Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
There was plenty of trial action across Australia on Monday. Three heats for the juveniles, held on the Gold Coast in Queensland, offered the winners ballot preference for the inaugural running of the $500,000 Magic Millions The Debut, to be held on January 13.
The Debut has been split into two races, one for fillies and the other for the colts and geldings.
Plenty of promising 2-year-olds stepped out across four heats in Sydney at Rosehill. Among them was a half-brother to Godolphin's exciting galloper Aft Cabin (Astern), who was narrowly denied by a $600,000 son of Snitzel in Heat 9.
Gold Coast
Well-related filly comes from the clouds
Arguably, Kendrick’s Bank Book (Written Tycoon) was the most visually impressive winner on Monday morning. Heat 3 was the second-quickest 2-year-old trial on Monday but recorded the overall fastest final 600 metres at 33.75s for the juveniles.
The daughter of Written Tycoon, ridden by Jasper Franklin, settled third-last before being asked to make a move out wide. Taking a stride of two to find her feet, she then let rip down the straight, running out a 1.3l winner from Indubitably (Dubious) and Magic Madge (Invader), working solidly into third.
Bank Book as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Bank Book is a daughter of the Redoute’s Choice mare Banksia, a $120,000 purchase by Kendrick Racing and a graduate of Collingrove Stud’s 2023 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale draft.
Banksia is the dam of the G2 Alister Clark S. winner and the G1 Australian Guineas fourth Bank Maur (Maurice {Jpn}), alongside the Listed Oxlade S. winner Namesake, also a son of Maurice (Jpn).
In addition, Banksia is a half-sister to the brilliant racehorse and Group 1-producing sire Foxwedge and his Listed-winning sister She’s A Fox (Fastnet Rock). Banksia was not served in 2021; therefore, she has no progeny at next year’s sale, but she foaled a colt by Arrowfield Stud’s shuttler Admire Mars (Jpn) in August.
Finishing second was the Kurt Goldman-trained Indubitably, a filly by Dubious from the Listed-placed Lady Mary (Dane Shadow). She is from the family of the classy Payroll (Not A Single Doubt), a winner of the G3 Eclipse S.
Indubitably as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The Invader filly, Magic Madge, ran home best of the rest. The Lauren Abbot-trained filly is the fifth foal from the Murtajill mare Murtle Miss, a four-time winner and a half-sister to the G1 JJ Atkins and the G2 Danehill S. placegetter Looks Like The Cat (Husson {Arg}).
Murtle Miss will be represented by Lot 1282, a colt by Widden Stud’s Anders, to be offered by Riversdale at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Brutal colt Lead’s opener
Heat 1 on a sunny Monday morning at the Gold Coast saw a son of Newgate Farm’s first-season sire, Brutal (NZ), dominate a small field. The Chris Anderson-trained Lead Me On secured a 1.3l success that now gives him a ballot preference for the rich $500,000 Magic Millions The Debut (colts and geldings) to be run on Saturday, January 13.
Lead Me On, ridden by Michael Rodd, showed good speed to settle prominently before plenty of tenacity to hold a charging Heavenly Impact (Harry Angel {Ire}). With nothing else making ground in the 800-metre heat, the Zousain colt Chayse ‘N’ Leisa ran into third place.
Lead Me On as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The son of the G1 Doncaster H. hero Brutal is from the Snitzel mare The Seductress, who won twice as a juvenile and is from the family of G1 Sires’ Produce S. and the G2 Silver Shadow S. winner Aragen (Rory’s Jester). Lead Me On was purchased by Chris Anderson, Neil Werrett, Max Whitby and David Giesemann for $55,000 from the draft of Kitchwin Hills at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Lead Me On's success also gave an update to his half-brother, by Written By, who will be offered at Lot 15 through the Stonehouse Thoroughbreds draft at the 2024 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Despite finding Lead Me On a touch too speedy on this occasion, the Harry Angel (Ire) colt Heavenly Impact did enough to suggest he’s one to follow. Trained by Marcus Wilson, the colt is from the unraced Northern Meteor mare Striking Meteor. Her half-sister Ammirata (Nadeem) won six races including the G3 Belle of the Turf S. at Gosford.
Heavenly Impact as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Fernrigg Farm purchased Heavenly Impact for $26,000 at the 2022 Inglis Sydney Weanling and re-sold him at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to Wilson Racing for $30,000.
Zousain’s son, Chayse ‘N’ Leisa, finished third. The Les Kelly-trained colt is from the good producer Verkko (Flying Spur), the dam of the prolific winner Master Jamie (Poet’s Voice {GB}) and Karisto (Written Tycoon), a winner of six races who has run fourth in Group 2 and Group 3 contests. Furthermore, Chayse ‘N’ Lesia is from the family of the G1 VRC Oaks winner Personal (Fastnet Rock).
