Icarian Dream stamps home Magic Millions claims at Eagle Farm
Ciaron Maher-trained filly scores dominant success in prestigious BJ McLachlan Stakes
It was a day for the ladies at Eagle Farm on Saturday as Icarian Dream (Blue Point) cruised home to victory in the BJ McLachlan Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m), providing her all-female ownership group with dreams of a lucrative Magic Millions success next month.
Having made a winning debut over 1000 metres at Warwick Farm on October 16, the daughter of Blue Point (Shamardal) then ran fourth in the Golden Gift (1100m), where she was beaten a length, before a second placing in an 1100-metre handicap at Rosehill on November 30 where she was just 0.2 lengths behind The Playwright (Written By), who re-opposed on Saturday.
Sent off a $3 chance following that trio of promising efforts, the Ciaron Maher-trained filly was forced to race wide in midfield but, having rounded the home bend, loomed up as a huge danger with just over 200 metres left to run.
Hitting the front inside the 200-metre mark, jockey Jason Collett merely had to push his mount out to the line to defeat Cool Archie (Cool Aza Beel) by 1.5 lengths with just a further 0.1 lengths back to The Playwright in third.
The win handed Darley shuttler Blue Point his 14th individual stakes winner, and first in Australia.
Collett revealed post-race that his saddle had slipped during the 1200-metre contest.
“[The] saddle was slipping a bit on her. It was a bit uncomfortable,” the winning rider said.
“Her turn of foot was electric. She came to them so quickly and it’s a very long straight for a two-year-old, especially when you are right in the middle, but it was easy. Very easy.
“I guess that’s a credit to Ciaron and his team. We say it a lot, but she was there at the first two-year-old trials of the season in Sydney and she’s continually raced through. If anything she’s thriving and getting better.”
Maher, who watched the race from Randwick, felt Icarian Dream had been an unlucky loser when fourth in the Golden Gift two starts previously and was not shocked by the manner of victory on Saturday.
“I thought she was desperately unlucky in the Golden Gift and then I thought she was unlucky again last start [when second],” the champion trainer said.
“I thought she was good when she won at Warwick Farm, she had to have a crack that day and she did, so she’s sort of shown that quality all the way along.
“I was not surprised that she did what she did today, but it’s still nice to see it.”
It was revealed post-race that Icarian Dream would now head for the $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 11, where she will attempt to land her all-female ownership group a lucrative bonus.
Both Storm Boy (Justify) and Coolangatta (Capitalist), two of the last three winners of the BJ McLachlan Stakes, went on to land the 2YO Classic the following month.
“Her plan has firmly always been the Magic Millions,” Maher said.
“She’s a ladies’ horse, I trained the filly’s mum [Teebo] and she was that type as a young horse. She is firmly on track now.”
Icarian Dream is now the $8 second-elect for the 2YO Classic behind Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) third and Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1100m) runner-up Memo (Capitalist), while the winner of the Wyong race, O’ Ole (Ole Kirk), is on the third line of betting at $9.
Bred by Three Bridges Farm, Icarian Dream was originally a $310,000 purchase for Ciaron Maher Bloodstock from her breeder’s draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale, before then being re-sold to Ciaron Maher Bloodstock from the Sledmere Stud draft for $300,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale earlier this year.
Icarian Dream (2 f Blue Point – Teebo by Stryker) is the second foal out of the winning Stryker (Fastnet Rock) mare Teebo, herself a daughter of Kiwi Group 1 winner Recurring (Pentire).
Blue Point currently sits fourth in the second season sires by earnings table behind fellow Darley-owned stallion and former shuttler Too Darn Hot (Dubawi), and second on the second season winner’s list, also behind Too Darn Hot. Blue Point, who stood the 2024 southern hemisphere breeding season at Northwood Park for a fee of $44,000 (inc GST), will stand the upcoming northern hemisphere season for a fee of €100,000 (approx AU$166,800) at Kildangan Stud in Ireland.