Raheen Stud has a dozen yearlings catalogued for the Magic Millions and its likely leader is the Encosta de Lago filly scheduled to sell on Thursday afternoon.

Raheen studmaster Basil Nolan is president of Thoroughbred Breeders Queensland and he’s been flat to the boards co-ordinating the TBQA Flood Appeal in the last week.

His son Basil jnr has prepped the Magic Millions consignment and he rates the Encosta de Lago – Mardi’s Classic filly very highly.  “She’s a lovely individual and there’s plenty of black-type to back it up,” he explained.  “ She’s out of a winning sister to Racing To Win who was the first Encosta to win a Group 1 in Sydney.”

Racing To Win broke through at that level in the 2006 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill and he went on to win another four G1 features in the Doncaster Handicap, Epsom Handicap, George Main Stakes and All-Aged Stakes.

The Raheen yearling is catalogued as Lot 321 and she is a half-sister to the Testa Rossa filly that sold for $175,000 at last year’s Magic Millions.  She was purchased by Tony Noonan who already has a pretty handy Testa Rossa mare named Ortenisa down at his Mornington stables.

The first of the Raheen yearlings to sell at the Gold Coast is a strong Testa Rossa filly from Eagle Farm winner Denise’s Diamond (Lot 115).  

The Nolans are big fans of Testa Rossa.  The Raheen roster includes his Redoute’s Choice half-brother Stromberg Carlson and his stakes winning son Publishing.

Commands is another commercial sire with a Raheen rep at the Gold Coast.  His colt from Hippy is listed as Lot 229 and is a big, strapping type according to Nolan.  His dam is a winning half-sister to Eagle Farm stakes winner Love And Money.

The Nolans sold a Commands colt to South African trainer Charles Laird at the 2008 Magic Millions and he went on to win at Listed level in the Nijinsky Derby Trial at Turffontein.

Raheen would have also expected South African interest for its Haradasun colt (Lot 107) at the Magic Millions but he has been withdrawn.  His dam Days Of Innocence is an unraced sister to G1 winning grey filly Lovely Jubly.

Laird purchased her General Nediym colt for $220,000 at the 2010 Magic Millions and, racing as General Jubilation, was third home on debut at Turffontein on New Year’s Day.  He buttered up for another placing at Clairwood last Sunday.

The Haradasun colt is also a grey and, even though he won’t appear at the Magic Millions, could still be on Laird’s shopping list while he is in Australia.