THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN - MAGIC MILLIONS PUTS FEMALES ON THE FRONT FOOT

By Graham Potter | Sunday, December 15, 2013

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily

You know if it’s getting close to Christmas then the Magic Millions race-day can’t be far away.

The first words of almost every trainer who has won with a useful horse in recent times has been to announce boldly, where they could, ‘it’s a Magic Millions horse.’

So many have done so, in fact, that with limited places available in the final line-up for list of features on that day, the chase to move up the order of entry in the respective races has become quite critical for all of those other than those already safely qualified.

When the dust has settled and the final field is announced for the Two-Year-Old Classic, in particular, a look at the ownership of the horses involved should make interesting reading.

Last year the Classic’s prize-money incorporated a ‘world-first incentive to promote female racehorse ownership - the Magic Millions Racing Women’s Bonus.’

The same stakes carrot is on offer in 2014 with the bonus of $500,000 again neatly bumping up the already substantial $2 million regular stake for the Classic.

Horses will be eligible for the bonus if they are ‘all female owned or leased’ with the payout breakdown of the $500,000 being $325,000 (going to the best finisher meeting the bonus criteria): $100,000 (second best): $50,000 (third qualifier) and $25,000 (to the fourth placed finisher … in this race within a race).

Or will it actually be a race within a race as it was last year?

Surely it is a ‘no brainer’ that all yearlings bought at the Magic Million sales would now be registered under female ownership. With a $500,000 incentive, it would be an inglorious slip of the pen if that opportunity was wasted.

Maybe that is being too simplistic, but in one sense you almost wish that would be the case.

If, for argument sake, there were only four horses racing for the bonus and they finished in the last four positions, it would hardly sit comfortably with other owners that a well-beaten horse was earning more than they had in spite of their horse finishing in front of the ‘Woman’s Bonus winner.’

So, while good intentioned, the system can have its flaws but my bet is that, based on the $500,000 argument, there will not only be four horses racing for the bonus.

Not everybody likes the idea of restricted race within what is already a (sales company) restricted race, but it is Magic Millions prerogative to set the terms and conditions of their race-day and to use any promotional tool they see as advantageous to their cause.

What it does do is put on offer the biggest first prize in racing in Queensland.

Win the Two-year-old Classic with an all female owned or leased horse and the winning owner(s) will take home a cool $1.465,000!

Thinks that’s a pipedream?

You’ve got a short memory. That’s exactly what Real Surreal earned for her connections last year.

No wonder the rush is on to get there and as I say, I’m guessing by now all the right signatures are in the right places.

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