Gold Coast winners to back up in Classic
Tackling the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) on a week’s back-up has become a proven trend in recent years with four of the last six winners successful on a seven-day return.
Maribyrnong Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) winner Finance Tycoon (Written Tycoon) and Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1100m) placegetter Swift Witness (Star Witness) will attempt to follow in their footsteps after they won the Aquis Gold Nugget (1100m) and the Aquis Gold Pearl (1100m) respectively yesterday.
The fillies were first to take to the Gold Coast track, although the race was pushed back more than half an hour after apprentice Justin Huxtable was kicked by one of the clerks of the course. It was reported that he had a broken rib while doctors were concerned about his kidney and spleen.
While the Gold Pearl was a competitive betting race, with six of the ten runners in single figures, on the track it was a one-act affair as the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Swift Witness dominated her rivals, racing clear under Glen Boss to record a facile three-length success.
First-starter Glorious Ruby (Your Song) was supported from $201 into $61 and impressed finishing second for trainer Bryan Dais and apprentice rider Leah Kilner, with favourite Miss Hipstar (Star Turn) a solid third having not led for the first time in her career.
Swift Witness, who was well-beaten by Magic Millions 2YO Classic favourite She’s All Class (I Am Invincible) at Wyong, showed the benefit of that debut performance with her easy victory yesterday. In the process, she ensured that it would not be the first Classic since 2011 to be missing a Tulloch Lodge representative.
Waterhouse has won four Magic Millions Classics – with Assertive Lad (Zeditave), Excellerator (Marscay), Dance Hero (Danzero) and Driefontein (Fastnet Rock) – but Bott is yet to taste success. Last year, the race saw the stable’s Farnan (Not A Single Doubt) face his only defeat at two, coming back to sweep the Silver Slipper Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m), the Todman Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) and the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
Bott said post-race that he’s been impressed with the manner in which she has continued to improve, particularly after the pre-race incident with Huxtable and the ensuing delay.
“It was good to see the improvement with the blinkers, we came up here thinking she had the ability to be here and deserved a spot in the field so it will be good to see her take her place,” Bott said. “It was a bit of an ask for her to have her first race in the Wyong Magic Millions, she got a little bit lost there but she still found the line strongly.
“Today she was a bit reactive to a few horses shifting out but once she really balanced up and got focused on the task, we were able to see a nice turn of foot. It wasn’t easy with what happened pre-race but she handled herself remarkably well, she went back to the stalls and was nice and relaxed.”
With Boss already committed to Debutant Stakes (Listed, 1000m) winner Fake Love (I Am Invincible) next weekend, Brenton Avdulla will take the mount on Swift Witness.
Just over half an hour later, it was the turn of the colts and geldings. Demonstrating just how important a lead-up race the Gold Nugget has become, the contest attracted the winner of Sydney’s leading race for the males during the spring, the Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m), taking on the victor of Melbourne’s premier juvenile contest, the Maribyrnong Plate (Gr 3, 1000m).
The Chris Waller-trained Shaquero (Shalaa) and Lindsay Park’s Finance Tycoon lived up to the billing as they engaged in a tremendous stretch duel that saw the Melbourne colt prevail by a head under Luke Nolen, with a further length and three-quarters back to first-starter Jackson On Time (Sebring) in third.
Finance Tycoon’s co-trainer Ben Hayes will be aiming to do something his uncle Peter could – with Catnipped (Rory’s Jester) in 1998 – but that his father, Hong Kong handler David, couldn’t by taking the Magic Millions 2YO Classic next week.
“It was a very good job by the horse. He never really went out of work. He’s been in work since the spring carnival and he’s just kept ticking over,” the younger Hayes said.
“I thought it was a great ride by Luke. He jumped well and put himself in a good position and it just looked to me that he stargazed a bit and didn’t quite know how to put them away, but he got there on the line, which is what counts.
“Today he was only 80 per cent fit. We didn’t have him wound up to win, because he’s already qualified for the Magic Millions. If he pulls up well, I think he’s a great chance. I’m really looking forward to it and it’s a big thrill.
