Warwick Farm trainer David Pfieffer loves to go racing at Wyong.  He won the $100,000 Magic Millions Stakes there last December with Graceful Anna and that race was the launching pad for a memorable victory in the Magic Millions 3YO Trophy on the Gold Coast in January.

Pfieffer was back at Wyong on Sunday to saddle up Stromberg Carlson mare Fifth Leg in the Magic Millions Maiden over 1110m.  Racing first-up since June, she shadowed the favourite Panecillo and then dropped him to win by next to two lengths.

Fifth Leg (4m Stromberg Carlson – Royal Dawn by Archregent) is raced by owner-breeders Stan and Andrew Hayes along with Pfieffer and his partner Elizabeth Street.

She is the latest winner from the first crop of Raheen Stud resident Stromberg Carlson.  He is a son of Redoute’s Choice and has now sired 31 winners of 51 races.  Her dam Royal Dawn is an unraced sister to G3 VATC Blue Diamond Prelude winner Renarchi.

“We gave Fifth Leg plenty of time and it’s starting to pay off now,” Pfieffer said a day after the Wyong victory.  “She’s developed into a nice mare and I guess the next step is to nominate her for a midweek race in town.”

Fifth Leg didn’t debut until May and it was anything but a dream start to her career.  “The saddle slipped and she began bucking,” Pfieffer recalled.  “I kept her in work and she followed up with two good seconds at Kembla and Gosford.

“She got to the front at Gosford and then stargazed.  Sure enough, something got up to beat her a nose.”

Pfieffer tipped Fifth Leg out for another spell and she has come back a much more mature individual.  “She sat outside the leader then showed a nice turn of foot at Wyong.  And there’s still plenty of improvement to come before she peaks.”

Her owner-breeders Stan and Andrew Hayes are based in Grafton and they also have an unraced gelding named Harvey Down with Pfieffer.  He is by deceased Raheen sire Shovhog and is a younger half-brother to brilliant Brisbane sprinter The Sixties.

Pfieffer’s stable star Graceful Anna is being set for a first-up tilt at the Listed Carrington Stakes at Randwick on New Year’s Day.  The Canny Lad mare has won 6 of her 11 starts and is poised to pass the million-dollar mark in prizemoney.