Miss Celine stuns at Caulfield
Daughter of Magnus claims Debutant Stakes as prize again heads to Hayes family
Miss Celine (Magnus) got heads turning at Caulfield on Wednesday when she produced an incredible performance to come from last-to-first in the Magic Millions Debutant Stakes (Listed, 1000m).
Adding her name to a recent roll of honour that includes subsequent Group-race winners and Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) placegetters King’s Gambit (I Am Invincible) and Coleman (Pierata), the Ben, JD, and Will Hayes-trained juvenile filly created a long-lasting impression on debut.
Having finished runner-up in an 800-metre barrier trial on the Caulfield Heath prior to Wednesday’s 1000-metre Listed contest, Miss Celine, who also became the seventh two-year-old since 2000 to win the race for the Hayes family, was sent off a $15 chance under in-form rider Blake Shinn.
Having jumped with no problems from barrier ten, the daughter of Magnus (Flying Spur) found the pace of the race too hot for her in the early stages and was quickly shuffled towards the rear of the 13-runner field.
Turning for home and victory looked near-impossible, with the pair stationed last with just 300 metres left to race.
However, in an astonishing turn of events, Miss Celine found extra gears down the home straight as she ran over the top of her rivals to lead inside the final 50 metres and beat Bubion (All Too Hard) by a length, with the winner’s stablemate Winmar (Written Tycoon) just 0.2 lengths further behind in third.
“I didn’t anticipate being last given her jump out form,” Shinn said, referencing that recent barrier trial.
“She jumped okay but the speed of the race was a bit fast for her and she was quite new in the early and middle stages.
“So, we just had to allow the race to unfold and just try and give her the confidence to finish off and, that was a phenomenal effort to come from where she did.”
The Debutant Stakes has been a race that has heavily involved the Hayes family over the last two decades, with Peter Hayes landing the race in 2000 and David Hayes winning the contest on two occasions, before the latter then joined his nephew Tom Dabernig to land the prize in three successive years from 2016-18.
“She’s done everything right in her trials, and we were particularly happy with her last one when she hit the line,” Ben Hayes said.
“That was a very impressive win. I think I will have to watch it a couple more times because we had more in the race.
“Two-year-olds can look sharp at home then come to the races and get it all wrong. The thing about her is she is very professional. She works by herself and is very straightforward. She dropped the bit, and Blake was great, letting her take her time, so she flew around them.
“Big congratulations to Rob Crabtree [owner]. We’ve had a lot of success with him over the years. A result like this is a big thrill for the stable, and I’m sure it’s the same for Rob.”
A homebred for Crabtree’s Dorrington Farm, Miss Celine (2 f Magnus – Charm’s Honour by Strada) is named after Crabtree’s granddaughter and is the fourth winner from as many to race out of the stakes-winning Strada (Danehill) mare Charm’s Honour.
This makes her a sister to Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude (Gr 2, 1100m) winner Enbihaar, who was also runner-up behind Written By (Written Tycoon) in the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) itself.
Purchased for $825,000 by Bahen Bloodstock from the Shadwell dispersal in 2021, Enbihaar is the dam of Too Darn Lizzie (Too Darn Hot), who landed the Magic Millions The Debut 2YO Fillies (1000m) before then placing in the Reisling Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) and Jim Moloney Stakes (Listed, 1400m).
In winning Wednesday’s race, Miss Celine became the 29th individual stakes winner for Magnus. The former Widden Stud stallion was euthanized last year due to age-related issues.
Magic Millions the goal for Warwick Farm debut winner Icarian Dream
A trip to the Gold Coast in January for the Magic Millions carnival looks to be on the cards for Icarian Dream (Blue Point) after the Ciaron Maher-trained filly made a winning debut in a 1000-metre maiden plate at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
The daughter of Darley shuttler Blue Point (Shamardal) had already impressed prior to her debut when landing an 850-metre barrier trial by 0.8 lengths over subsequent Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) sixth Scrumptious (Tassort) at Randwick-Kensington last month.
Having also been entered for the Group 3 sprint at Randwick on October 5, Icarian Dream was scratched from that contest and found herself as the $2.25 favourite for Wednesday’s Warwick Farm event.
Ridden by Tim Clark, the juvenile filly was made to work hard for victory, ending up in a sustained battle with Godolphin colt Burma Star (Exceed And Excel) inside the last 200 metres before narrowly getting the better of that rival to score by 0.3 lengths.
There was the same distance further back to Enchanted By (Written By) in third place.