“If you look at him in the mounting yard he looks like a three-year-old. He’s got a big hip and he just looks like he’s going to improve.
“He’s kept stepping up to the mark for us, he’s very exciting and I think he’s a really genuine chance.”
TAB shortened Swift Witness into $7, joining Phelan Ready Stakes (Listed, 1000m) and B J McLachlan Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) winner Alpine Edge (Better Than Ready) on the second line of betting, behind She’s All Class at $4. Finance Tycoon is at $9 with Shaquero at $11; all other horses are at $13 or beyond.
Waller could saddle up as many as three runners in She’s All Class, Shaquero and Ranch Hand (Fastnet Rock) as he seeks to win his first Magic Millions 2YO Classic, while first-season trainer Annabel Neasham – with Ghostwriter (I Am Invincible) and Queen Of Wizardry (Not A Single Doubt) – is the other likely to have more than one starter.
Final acceptances will be taken at 11am tomorrow morning.
Sydney Cup for Spirit Ridge
The summer and the winter – the periods deemed the off-season as far as Sydney and Melbourne goes – invariably throws up a horse.
That mantle this summer belongs to the Mark Newnham-prepared Spirit Ridge (6 g Nathaniel – Tates Creek by Rahy), who added yesterday’s January Cup (Listed, 2000m) to his win in the Summer Cup (Gr 3, 2000m) last month.
The English import was sent off the $3.10 favourite yesterday and won comfortably, overhauling the pace-setting Wolfe (Novellist) to score by three-quarters of a length. Mr Marathon Man (So You Think) bounced back to form, finishing third.
“I think the way they ran it probably turned it into a little bit of a sprint home,” Newnham said. “He was at his top at the top of the straight, but you could see his staying qualities shine through late.
“He’s a real Euro stayer, clean winded and doesn’t take long to come up. He showed today how strong he was on the line that further is not going to be an issue.
“The best part of his race was on the line so into the autumn getting up to the mile and a half and maybe even a Sydney Cup might be on the agenda.”
By King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 4f) winner Nathaniel (Galileo), sire of champion mare Enable, out of dual Grade 1-winning American mare Tates Creek (Rahy), Spirit Ridge shapes as a likely stayer and a horse bound for better things.
In Melbourne, Never Again (6 g High Chaparral – Rollon Rose by Encosta De Lago) made the leap from Benchmark 78 company to stakes grade yesterday, taking the Chester Manifold Stakes (Listed, 1400m) at Flemington.
For much of 2020, the Clinton McDonald-trained Never Again had raced in open company without success, but the confidence-boosting Caulfield win on Boxing Day seemed to work wonders as he scored his biggest career victory.
He defeated Flemington 1400-metre specialist Vassilator (Zacinto) by a neck with Group 2 winner Brave Song (Your Song) third, a further neck away. Odds-on favourite Riding The Wave (Malibu Moon) finished fifth, a length and three quarters from the winner.
McDonald was celebrating the $84,000 first prize cheque, given he is owned by his mother Margaret and races in the family’s famous red and black hoops and white cap that have been carried by horses like Magari (Maybe Lad) and Weekend Hussler (Hussonet).
“We own the horse and there’s plenty of reasons to be clapping. It was a good result for the family,” McDonald said. “To be fair it was a rating race of 95 – I think that was the top rating today – so at 85 he got in well at the weights, it’s good prize-money and we’ll take it.”
Yesterday’s win took Never Again’s record to seven wins and four placings from 27 starts with earnings up to $360,400. He was a $140,000 2016 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale graduate, coming out of Maluka Thoroughbreds’ famed yearling academy.
Never Again became the 131st individual stakes winner for the late High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells) and the first stakes winner for dam Rollon Rose (Encosta De Lago), a half-sister to McDonald’s three-time Group 1 winner Regal Roller (Regal Classic).
Rollon Rose died in 2018, having only produced two foals after Never Again – brothers Spare Change (Reward For Effort) and No Change.