Gold Coast. R.Listed Pacific Fair Magic Millions Cup, 1400m, $1,000,000
Race summary:
Vega One (Lope de Vega {Ire}) has delivered a big payday to his owners with a dominant performance in the Magic Millions Cup at Gold Coast.
The 4-year-old Tony Gollan-trained gelding started a short-priced favourite and delivered the goods, with a perfectly timed run for visiting jockey Michael Rodd, defeating last-year's winner Redouble (Redoute's Choice), who was a little unlucky when finding his way from the back of the field. Sambro (Fastnet Rock), who was runner-up last year, collected another valuable placing in third.
Vega One has now won five of his 17 starts, and his prizemoney now leaps to $956,400 with his second stakes win.
He was a $70,000 buy from 2017 Adelaide Magic Millions Sale.
Pedigree notes:
Vega One was bred by Emirates Park and is one of two stakes-winners from One Funny Honey (Distorted Humur {USA)), the other one being One More Honey (Onemorenomore). She has also produced the winner Malibu Honey (USA) (Malibu Moon {USA}), while her Snitzel yearling colt fetched $800,000 earlier this week to Dermot Farrington, Aquis and Brae Sokolski.
The second dam is the Group 3 winner and Group 1 placed Lan Kwai Fong (Bluebird {USA}), who produced five winners, Further back in the pedigree are international stakes-winners Up An Eighth (USA) (Ferdinand {USA}) and Color Blind (USA) (Giacomo {USA}).
Gold Coast, R.Listed Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic, 1200m, $2,000,000
Race summary:
Away Game has become the second filly by triple Australian champion sire Snitzel to win the Magic Millions 2YO Classic in as many years, producing a stunning upset in the juvenile feature on the Gold Coast.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained filly was a last-start winner of the Listed Calaway Gal S. but started at odds of $41 on Saturday. At just her third start, she showed her true quality thanks to a gem of a ride from Luke Currie, who having got her into the race, produced her at the perfect time to win by 1.8l
Stellar Pauline (Not A Single Doubt) was one of the hard luck stories in the race, tracking wide throughout but finishing well to claim second, while Conceited (Brazen Beau) would claim third, having closed from back in the field.
Away Game was picked out for $425,000 by then Maher and Eustace employee Hannah Mathiesen at the 2019 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
Her victory follows the win of fellow Snitzel filly Exhilarates in this race last year.
Pedigree notes:
The Snitzel filly was bred by Mill Park Stud and is out of stakes placed Elusive Wonder (Elusive Quality {USA}) and she is the second stakes winner in the family, joining her full sister Modern Wonder. Elusive Wonder is a half-sister to Listed winner Tantra (Royal Academy {USA}) and closely related to another stakes winner in Oak Park (More Than Ready {USA}).
Further back, the third dam Freedom Fields (Bluebird (USA) was a G3 Blue Diamond Prelude winner, and she also features as the second dam of Group 1 winner Inference (So You Think {NZ}).
Elusive Wonder's yearling filly by Not A Single Doubt was sold for $580,000 to Aquis at this week's Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, while the mare also has a filly foal by Merchant Navy who she is back in foal to.
Gold Coast, R. Listed Gold Coast Magic Millions 3YO Guineas, 1400m, $2,000,000
Race summary:
Alligator Blood's (All Too Hard) reputation continues to build with the brilliant 3-year-old making it eight wins from nine starts, with an effortless victory in the $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas on the Gold Coast.
Jockey Ryan Maloney sat Alligator Blood about five lengths off the strong pace set by Diamond Thunder (Dawn Approach {Ire}), who was pushed across from the outside barrier to lead them, before jockey Josh Parr tried to slow the pace as they rounded the turn.
That simply allowed Maloney to quickly get into the contest with the short-priced favourite and he looked the winner at the 300 metre mark when he ranged up to the front runners.
Eleven Eleven (Fastnet Rock) made his run with Alligator Blood, but could not match him and would settle for second 2l behind the winner, while Exhilarates (Snitzel) worked home well from rearward to claim third, another 1.3l adrift.
With the biggest payday of his short but spectacular career, Alligator Blood took his total career prizemoney to over $2 million and trainer David Vandyke is now set to head south to Melbourne to contest the G1 Australian Guineas.
Pedigree notes:
Bred by Gerry Harvey’s Baramul Stud, Alligator Blood was a $55,000 purchase at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
His dam is the unraced Encosta De Lago mare Lake Superior, a half-sister to the Listed winner Cantonese (Redoute’s Choice) and stakes placegetters Chateau Margaux (Redoute’s Choice) and Monteux (Medaglia d’Oro {USA}). Lake Superior is the dam of two winners from three foals to race and Alligator Blood was her final foal.
The second dam is Kylikwong (Red Ransom {USA}), who placed in the G1 VRC Oaks, Australasian Oaks and VRC Sires’ Produce S. She is a full-sister to the six-time Group 1 winner and Australian Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy (Red Ransom {USA}), as well as the multiple stakes winner Red Element (Red Ransom {USA}).
The third dam, Tracy’s Element (Last Tycoon {Ire}), was champion 2-year-old filly and champion older classic mare in South Africa in the early 1990s. She won 11 races including the G1 Smirnoff Bloodline Sprint, Computaform Sprint, South African Fillies’ Sprint S. and Star Sprint.
