The Magic Millions National Weanling Sale was again in focus when Misstrum won the Listed Great Northern Foal Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Misstrum (2f Stratum – Malagra Miss by Barathea) was a $135,000 buy for NZ agent Michael Wallace at the 2010 Magic Millions National Sale.  This year’s MM National Sale commences on Monday morning at the Gold Coast.

Misstrum was offered at the 2010 Gold Coast Foal Sale by Sefton Park and she isn’t the first stakes winner to have emerged from the sale.  Champion juvenile Pierro and Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Driefontein also went through the ring as well as other NZ stakes winners Platinum Kingdom and Silver City.

Premier horseman Roger James prepares the Stratum filly for a partnership headed by Haunui Farm’s Mark Chitty.  “We got her broken in and took a couple of our good clients Maureen Duncan and Cathy Franich into the ownership,” Chitty recalled.  “They also raced Valpolicella with us and she was prepared by Roger to win some nice races.”

Valpolicella (Red Ransom) was a G3 winner of the 2008 Manawatu Classic and is now based at Haunui Farm where her first foals have been a Commands colt and a Redoute’s Choice filly.

Misstrum showed great acceleration over the concluding stages to reel in Te Rapa debut winner About Square (Refuse To Bend) by a neck running away at Ellerslie.  Her dam Malagra Miss won the LR Maribynong Trial at Flemington and she was placed in a G3 Tranquil Star Stakes and G2 Ascot Vale Stakes.

Chitty expects James to put Misstrum aside for spring three-year-old races.  Haunui Farm also races G3 Adrian Knox Stakes winner Full Of Spirit with the Cambridge trainer.  The Flying Spur filly will also return next season along with their NZ Derby winning stablemate Silent Achiever (O’Reilly).