Chayse ‘N’ Leisa as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The colt was a $100,000 purchase by Les Kelly from the draft of Fernrigg Farm at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Chayse ‘N’ Lesia’s dam Verkko missed to Zousain last season before being served by Better Than Ready and foaling a filly in September.
Running fourth was the Lauren Abbott-trained Slim Chance, a son of Kitchwin Hills' first-season sire Dubious.
Boom boys to the fore
Eureka Stud’s Spirit Of Boom has long been a renowned source of precocity and toughness. These traits were displayed once again on Monday morning when the son of Sequalo’s progeny was to the fore in Heat 2 on the Gold Coast.
The Stuart Kendrick-trained King Spirit was a tad wayward in the straight but was able enough to get the upper hand on his parental brother to Click Click Boom. At the same time, Airswing (Trapeze Artist) held his ground in third. The heat was rounded out by another son of Spirit Of Boom, Spirit Fox.
King Spirit as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
King Spirit from the talented Zeditave mare Kakakakatie, a dual Listed winner and Group 3 placegetter. She is the dam of Sebrakate (Sebring), who, like his dam, was placed in a Group 3. At the same time, Kakakakatie had the dual winner and the Listed Canterbury Belle S. placegetter Quattro Katie (Zoustar).
Kendrick Racing purchased the colt for $80,000 from the draft of Baramul Stud. Baramul Stud will offer Lot 1211, a colt by Vinery Stud’s Ole Kirk, at the upcoming 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Lot 1211 was foaled on October 13, and incredibly, Kakakakatie foaled a filly by Ole Kirk on the exact date this season.
Click Click Boom from the stable of Sharryn Livingstone, held fast against the rail to finish second. Kenmore Lodge withdrew him from the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The colt’s dam, the Oratorio (Ire) mare Quizzed (GB), won from 1400 to 2000 metres and hails from a vast international black type family that includes the classy Planteur (Ire) and Persian King (Ire).
Spirit Of Boom | Standing at Eureka Stud
Holding steady in third place was Airswing from the Matthew Dun stable. The son of Trapeze Artist is from the unraced Fastnet Rock mare Miss Cosmetic, who is a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Fiveandahalfstar (Hotel Grand) and a full sister to the Group 3-placed and the G1 The Thousand Guineas-fourth Wordplay.
Matthew Dunn and Neil Jenkinson spent $175,000 to secure Airswing from the Segenhoe Stud draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Miss Cosmetic will be represented by Lot 950, a filly by Kia Ora Stud’s Golden Slipper winner Farnan, offered by Lucas Bloodstock at the 2024 edition of the sale.
Rosehill
Half-brother to Aft Cabin catches eye as $600,000 Snitzel colt salutes
Heat 9 was the first 2-year-old trial on Monday morning at Rosehill. The 900-metre contest saw the Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes-trained Dark Arts (Snitzel) improve from a third-place finish at the venue to first on Monday.
Dark Arts, ridden by Jay Ford, settled just off the leader and eventual third-placed runner, Ekanite (Rubick). The son of Snitzel was able to outrun the Rubick colt and went away for a 0.67l success. However, the eye-catching run of Heat 9 was Tarpaulin (Harry Angel {Ire}), who came from an unlikely position to charge into third place.
Offered by Kitchwin Hills, Dark Arts was a $600,000 purchase by Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) and Bevan Smith Bloodstock at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. His dam, the Zabeel (NZ) mare Zasorceress (NZ), won twice and was placed in the G3 Adrian Knox S. and is from the family of the multiple Group 1 winner Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo {Ire}).
Zasorceress foaled a full brother to Dark Arts in November.
Godolphin’s well-named homebred Tarpaulin, a son of the second-season sire Harry Angel {Ire}), is the seventh foal from one of the operation’s most prolific producers, Shelters (Lonhro).
Dark Arts as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Tarpaulin is a half-brother to the talented Aft Cabin (Astern), a Group 1 placegetter and a victor of the G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint and the G3 Eskimo Prince S. and the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude.
Tarpaulin is also a half-brother to the G3 PJ Bell S. victress Multaja (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) and her full brother Vernaillo, a Listed winner and Group 2 placegetter. Shelters has a Brazen Beau yearling named Cavern and foaled a full brother to Aft Cabin in October.
King Of Roseau can’t be caught
It was a speedy display from the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained King Of Roseau (Capitalist) in Heat 10 over 900 metres on Monday. The juvenile, ridden by Tom Sherry, found the front and stayed there, winning by 1.9l.
However, there were still some nice runs in behind the son of Capitalist. Commanding Artist (Trapeze Artist) rattled home to finish well behind Zoubaby (Zoustar) at Rosehill on December 5 and once again caught the eye in running second on Monday.
