseshoe Hill. “She took plenty of improvement out of her last start,” Baker’s Racing Manager Luke Hilton said. “She paraded well today.” “Drawing a (good) gate today made a big difference. Jason didn’t have to push or pull. He could just land where he wanted to.” “She’s a lovely filly and she deserves her place in the Millions. We’ve got her there now – we just have to hold her together.” “It will be a good week there (on the Gold Coast) in January,” Hilton added. O’ Ole ran an eye catching second on debut behind Bel Merci in the Group Three Gimcrack Stakes before an “out of sorts” fifth in the $1 million Golden Gift when beaten a tick over two lengths. “She handled things a lot better in the yard today,” winning rider Jason Collett noted. “She seems back on track.” “Five weeks between runs. Obviously with the little break she has done well in the stable environment. Looking forward I can’t see why she wouldn’t (be suited in The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic),” Collett added. O’ Ole was a $325,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy in January for Baker in conjunction with Clarke Bloodstock from the draft of Victoria’s Gilgai Farm. The promising filly is a half sister to two winners and is from a twice winning half sister to Magic Night Stakes winner Altar. Her dam is a daughter of the outstanding mare Hosannah. Meanwhile, Bauhinia emerged as a contender for next month’s $3 million Gold Coast Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (RL) after a stunning win in the $150,000 Magic Millions Wyong 3YO & 4YO Stakes (1200m) earlier in the afternoon. Racing for the first time since a 1.4 length sixth in the Group Two Silver Shadow Stakes in late August, Bauhinia overcame a tardy start to notch a record breaking victory. The filly smashed the 1200 metre track record at Wyong in the process – a record previously set by subsequent Magic Millions 3YO Guineas winner Graceful Anna in 2009. Under Tommy Berry, the well backed daughter of Hellbent produced a stunning late burst to grab the favourite The Novelist in the concluding stages. Raced by a Magic Millions Racing Women group headed by Christine Cook, Bauhinia is trained by Lee and Cherie Curtis. The exciting prospect was a $300,000 buy for Mystery Downs from the Yarraman Park Stud draft at the 2023 Gold Coast Yearling Sale. “I thought we had no hope,” co-trainer Lee Curtis said. “I thought if we could run past a few and run third – but she picked them up so well and they’ve run a track record.” “I said to connections – she’s a little bit inexperienced – but she’s got x-factor. This is taking me back to when I had Private Steer at the start, she’s exceptional.” “I’m pretty lost for words,” Curtis added. Bauhinia is the first named foal for the WATC One Thousand Guineas (LR) winner Like a Butterfly – a quality performer who was runner-up in a WA Derby and WA Oaks. The Road to Magic Millions makes another important stop on Saturday with the running of the $250,000 Magic Millions VIC 2YO Classic (1100m) and $175,000 Magic Millions VIC 3YO & 4YO Classic (1200m) at Caulfield. Followed by the $250,000 Magic Millions The Debut 2YO Plate (1000m) programmed next week at the first night racemeeting conducted at the Gold Coast Turf Club on 20 December. |
