Should Moonlight Magic go one better than she did when running such a game second to the runaway G1 Queensland Derby winner Warmonger (NZ) (War Decree {USA}) last weekend, her proud owner breeders will be cheering on enthusiastically from New Zealand.
“It is certainly a thrill to have her in a big race,” said The Sunlight Trust's Murray Hardy who could not be happier with how the Andrew Forsman trained bay has fared since arriving in Australia.
“She is thriving over there,” he said.
Moonlight Magic (NZ) will be one of two runners for trainer Andrew Forsman in Saturday's G1 Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
The Sunlight Trust are no strangers to big race success, breeding the Group 1 Waikato International S. winner Veloce Bella (NZ) (Volksraad {USA}) - the horse who set them on the breeding path they are now on.
And they have already enjoyed Classic success, breeding the 2019 G1 Australasian Oaks winner Princess Jenni (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}).
It was a love of horses that saw the Hardys and Preston get together to breed from a mare or two and Veloce Bella was an early - and much enjoyed - success story.
Veloce Bella - the start of it all
The winner of 12 of her 51 starts and over $550,000 in stakes, Veloce Bella - who fortunately for her owners was passed in for just $20,000 at the 2005 Karaka Select Sale - won another five Group races.
And she has fared nicely at stud with four winners including the three times stakes placed multiple city winner Walking Flying (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and the Sandown winner See Line Woman (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Veloce Bella (NZ) | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“She really started it all," Hardy said, with Paddy Preston as Principal, the Sunlight Trust going from a mare or two to its current ownership of a dozen active broodmares.
One of which is the placed Japonica (Encosta de Lago) purchased for them by Paul Moroney for just $28,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale.
And what a great buy she has proven to be - her five foals for the Sunlight Trust all enjoying some level of success.
“She (Veloce Bella) really started it all.” - Murray Hardy
Bean A Pleasure (Spill The Beans) - who was in utero when Japonica was purchased - has won three races in New Zealand and is still racing. The first Sunlight Trust planned mating for the mare resulted in the Gold Coast winner Sir Zino (NZ) (Tarzino {NZ}) who was the highest priced yearling by his sire at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale; fetching $NZ100,000.
A memorable Saturday
The next two foals bred out of Japonica have been rippers and they provided the Hardys and Preston with a rather memorable Saturday - a few hours before Moonlight Magic's Queensland Derby second her 2-year-old half-brother Belardi (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}) winning his second race from just three starts.
And a nice win it was too - Moonlight Magic's stablemate always in control as he put 1 1/2 lengths on his rivals in the Listed Castletown S., part of a stakes double that day for his Haunui Farm based sire.
“Japonica is certainly a strong part of our broodmare band,” Hardy said, describing the 12-year-old as “a lovely type - not too big, just a very nice, well rounded medium sized mare.”
Belardi (outside) pulls away to win the Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown S.at Wanganui | Image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
Again in foal to Moonlight Maid's Cambridge Stud based sire Almanzor of whom Hardy is a big fan - "he is looking to be quite special" - Japonica did a pretty good job with her first foal by him.
“She has always been a great type,” Hardy said of his Queensland Oaks aspirant - “a typical Almanzor as we have come to know them.”
And she showed ability from the early days, Andrew Forsman always impressed by her - “he saw something special in her even when she was a yearling, said Hardy.
Not plain sailing
Though it was not plain sailing for the filly her owners had decided to hold onto as a future broodmare prospect - Moonlight Magic despite the ability she had shown remaining a maiden after seven starts.
Held up entering the straight before finding the line well when a debut fifth at Matamata late last year, she showed good fight to go close to the prize at her second start ten days later.
Moonlight Magic (NZ) | Image courtesy of Auckland Thoroughbred Racing
Losing ground after knuckling at the start at her next outing, she caught the eye with a fast finishing third at Te Rapa, a run that warranted her taking her place in the Listed Oaks Prelude over 1800 metres at New Plymouth.
Having to shift ground get off heels with 150 metres to go, Moonlight Magic ran another game placing before stepping up to the 2100 metres of the G3 Sunline Vase in which she ran an encouraging fifth to her stablemate Positivity (NZ) (also by Almanzor) who brought that form to Australia, winning the G3 South Australian Oaks.
Ending up a fair way back in running from a wide gate in the G1 New Zealand Oaks, Moonlight Magic had just one behind her turning, making up good ground to finish sixth behind Pulchritudinous (NZ) (Wrote {Ire}).
“Ending up a fair way back in running from a wide gate in the G1 New Zealand Oaks, Moonlight Magic had just one behind her turning, making up good ground to finish sixth behind Pulchritudinous.”
Striking severe interference at her next outing in the G3 Manawatu Classic, Moonlight Magic still ran on well - a pleasing but frustrating result for connections.
A magical breakthrough
But it was worth the wait when she broke through for her first win in late April, charging home from back in the field with an impressive performance in the G3 Championship S. at Ellerslie.
“She had been so unlucky against top competition,” Hardy said, "and it was so good to see her show the talent that she has.”
Her Queensland Derby second followed and hopefully glory awaits on Saturday. One of the 164 stakes winners produced by daughters of Encosta De Lago, Moonlight Magic has a nice pedigree and a nice page with Hardy noting that “Almanzor is a really good match for her.”
Boasting three strains of the aptly named matriarch Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}), Moonlight Magic has as her grandam Fusaichi Rose (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}) whose half-sister Serenade Rose (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) won three races at Group 1 level - the VRC Oaks, the AJC Oaks and the Arrowfield Stud S.
Her daughters have fared extra well at stud, producing the G1 Stradbroke H. and G1 Goodwood H. winner Trekking (Street Cry {Ire}) and the Group 3 winners Egot (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Winnie Star (Medaglia d'Oro {USA}) and Tralee Rose (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}).
This has been a high achieving family for generations, Moonlight Magic also able to boast amongst her relations the big race winners Voila Ici (Ire), Viva Pataca (GB) (Marju {Ire}), Laughing (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) and last November's G1 Newmarket Fillies Mile winner Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}).
