Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
Race Day Recap
Abounding (Rich Enuff) resumed in style, securing victory in the Listed Tattersalls Classic at Doomben, with trainer Rob Heathcote now eyeing the Magic Millions carnival as her next goal.
Well-travelled gelding Oughton (More Than Ready {USA}) showcased his class with a commanding 1.6l victory in the Listed Recognition S. at Doomben.
New stakes winner for Alpine Eagle with Geegees Gemstone winning the Listed Newmarket Sprint at Launceston.
Abounding on target for second Magic Millions after Classic win
Smart 4-year-old mare Abounding (Rich Enuff) resumed at four to win Wednesday’s Listed Tattersalls Classic at Doomben and trainer Rob Heathcote will aim her at the Magic Millions carnival. “We were a little surprised when the markets went up around $12 and $14,” Heathcote said. Abounding’s starting price was $8.50 with punters. Abounding, ridden by Martin Harley won by 0.57l. Matthew Hoysted trained pair of Appin Girl (Capitalist), ridden by Boris Thornton, and Party For Two (Sidestep), ridden by jockey Ryan Maloney, ran second and third.
“Finishing 2l behind Bella Nipotina and then she went on to win The Everest, we thought at home that she has come back better. Two-year-olds have to improve 3l while 3-year-old to 4-year-olds have to improve again to be genuine contenders.”
Abounding ran fourth last start in last season's G1 Tattersall's Tiara to Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) who won this year's G1 The Everest.
“The barrier was tricky but they can show that ride at the apprentice school – it was 10 out of 10. We're gearing towards the Magic Millions but she's definitely an excitement machine, she's great to look at and she can be up to the level required.”
“The barrier was tricky but they can show that ride at the apprentice school – it was 10 out of 10. We're gearing towards the Magic Millions but she's definitely an excitement machine.” - Rob Heathcote
Abounding took her record to five wins from 17 starts with earnings over $2.3 million, a decent return for First Light Racing on her $75,000 purchase from Telemon Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. It was her third win at stakes level, having won the R. Listed Magic Millions Guineas and Listed Gold Edition Plate last season at three.
One of nine stakes winners for Rich Enuff, Abounding is the fifth foal and fourth winner for Transonic (Casino Prince) who ran third in the G2 Wakeful S. and won four races. Transonic is a daughter of Group 1-placed Jet Past (SAf) (Jet Master {Saf}).
Telemon Stud will offer a Russian Camelot (Ire) half-brother to Abounding as Lot 1037 at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Rob Heathcote
Well-travelled Oughton wins Listed Recognition Stakes
Jockey Robbie Dolan snuck through a gap on the fence at Doomben to win the Listed Recognition S. on Wednesday with the well-travelled 5-year-old Oughton (More Than Ready {USA}) for trainer Melissa Kelly. They won by 1.6l from Gary Portelli trained Flying Trapeze (Flying Artie) with Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald trained Midnight In Tokyo (Kobayashi) in third.
“This horse sort of hangs in, and I watched his replays, and then once he started to hang in today I thought I would just go with him,” Dolan said. “I went to the fence and he actually won in Sha Tin one day when he was ridden a very similar way. He's actually a decent horse and that won't be his last win.”
From the same family as juvenile winner La Bella Boom (Spirit Of Boom) earlier on the card, Oughton was sold by Lime Country Thoroughbreds at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $900,000 and was purchased by Spendthrift Australia. He was a winner at Caulfield at his second start and subsequently sold to Hong Kong where he was renamed A Pal.
Twice a winner in Hong Kong, Oughton injured a tendon and returned to Australia where Les and Melissa Kelly purchased him. This was his third win for the Kelly team and his first at stakes level. He becomes the 231st stakes winner for More Than Ready (USA), and all up, Oughton has won six of his 20 starts with earnings over $980,000.
More Than Ready (USA) | Image courtesy of The Image is Everything
He is a half-brother to La Girl, dam of today’s juvenile winner La Bella Boom, and to Moldova (Snitzel), the dam of this season’s G1 NZ 1000 Guineas-winning 3-year-old Captured By Love (Written Tycoon). Fellow G1 NZ 1000 Guineas winner Hasahalo (NZ) (Savabeel) is also in this family.
His dam, La Florescent (NZ) (General Nediym) is a half-sister to Group winners Savvy Nature (NZ) (Savabeel) and Addictive Nature (NZ) (Savabeel). La Florescent (NZ) has a Spirit Of Boom yearling colt in Eureka Stud’s 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft as Lot 1248.
Geegees Gemstone wins Tasmania’s Listed Newmarket Sprint
Geegees Gemstone (Alpine Eagle) recovered from a poor run in the Goodwood when resuming to win Wednesday’s Listed Newmarket Sprint for trainer Stuart Gandy. Ridden by Anthony Darmanin, the 5-year-old gelding won by 0.5l from John Keys trained The Inevitable (Dundeel {NZ}) with Imogen Miller trained Alvarinho (Tough Speed) in third.
Geegees Gemstone took his record to eight wins from 15 starts with earnings over $244,000 and this was his first black type win. He becomes the third stakes winner for Alpine Eagle.
Raced by Elizabeth Geard Racing, he is the second foal and only winner for Gee Gees Top Notch (Wordsmith) who was a brilliant mare winning 10 times, five times at two, including two Listed races with earnings over $340,000. Gee Gees Top Notch and Geegees Gemstone are the only two stakes winners in the immediate family.
Gee Gees Top Notch doesn't have a yearling this year, and her 2-year-old by Gee Gees Americane is currently unnamed.