Flemington Listed Chester Manifold S. 1400m, $140,000
Race summary:
Consistent 7-year-old Amadeus (Amadeus Wolf {GB}) has been rewarded with a stakes victory, with the Michael Kent trained entire winning the Chester Manifold S. at Flemington.
In what was his first win in 13 months, Amadeus was ridden just off the pace by Jye McNeil and with a superior turn of foot put the race away at the 200 metre mark, eventually winning by 1l, Guizot (Ire) (Tertullian {USA}) pushed through along the inside to claim second, just ahead of the early leader Call It A Day (Domesday), who looked a chance to hold on until McNeil and his mount swept past them.
It was a fifth win for Amadeus in his 31 start career, but first at stakes level, and takes his total prizemoney to just shy of $600,000. He had previously been placed in a Listed Bendigo Guineas.
Pedigree notes:
Amadeus is the only winner from the mare Jaywalk (Dangerous), who was a one-time winner herself and one of three winners from Imprevu (Rancho Ruler). The fourth dam, Impulsive (Landau {Ire}) is half-sister to Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane Cup winner Reckless (Better Boy) and Herbert Power S. winner Impeller (Hametus).
That family have all been bred by Joan Walker and her family, including Amadeus.
The dam, Jaywalk, has a yearling filly by Reward For Effort and a 3-year-old by the same sure called Reward. She visited Sun Stud's National Defense (GB) last year.
He becomes the seventh stakes winner for Amadeus Wolf.
Randwick, Listed January Cup, 2000m, $150,000
Race summary:
The John Sargent-trained Luvaluva (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) has put together back-to-back stakes wins, claiming the Listed January Cup at Randwick.
Ridden just off the pace by Koby Jennings, the 5-year-old mare was too strong over the final stages, defeating Taikomichi (Snitzel) by 0.8l, who edged Mr Garcia (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) in the battle for second.
Luvaluva had not won a race in over 19 months when a last-start victor in the G3 Summer Cup and she has now claimed her fifth stakes win and her sixth overall, taking her prizemoney north of $840,000.
Pedigree notes:
Luvaluva is a daughter of Wansesingyee (Galileo {Ire}), who was unraced and has also produced the G2 Stan Fox S. runner-up Brandenburg (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}).
She has a yearling filly by Fastnet Rock and visited that stallion again last season having missed to him the previous season.
The dam is out of a three-quarter sister to the two-time stakes winner Secret Flyer (Secret Savings {USA}) and a half-sister to the Listed McKell Cup winner Luvuleo (Galileo {Ire}).
Also on the pedigree page are the Group 3 winners Almazyoon (Danehill {USA}) and The Maze (El Moxie {USA}).
Trentham S
Race summary:
Camino Rocoso (NZ) (Shocking) tends to mix his form, but he was on his best behaviour here and strode to the front to open up a big lead.
He was well clear on the turn under rider Chris Johnson and the gelding stayed on strongly for the ninth win of his career.
Last start G1 Zabeel Classic runner up Fiscal Fantasy (Skilled) closed well for second with Masetto (Cape Blanco {Ire}) back in third.
Pedigree notes:
Camino Rocoso is a son of Our Centasea (Centaine) and is a half-brother to the two-time Group 1 winner Littorio (Bellotto {USA}).
The dam is a half-sister to Seascay (Maizcay), who was also a dual top-flight winner) and a sister to the G3 Avondale Classic S. winner Centainette.
Multiple winners and stakes performers Any Day Will Do (Any Given Saturday {USA}) and Babel (Lonhro) are also members of this family.
Levin Classic
Race summary:
A pre-race plan was executed to perfection with the filly Travelling Light (NZ) (El Roca) proving superior to the colts and geldings.
Rider Sam Collet was able to track the favourite Harlech (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) and got off his back at the right time and power to victory.
Harlech had surged clear 200 metres from home, but had no answer to the filly’s finishing burst and Riodini (NZ) (Proisir) ran home fairly from last for third.
Pedigree notes:
Travelling Light is a half-sister to the stakes performer The Great Southern (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}) with their dam Cissy Bowen (NZ) (Colombia {NZ}).
A five-time winner, Cissy Bowen is a sister to the Listed Macau Derby winner Tiger King (NZ) and from the family of the Listed Anniversary H. winner Sovereign’s Ace (NZ) (Sovereign Prince {GB}). There are no other black type performers within the first three generations.
Anniversary H.
Race summary:
The Danica Guy-trained Germanicus (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) completed a hat-trick of wins in fine style.
The 4-year-old drifted a long way back in the running, but wound up powerfully under jockey Michael dee to arrive in the nick of time.
Cutting up Rough (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) was a close second ahead of Scott Base (NZ) (Dalghar {Fr}) with Magnum (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) close up in fourth.
Pedigree notes:
Germanicus is the only winner produced so far by St Germaine (NZ) (Keeper), who was a smart mare and won four races including the G3 Gold Trail S. and finished runner-up in the G1 Levin Classic.
The dam is a sister to the multiple and stakes performer Sequential (NZ) and the feature names in the pedigree is the G1 QTC Sires’ Produce S. winner The Guida (All Glory), who was also successful in North America.
