It was a long weekend to remember for Magic Millions graduates around Australia. At last count, they had won a staggering 117 races between Friday and Monday – including the majority of Australia’s big races throughout the four days and nights.
During the same period graduates won stakes races in New Zealand and Hong Kong as well as races in South Africa, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia.
Pierro and Buffering kicked away the winning streak in stakes races when they swept the two feature races at Moonee Valley on Friday night. Pierro extended his unbeaten streak to 8 with a demolition of his rivals in the G2 Bill Stutt Stakes.
He is now a hot favourite for the G1 Caulfield Guineas and firmed again as popular elect for the Cox Plate. The son of Lonhro was sold by Magic Millions as both a weanling (for $115,000) and yearling ($230,000) on the Gold Coast.
Buffering had earlier scored a solid all-the-way win in the G2 Moir Stakes at the Valley.. Queensland’s recently crowned Horse of the Year is by Vinery sire Mossman and was a bargain $22,000 buy at the QTIS Yearling Sale.
Gai Waterhouse’s winning run with Magic Millions graduates in stakes races continued in Sydney on Saturday when untapped filly Urban Groove won the LR Reginald Allen Hcp at Rosehill. A $240,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase, Urban Groove took the massive step from a provincial maiden to carnival stakes class and did it easily. The Charge Forward filly continues to impressive good judges.
Graduates of Magic Millions won at every metropolitan track on Saturday – with other eye catching performances coming from the likes of Hoylonny, Cuddlesome, Bold Glance, Jet Style, Methuselah, Our Mimi, Grey Mustang, Ironbank, Petrenui, Hearts of Fire and Starlight Lady.
Across the Tasman and Misstrum won her second stakes success when victorious in the LR Soliloquy Stakes at Ellerslie. The Stratum filly was purchased as a foal for $135,000 at the 2010 Magic Millions National Sale.
Moment of Change led the charge for Magic Millions on Sunday when he scored a dominant on-speed victory in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield. It was a G1 first for Cornerstone Stud based Barely a Moment.
Moment of Change was bred and sold by Sovereign Stud for $50,000 at the 2010 Perth Magic Millions. A year earlier the same farm sold Hong Kong G1 winning sprinter Eagle Regiment.
It was fitting Moment of Change should become Barely a Moment’s maiden Group 1 winner. Both were sold at the Perth Yearling Sale, raced in the Eastern States and both won the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.
On the same Group 1 card at Caulfield, Magic Millions mare Miss Marx flew home to win the LR Testa Rossa Stakes. She was purchased by Edinburgh Park for $110,000 at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast.
Down in Tasmania, exciting three-year-old filly Arenzano was a 15 length winner at Devonport on Sunday. The Not A Single Doubt filly broke the track record clocking 59.40s for 1000m. She ran home the last 600m in 34.00s.
Arenzano is a younger sister to Canterbury (NZ) stakes performer Regal Flame. Their dam Marina Miss is a half-sister to Doomben stakes winner Beyonce’s Star (Orientate).
Owned by Star Thoroughbreds, she was a $60,000 graduate from Reibey Lodge. Arenzano will stay in Tasmania for feature races according to trainer Barry Campbell who is the brother in law of syndicator Denise Martin.
On Monday, the winners kept rolling for Magic Millions and in Australia they include the likes of Recoinage, Mosse Diva and Snitsky at Randwick and the very exciting Better Than Ready in Brisbane.
The long weekend was capped when quality Hong Kong galloper Packing OK won the G3 National Day Cup at Sha Tin. He was purchased by Willie Leung’s Magus Equine for $480,000 at the 2008 Gold Coast Magic Millions.
Now prepared by John Moore, the winner originally raced in Australia with the Hawkes family for an impressive provincial win before being shipped off-shore.
Last season Magic Millions graduates won more than 6,300 races and the company was the proven number one source for stakes winners at home and abroad to be sold in Australia.