Winner: Hidden Wonder (Danzero-Princess Shorna)
Race: GRC Belle of the Turf Stakes LR (1600m)
Sold for: $50,000
Sale: 2006 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Bellerive Stud (As Agent)
Buyer: Prime Thoroughbreds
Earnings: $547,022
Owner(s): BJ Quick, Ms MJ Rynehart, KJ Murphy, JN Bolch, JE Goodrich, GM Walsh, GR Waler & JV O’Neill
Trainer: Kris Lees (Broadmeadow)

Hidden Wonder sent her broodmare value soaring when she steamed home to win today’s listed Belle of the Turf Stakes (1600m) at Gosford.

The six-year-old Danzero mare went into the race having earned almost half a million dollars, but hadn’t scored that elusive stakes victory.

But the Kris Lees trained mare turned that around when she rattled home down the outside of the track and defeat Devils Arcard by a widening head margin.

She was sent out as one of the leading fancies following her outstanding last start fourth in the Group One Epsom Handicap behind Captain Sonador 15 days ago.

“It was a good strong win,” a delighted Kris Lees said.

“We went into the race expecting there to be speed but they probably went quicker than we thought they really would,” he added.

“She was probably a little further out of her ground than she normally races, but Jay got onto his bike coming to the turn and it was a strong win in the finish.”

“She’s been with us nearly 12 months now and she’s certainly done a great job. It’s a great race to win – a listed race like this today.”

“It is hard to spell them when they’re in this good form,” Lees commented. “We may go to Melbourne for a race at the back end of the carnival.”

“We’ll just see how she comes through this run.”

Originally campaigned in Victoria with David Hayes, Hidden Wonder excelled when she was transferred to Broadmeadow under Lees.

At her first two runs for Lees she won at Kensington and Randwick before heading north to capture the $250,000 Magic Millions Stayers Cup in January.

Between then and today the consistent and classy mare had raced on 10 occasions and earned a cheque on eight occasions.

“She’s a really honest mare and she’s really going well,” winning rider Jay Ford said.

“She ran a super race the other day in the Epsom and she franked that today,” he added.

“She was good enough to get the outside and knuckle down in the straight and get there.”

“Her form is holding up very well,” Ford summed up.

Hidden Wonder, a graduate of Bellerive Stud, was purchased for $50,000 at the 2006 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Joe O’Neill of Prime Thoroughbreds.

The Danzero mare has won nine races all up and is one of the most versatile in the country. She has won first and second up and later in her campaigns – she has won on every track surface from good to heavy and she’s won at distances from 1111 to 1800 metres.

Her earnings have now raced to over $547,000 – a massive return on her $50,000 Gold Coast purchase price.

The mare is one of two stakes performers and five winners produced by the stakes performed Last Tycoon mare Princess Shorna.

As well as Hidden Wonder, Princess Shorna is the dam of the Group Three Star Kingdom Stakes runner-up Strong Choice.

Princess Shorna, who was second in a listed Byron Moore Stakes at Flemington, is a half sister to Caulfield Guineas winner Kenwood Melody and Randwick stakes winner Kalamarco.

Hers is the family further back of one of Australia’s greatest every gallopers, the mighty Tobin Bronze.