Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
Gold Coast: R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic, $3,000,000, 1200m
It was a dominant performance by Storm Boy (Justify {USA}), the imposing colt proving a class above his rivals - remaining undefeated after three starts.
Bred by Katom and sold by Coolmore Stud to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing and Kestrel Thoroughbreds for $460,000 at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Storm Boy is one of the 25 stakes winners for his Coolmore-based, American Triple Crown-winning shuttling sire.
The well-named colt is the first foal produced by the lightly raced Moonee Valley winner Pelican (NZ) (Fastnet Rock) whose second is a Pierro colt and whose third - born in mid-October last year - is a filly by St Mark's Basilica (Fr). And not surprisingly, she paid a return visit to Justify (USA) last spring.
Pelican is one of the four winners produced by the star New Zealand mare Seachange (NZ) (Cape Cross {Ire}) - the seven-time Group 1 winner who also produced the Group 3-placed, dual city winner Divan (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Seachange is one of two Group 1 winners produced by the placed Just Cruising (NZ) (Broad Reach {NZ}), also dam of the G1 Levin Classic winner Keepa Cruisin (NZ) (Keeper) - in turn dam of the Listed winner Espresso Martini (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}).
Storm Boy is one of the four (from 14 runners/12 winners) Justify stakes winners out of Fastnet Rock mares - a cross which provides for the duplication of the terrific mare Crimson Saint (USA) (Crimson Satan {USA}) via her grandson Storm Cat (USA) and son Royal Academy (USA).
R. Listed Magic Millions 3YO Guineas, $3,000,000, 1400m
It took a particularly tough and patient horse to win this race, one which was subject to such a lengthy delay and it was Abounding (Rich Enuff) who was able to prove the horse best able to handle the set-back.
The flashy chestnut put in the big strides late to record her second win at stakes level and her fourth overall from 11 starts.
Bred by Telemon Thoroughbreds, she was sold by them to First Light Racing and Robert Heathcote Racing for $75,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale (Book 2).
She is one of the six stakes winners (all of whom are fillies) for her Woodside Park-based sire, a dual Group-winning son of Written Tycoon.
She is one of the four winners (from five to race) for the G2 Wakeful S. placegetter Transonic (Casino Prince), also dam of the dual city winner Tysonic (Written Tycoon) and the 12-time winner Starsonic (Zoustar).
Served last spring by Capitalist having at her two previous seasons foaled consecutive Russian Camelot (Ire) colts, Transonic has a 2-year-old called City Bound by Sun City.
Transonic is one of the three winners for the Group 1-placed Jet Past (SAf) (Jet Master {SAf}) whose grandam is the G3 Grangewilliam S. winner Touch Of Silver (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}).
And Touch Of Silver's dam is the G1 Railway H. winner Silver Liner (NZ) (Sovereign Edition {Ire}) whose daughter Petrava (NZ) (Imposing) was crowned South African Champion 3-Year-Old Filly.
R. Listed Magic Millions Cup, $1,000,000, 1400m
It was a running double for the Written Tycoon sireline, following on from Rich Enuff’s daughter Abounding’s success, Semana by Grandview Stud’s Winning Rupert taking out this race in convincing fashion.
The third stakes winner for her sire, she was bred by G1G Racing and Breeding, David Murphy, David Warner, Joel Oliver, Simon Lamont and Dahlia Bloodstock and sold by Newgate Farm to James Bester Bloodstock and Vantage Thoroughbreds for $200,000 at the 2021 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
She is the second foal and second winner for the triple city-winning mare Festivity (Nicconi), also dam of the six-time winner More The Merrier (Dissident).
A half-sister to the Listed Atlantic Jewel S. winner Merriest (Denman) out of a granddaughter of the G1 VRC Oaks winner Scomeld (Scotian), Festivity was served last year by Farnan and Spirit Of Boom having foaled a colt by the former. Her 2-year-old Gala Queen (Deep Field) was a recent Pakenham jump-out second for the Phillip Stokes stable.
Flemington: G3 Standish H., $250,000, 1200m
What a great record Sghirripa (Lonhro) is building, the exciting sprinter winning seven of his 14 starts and two in a row at stakes level - easily putting 3ls on his rivals in this Flemington straight contest.
One of the 97 stakes winners for his retired sire, the grey was bred by Grenville Stud and sold by them to Francesco Sghirripa for $70,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
He is the third foal and second winner for the unraced Wonder I Do (Encosta De Lago), half-sister to the Listed winners Albumin (Foxwedge) and Holy Empire (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).
Served last spring by Stratosphere and Pinatubo (Ire) having missed the previous year, Wonder I Do has a 2-year-old - Mystic Wonder (Stratosphere) in the Gordon Richards and Damien Moyle stable and a yearling filly by Merchant Navy.
Wonder I Do is a granddaughter of the G1 VRC Oaks and G1 1000 Guineas winner Tristanagh (Sir Tristram {Ire}) whose great grandson El Milagro (Red Dazzler) is a stakes winner in Singapore.
Hailing from the same family as the G1 Brisbane Cup winner Dupain (NZ) (Sir Tristram), Sghirripa is line-bred to the outstanding mares Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}), Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) and Misty Morn (USA) (Princequillo {Ire}).
Rosehill: Listed January Cup, $200,000, 2000m
There was a touch of royalty at Rosehill with the convincing victory recorded by Naval College (GB) (Dartmouth {GB}) - an in-form 5-year-old bred by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Purchased by Sackvillle Donald for 185,000 gns (AU$) at the 2022 Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale, Naval College is the first stakes winner (from limited runners) for his Shade Oak Stud based four times Group winning sire, a son of Dubawi (Ire).
His stakes-placed dam Sequence (Ire) (Selkirk {USA}) is out of the Irish Champion 3YO Stayer Sinntara (Ire) (Lashkari {GB}) - ancestress of another eight stakes winners including her star son Sinndar (Ire) whose four wins at Group 1 level include the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Epsom and Irish Derbys.
Naval College is - as is Mr Prospector (USA) to whom Dartmouth (GB) is line-bred - a descendant of the influential matriarch Frizette (USA) (Hamburg {USA}).
Ascot: Listed Miss Andretti S., $125,000, 1100m
Please note this meeting was abandoned due to extreme heat
