Ridgeport Farm and Mogumber Park dominated Pinjarra’s Magic Millions program on Saturday besides sharing the plaudits for Maria Lucia in the RL Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m)
Maria Lucia is a Mogumber Park-bred daughter of Ridgeport Farm stallion Rommel (Commands) and she was conceived in the sixth and final book that he covered at Mogumber Park before transferring from Bullsbrook to Waroona in 2023.
Mogumber Park’s Colin Brown and Fiona Lacey also celebrated an earlier win on Saturday when their 2023 Magic Millions graduate Shamilian Miss (Shamus Award) landed the Geisel Park Stud Hcp (1600m). She sold for $135,000 as agent for Woodbridge Thoroughbreds breeders Ian Riley and Rachelle Huckson.
Rommel completed a Stakes-winning double on Saturday with Twisted Steel in the RL Magic Millions WA 3YO Trophy (1200m). Bred by Jason Cheetham, he’s the fourth individual black-type winner by Rommel and his second in the MM 3YO Trophy following Pixie Chix in 2022.
Pixie Chix was Rommel’s first Stakes-winner after Ridgeport Farm owner Santo Guagliardo bred and sold her to trainer David Harrison through Mogumber Park (as agent) for $20,000 at the 2021 Perth Magic Millions.
Guagliardo claimed the first-leg of a treble on Saturday when his Ridgeport-bred $50,000 graduate Monte Tremezzo (Hellbent) split runners late to win the Darling View Thoroughbreds Hcp (1400m) for clients of trainer Dan Morton.
Maria Lucia (2f Rommel – Mindarie by Safeguard) proved too good in the $250,000 Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic and her owner Maureen Daly also collected the $60,000 Magic Millions WA Racing Women’s 2YO Bonus.
The win keeps it in the family as she follows in the footsteps of her older half-brother Do I Feel Lucky (Dirty Work) who won the 2YO Classic last year! “She is just a beautiful horse,” co-trainer Sean Casey said. “Chris (Parnham) made a plan how he was going ride her and was very confident going into race.”
Parnham is already looking forward to the G2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m). “She’s a talented filly and I had to extricate her out of a tricky situation in running. She couldn’t have impressed me more and I think she’s got a fair bit left in store.”
Click here to read a profile of Maria Lucia in last week’s preview of the Magic Millions Classic.
Twisted Steel (3g Rommel – Real Beauty by I Am Invincible) made amends for a disappointing summer carnival with a turn of foot for Clint Johnston-Porter that spaced his rivals in the $250,000 Magic Millions 3YO Trophy (1200m).
He was sold through the Ruby Racing & Breeding consignment for $100,000 at the 2024 Perth Magic Millions and made an impact winning his first two starts at Northam and Bunbury for trainer Simon Miller.
“I thought he could be a Winterbottom Stakes horse but he was too revved up and not chilled enough pre-race to take on a field of Group 1 sprinters,” Miller revealed. “We were asking too much too early but my team have done a great job and now he’s really starting to settle.”
Miller intends giving him a break before going forward to the $5 million The Quokka (1200m) at Ascot on April 18. “I’ve always had a massive opinion of this horse,” Johnston-Porter concurred. “We idled up to Heeza Phoenix and when I looked around I knew it was going to be an easy win.”
Twisted Steel has a Maschino half-sister entered for the Magic Millions Yearling Sale as Lot 60 by Ruby Racing & Breeding (as agent) on Thursday. Their dam Real Beauty (I Am Invincible) is a full-sister to Mandurah Cup winner Real Danger while second-dam Real Charm (Reset) won a LR Jungle Dawn Classic (1400m) and LR Starstruck Classic (1600m).