Led by another stunning performance from the country’s most exciting three-year-old, Magic Millions graduates have had a field day on a massive day’s racing at Doomben.
Graduates of Australia’s leading source of racetrack stars won all eight races at the Brisbane today track including six run at stakes level.
Winning Rupert left racegoers again scrambling for superlatives when he smashed his rivals in a five and a half length win in the listed Golden Edition Plate (1200m).
Sent out the $1.10 favourite after a record breaking five and three quarter length win at his most recent start, Winning Rupert went close to making it two track records in two runs.
In today’s five and a half length demolition, Winning Rupert stopped the clock in a sizzling 1 minute 7.97 seconds – less than a tenth of a second outside the record held by former champion sprinter Takeover Target.
And in what is a serious worry to connections of future rivals for the unbeaten colt, connections feel there is more improvement for Winning Rupert.
The son of Written Tycoon “wobbled” around a little today, particularly in the home straight according to jockey Jeff Lloyd.
Winning Rupert will win his connections a $500,000 Summer Crown bonus if he can win either his next two starts – the Group Three Vo Rogue Plate (1300m) on New Year’s Eve of the $2 million Gold Coast Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m).
The colt, who already has major thoroughbred investors circling with a bright future ahead on the track and at stud, is unbeaten in four runs and is shaping as one of the best value buys of 2015.
Presented by Eliza Park International at last year’s Gold Coast March Yearling Sale the good looking chestnut caught the eye of Magic Millions’ Bloodstock Manager Barry Bowditch and he suggested to trainer Bjorn Baker he was a must.
Bowditch did the bidding on the colt and secured the youngster with a $67,500 bid. It would be sometime later Baker would see him for the first time.
With already $360,000 in the bank, the Winning Rupert haul has the potential of hitting about $2 million in the next few weeks.
Winning Rupert’s emergence as a new sprint star in the making has given his pedigree the best possible boost. His dam Winaura was a talented mare, winning five races and earning over $220,000.
Winaura, a daughter of Show a Heart, won four races on metro tracks, but hails from a family with no black type. In fact Winning Rupert is the only stakes horse on her pedigree page.
Former champion jockey Chris Munce will be out to win a fourth Magic Millions 2YO Classic on January 14 after he trained a juvenile stakes double to kick off today’s Doomben card.
Exciting colt Ours to Keep provided his sire Seidnazar with his first stakes winner when he finished too well for first start Snitzkraft to win the listed Phelan Ready Stakes by almost half a length.
Ours to Keep, who won on debut on October 1, currently ranks as one of the leading Queensland contenders for the $2 million Jeep Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m).
“He is built like Mike Tyson, but floats like Usain Bolt,” Munce said of Ours to Keep, a $28,000 purchase from Eliza Park International at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale.
Around 30 minutes later it was Ours to Keep’s stablemate Champ Elect who booked her place in the field for the rich juvenile feature with a win in the listed Calaway Gal Stakes.
A $95,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase from Adrenaline Thoroughbred from Attunga Stud, Champ Elect finished over the top of last week’s runaway Toowoomba winner Make My Own Luck.
Earlier sold by Tyreel Stud for $52,500 at last year’s National Weanling Sale, Champ Elect is a daughter of Choisir and is from a Sydney two-year-old winning daughter of Queensland Oaks winner Vouvray.
Star Brisbane based jockey Damian Browne was aboard both of Munce’s juvenile winners and it could be a tough job working out who to ride in the Classic. Ours to Keep did clock a quicker time in winning the colts and geldings race.
Value syndication outfit Grand Syndicates celebrated their first stakes winner when rising four-year-old middle distance performer Man of His Word won the listed Brisbane Handicap (1600m).
A son of Lope de Vega, Man of His Word showed a blistering turn of foot over the concluding stages to reel in the leaders and race clear for a comprehensive success.
The Bruce Hill prepared four-year-old sent his earnings past $255,000 when he and Jeff Lloyd cruised home. He’s turned out an incredible money spinner considering the Grand team paid just $10,000 for him from the Patinack Farm draft at the 2014 National Yearling Sale.
Hill said Man of His Word would most likely race next in the Bernborough Handicap before having a break and then returning for the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
Most Important made it back to back wins and moved to within striking distance for a $500,000 bonus when he won the listed Lough Neagh Stakes (1350m) later in the day.
Prepared by Tony Gollan for owner Linda Huddy, Most Important has now won two legs of the open Summer Crown series and success in the Buffering Handicap on December 31 at Eagle Farm or either the Magic Millions Cup (1200m) or Magic Millions Sprint (1200m) on January 14 will clinch the half million bonus.
A son of I Am Invincible, Most Important was purchased by Huddy from the Yarraman Park Stud draft at the 2014 Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $260,000.
The rising talent has already earned $483,000 from just 23 starts with some big paydays a possible at his next two runs.
Meanwhile, Straturbo’s love affair with Queensland continued in Doomben’s final race when the smart sprinter won the listed Bribie Handicap (1050m) in great fashion.
With Anthony Allen in the saddle, Straturbo proved too strong and capped a big day for trainer Gary Portelli after he saddled a feature winner earlier in the day at Randwick.
Straturbo, a $45,000 National Yearling from Widden Stud in 2011, has earned over $490,000 and will most likely head to the $1 million Magic Millions Sprint (1200m) on January 14.
A son of Stratum, Straturbo carries the colours of Elite Thoroughbreds after being purchased as a yearling by Elite’s Adrian Allan.
January’s Magic Millions Raceday is also the likely target of today’s impressive Flemington winners Hijack Hussy, Miss Wonderland and Boom Time.
PIC – Ross Stevenson.