Maher named the Magic Millions carnival as the main target for Icarian Dream, with the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) seemingly an ideal race for the filly.
“The team have done a great job with her,” the winning trainer said. “It’s a really good start. We can now map a path towards the Magic Millions.
“Normally we get them up there early and give them a run up there, and hopefully target a stakes race. She’s started the right way.”
Clark was impressed with the filly’s determination to get the job done after feeling that the leaders had an easier time controlling the pace.
“They had an easy time through that first couple of furlongs so I wanted to make sure I put her into the race coming into the turn because they had gone slow and I knew they were going to slip home pretty quickly,” Clark said.
“The race was there to be won or lost at the 100-metre mark and to her credit she dug deep and found the line well.
“It was my first sit on her but she’s an impressive young filly. Obviously it was there for everyone to see her trial at the official two-year-old trials.
“Unfortunately she didn’t get to the Gimcrack but they were patient, waited, and got the result today.”
Icarian Dream (2 f Blue Point – Teebo by Stryker) has been through the sales ring on two occasions to date, having first been purchased by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock for $310,0000 out of Three Bridges Thoroughbreds at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale, before Maher would again sign the docket for $300,000 out of the Sledmere Stud draft at this year’s Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
She is the first winner from two runners to come out of the winning Stryker (Fastnet Rock) mare Teebo, who herself a half-sister to the stakes-placed multiple winners Time After Time (Danehill Dancer) and Coming Back (High Chaparral) being out of the Group 1-winning mare Recurring (Pentire).
Teebo was herself purchased by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock alongside Waterford Bloodstock at the 2017 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $140,000. She has missed for the last two seasons.
Kingswood takes Coongy Cup crown
Having made a winning debut for his new trainer Gavin Bedggood in a Benchmark 78 (1800m) contest at Sandown-Hillside last month, Irish import Kingswood (Roaring Lion) doubled his tally for new connections when landing Wednesday’s Coongy Cup (Gr 3, 2000m) at Caulfield.
The five-year-old entire had made two starts without winning for Maddie Raymond having arrived in Australia as a Group 3-placed winner for John O’Donoghue in Ireland, and was then transferred to Bedggood for the beginning of the new season.
An easy 2.3-length win in last month’s Benchmark contest made Kingswood the $2.60 favourite for Wednesday’s step back up to Group 3 company.
Ridden by John Allen, as he had been at Sandown-Hillside, the son of Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy) raced to the front with 300 metres left to run and stayed on well to beat Berkeley Square (Territories) by 1.8 lengths with just 0.1 lengths further back to Star Vega (Lope De Vega) in third.
After winning Wednesday’s Coongy Cup, Kingswood moved into contention for multiple races during the Melbourne Cup Carnival, with Bedggood eyeing up the Bendigo Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) on October 30 followed by the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 3, 2600m) at Flemington on the final day of the carnival, November 9.
“It all went to script. He lobbed in a nice spot, Johnny [Allen] popped him out to the three-wide line, and it was comfortable,” the winning trainer said.
“He didn’t look all that comfortable getting around the corner, but he won well, and the second horse is a proper horse.
“His rating will shoot up, and I’ve had it in the back of my mind, Bendigo Cup next, then possibly a Queen Elizabeth.
“He’s as good a horse as I’ve had anything to do with. He is a stayer with the best set of lungs.”
Bedggood revealed post-race that he had planned to stay at Benchmark level with Kingswood, but a lack of options had forced him into Wednesday’s Group 3.
“I really wanted to go to a Benchmark 84, but there was just nothing on the calendar, although there was a Benchmark 78 here today,” the trainer said.
“But it would have forced me to claim on him and you know, he’s a five-year-old stallion and he’s a little bit awkward and I just wanted to keep Johnny on as he knows the horse well. So, it’s good to get a result.”
Kingswood (5 h Roaring Lion – All At Sea by Sea The Stars) is one of three winners from five to race out of the three-time Listed-winning Sea The Stars (Cape Cross) mare All At Sea, making him a half-brother to dual St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov (Dubawi) and the stakes-placed winner A La Voile (Invincible Spirit).
All At Sea is out of the three-time Group 1-winning mare Albanova (Alzao), making her a half-sister to three stakes winners, including Alwilda (Hernando), the dam of Kirsten Rausing’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) heroine Alpinista (Frankel).
In winning Wednesday’s contest, Kingswood became the seventh individual stakes winner for the 2018 European Horse of the Year and Tweenhills Stud stallion Roaring Lion, who died of colic in 2019 when preparing for his first season at Cambridge Stud.