BROWNIE'S BLOG: MAGIC MILLIONS CARNIVAL WEEK - ALMOST THE COMPLETE RACING MARKETING PACKAGE

By Damian Browne | Thursday, January 9, 2020

Brownie’s Blog is the weekly blog of multiple Group 1 winning jockey Damian Browne. In this edition Brownie looks at the carnival that has ‘got a bit of everything for everyone’ as he talks about the grand scale of the Magic Millions concept … and its delivery on so many fronts … and the positive effect it has on racing, not least in the way it introduces racing to the younger generation. This Brownie’s Blog – exclusive to HRO.

Magic Millions week is without doubt the best horse racing promotion week in Queensland with off track activities like the polo and the beach gallops (to engage with general public), the high-profile sales (for both the hardened and the hopeful investors) all topped off by a $10 million race-day (for all racing enthusiasts).

It is fair to say it is almost the complete racing marketing package for both celebrities and the layman. It really is. It’s got a bit of everything for everyone … and I think the timing of the year is a big thing too.

Obviously, there is nothing in the way of carnivals in Sydney and Melbourne which takes away any distraction. We’ve just had Christmas and New Year festivities and people are still very much in that festive holiday mode.

What better place to be doing it than the Gold Coast?

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The Magic Millions Carnival has always been one of the big events on the racing calendar but I think in the last five or six years … with the publicity, the television coverage and the social media we have now … it’s gone to a new level.

Hats off the Gerry Harvey and his whole marketing team. They seem to be able to bring something new every year and change it up all of the time so that it doesn’t get stale. That’s what people want.

The are the standard promotions though … and arguably none are more impressive than the beach gallops. They are a very important part of proceedings, not just for the spectacle, but for the way it introduces racing to the younger generations.

Kids form a high percentage of the spectators and they line the fences to watch the horses. They can get up so close to the horse and riders on the beach. While the jockeys are on the horse they can move along the fence and high five the crowd and the kids love that. Those are memories that they will hold for a long time. That is one way to get them into the industry.

They get the right characters to ride there as well … you know the Noel Callow’s and the Tommy Berry’s, people who like to play up to the crowd and get them involved and make certain it is a fun event.

It can only be good for the industry!

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This year, of course, Frankie Dettori was a star attraction. This was the first time he was here and by the look of the photos he was enjoying himself so much he might be back.

I know I’m stating the obvious but he is a superstar as far as jockeys go on the world stage and it would have been a thrill for all of those people to see him in real life … another promotional success.

They even got to see him do his famous star-jump off the back of his horse. I do worry about that dismount though. I think one day it might come back to bite him in the arse or he’ll land on his arse … although, with the big race winners he has ridden, I guess he has had a lot of practise!

Frankie probably cost a lot of the others riders their normal fair share of photographs on the day because everybody was after pictures of Frankie, but I am sure the other riders were just happy they had the opportunity to meet and ride with Frankie.

It that regard, it was undoubtedly a big day out for them as well.

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As for the sales, three horses topped the $1 million mark on yesterday’s opening day of the sale. It is generally the usual suspects buying at the top end of the market and I guess when money is largely unlimited you can just go out and buy what you want.

When you are going shopping though, ideally you would like to go out and find a bargain for your money … and that is just one of the great things about this industry, the top end horses don’t necessarily have any better chance of coming good then those bought for more modest amounts. In fact, most of our champions have not come from the top end of the market.

Selections are made for different reasons obviously. For a lot of guys spending a lot of money, when they are going through their breeding and the confirmation and everything, they are looking at it, not so much for winners at the Magic Millions the next year, but more for stud propositions and those opportunities further down the track, whereas those buying in the $30 000, $40 000, $50 000 price range are more likely to be purchasing in the hope of getting a runner next year and getting a reasonably quicker return.

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An important spinoff from the sales this year is that every vendor will donate $500 to Fire Relief for every horse sold. That could end up in a total bordering $400 000.

People that are contributing on such a large scale at the moment. It is amazing and it’s great to see the racing community … and not just the sale vendors but from individuals of different means to organisations large and small … as, they always do, getting behind people who need every assistance they can get.

This is something racing has always been good at … not just for their own … but for the greater community.

I’m sure as the Magic Millions Carnival continues on there will be more donations from various quarters of the racing world. It’s good to see.

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With regard to the two main feature races on the big race-day, I haven’t really been through the two-year-old form yet.

As far as the three-year-old race is concerned … as a Queenslander and as a Sunshine Coast person … I’m right behind Alligator Blood. I’ve been following him with a lot of interest and I’m really excited to see him on Saturday.

He just seems to have kept on improving every start. Although he wasn’t probably beating a lot early on, he was doing it well and it probably wasn’t until the Caulfield Guineas prelude and the Caulfield Guineas itself that people country-wide starting sitting up and saying this could be a pretty handy one!

His form since coming back after that has been outstanding.

All credit to trainer David Vandyke for what he has done with Alligator Blood. There probably wouldn’t be a trainer … or there hasn’t been a trainer I have come across … who is as hands-on as David is. He knows his horses inside out.

Obviously, he is a very good horseman and his results speak for themselves. With the time he puts into them he deserves every success he gets.

Hopefully for David and his team, for all Queenslanders and Sunshine Coasters, Alligator Blood can come back a winner on Saturday!

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There is a difference between the Magic Millions race-day compared to the Queensland Winter Carnival.

Quite often southerners come up and they dominate the Winter Carnival and we are just happy to sort of get one or two winners on each of the days if we can.

Magic Millions. however, is a meeting where Queenslander’s generally do go well and it looks like this Saturday will be no different … we certainly look to have a some really good chances in a number of those million-dollar races.

That is not to say the raiders should not be taken seriously … they are sure to have some success … but my support is with locals so I will be shouting for these jockeys and trainers to bring home the bacon in the two main feature races.

Jockeys: Robbie Fradd, Dale Smith, Matthew McGillivray and Stephanie Thornton (the only apprentice), Ryan Maloney and Larry Cassidy.

Trainers: Toby and Trent Edmonds, Chris Munce, Steven O’Dea, Robert Heathcote, David Vandyke, Chris Anderson and Peter and Will Hulbert.

Whatever the outcome, it should be a great day’s racing.

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