Glorious Moments (Brutal {NZ}) finished third, and Imperialist (NZ) (Churchill {NZ}) was hard-held to the line in fourth.
King Of Roseau is a $95,000 purchase by Pulse Racing Thoroughbreds and Pinhook Bloodstock International (FBAA) from the draft of Ashleigh Thoroughbreds at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. His dam, the late Choisir mare Dominica, won twice and is a daughter of the G1 Coolmore Classic victress Danni Martine (Danzero).
King of Roseau as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The second-placed Commanding Artist, a son of Trapeze Artist, a homebred for the Vieira Group, is from Love Commands (Commands), who has produced the classy G3 Nivision S. winner Sky Command (Deep Field).
Love Commands foaled a full brother to Commanding Artist in September.
Brutal’s (NZ) third-placed runner Glorious Moments, from the Jim and Greg Lee stable, cost Shinkansen Bloodstock $85,000 from the draft of Kirks Bridge Farm at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Glorious Moments is a half-brother to the outstanding Stretan Angel (Harry Angel {Ire}), a victress of the G2 Danehill S. and the Listed Dequetteville S.
Glorious Moments as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Rounding out the eye-catching runs was the well-named Imperialist (NZ), a son of Churchill (Ire). Tommy Berry barely touched the Chris Waller-trained galloper, and it is arguable that if asked for more effort, he would have finished more prominently.
He was a NZ$170,000 purchase by Chris Waller Racing and Mulcaster Bloodstock from the draft at Curraghmore at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale. Imperialist’s dam, the Fastnet Rock mare, Dancing Hare, was served by Satono Aladdin (NZ).
Daughter of Justify strikes
The Annabel Neasham-trained Lilac, a daughter of Justify (USA), was impressive in winning Heat 11 on Monday morning at Rosehill in a sizzling 53.9s. She was able to get the better of the charging Mamushka (Capitalist) and Trafalgar Square (Churchill {Ire}), who made ground out wide when asked. Meanwhile, the Chris Waller-trained Let’s Go Barbie (Yes Yes Yes) found the line better than seventh place suggests.
Lilac is from the Group 2-placed Fastnet Rock mare Paulownia, a full sister to G1 William Reid S. and now Group 1-producing sire Foxwedge. Furthermore, this is the family of Group and Listed winners Bank Maur and Namesake, both sons of Maurice (Jpn). Paulownia has a filly by exciting Wootton Bassett (GB) and foaled a colt by Home Affairs in October.
The filly was a NZ$300,000 purchase by Champion Thoroughbreds and Annabel Neasham Racing from the draft of Curraghmore at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
Lilac as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Mamushka charged hard and fast to finish second, and the form around her debut trial second behind Saturday’s winner Anode (I Am Invincible) suggests she could a filly of some ability. Her dam, the nine-time winner Steps In Time (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), was a brilliant galloper, winning races such as the G1 Coolmore Classic and the G2 Breeders’ Classic twice. The daughter of Danehill Dancer {Ire}) will have a colt by Ole Kirk (Lot 248) offered by Meredith Park at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Mamushka was a $200,000 purchase by John O’Shea Racing when offered by Meredith Park at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Rag Queen highlights D’Argento
The David Payne-trained Rag Queen represented Bowness Stud’s first-season sire, D’Argento, in Heat 12 on Monday morning. The filly, ridden by Reece Jones, won by 0.35l from the Godolphin filly Voile (Exceed And Excel), who made good ground, as did the fourth-placed Good Sort (Tassort), who was narrowly held out by the Grunt (NZ) filly Great Angles.
When offered by Bowness Stud, Rag Queen was a $15,000 purchase by David Payne Racing from the 2023 Inglis Gold Yearling Sale. Her dam, the Domesday mare Victory Day, is closely related to the G1 Turnbull S. victress Devil Moon (King Cugat {USA}).
The second-placed Voile, a daughter of Exceed And Excel, is from the four-time winner Organza (Street Cry {Ire}). She is related to the G1 Caulfield Guineas hero Long John (Street Cry {Ire}) and has a colt by Brazen Beau already named Demarcate.
Rag Queen as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The Yulong-owned Great Angles’ dam Sleek (Commands) is a daughter of Godolphin’s late but brilliant broodmare Trim (Lonhro), a winner of the G3 Research S. and the Listed Red Roses S. and the dam of the stakes winners Barber (Exceed And Excel) and his full sister Manicure.
Through Yulong’s draft, sleek will be represented by Lot 785, a colt by Tagaloa at the 2024 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. While she foaled a colt by the operation’s exciting sire, Lucky Vega (Ire).
