SEVEN DAYS: JAN 8 - JAN 14 IN SE QUEENSLAND
By Graham Potter | Sunday, January 14, 2024
JANUARY 10
Shock ... horror ... not really, although it does take a bit of getting your head around the fact that Saturday’s 2024 Magic Millions Three-Year-Old Guineas will be run and won before the result of the 2020 edition of the race is finalised.
Alligator Blood won the 2020 Guineas on the track, was subsequently disqualified, was reinstated ... that reinstatement was then appealed and so all of the legalities went on, now covering four years ... with who knows how much in costs for both the connections of Alligator Blood and the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC).
February 7 has now been set for the case to resume. Maybe, just maybe, that will bring closing arguments with a final ruling to follow to, at last, bring the matter of the race result to rest.
That’s the hope, but not something you would bet on. Read more ...
THAT 2020 MAGIC MILLIONS GUINEAS RESULT - FOUR YEARS ON AND THE LEGAL FIGHT STILL CONTINUES
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JANUARY 11
If reports that Channel 7 have proposed plans for jockeys to be handed AirPods before the race start so they can be interviewed by Channel 7 hosts before handing them back before the jump at the Gold Coast on Magic Millions day are true ... well what an airhead idea that is!
As reported, some jockeys apparently are unfazed by the idea, others not so keen ... but, really should the jockeys even be the first port of call.
What do the stewards think about the idea? Would they even sanction it?
What do the owners who pay the bills think about it? Would they want their jockey’s minds distracted by some ‘mindless’ questions ... and you’d bet there will be some of those.
What do the trainers have to say about it? Having a horse that is trained to the minute to be at their best needs a jockey’s full concentration and focus to bring that goal to fruition, not a casual chat to take them through the countdown. Read more ...
ANOTHER AIRHEAD IDEA
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JANUARY 13
The Gai Waterhouse / Adrian Bott trained Storm Boy came, saw, and conquered in the Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic at the Gold Coast on Saturday ... a race in which Storm Boy’s unbeaten record was never under any serious threat.
A comfortable winner 2.28 length winner at Rosehill on debut back on December 2, Storm Boy was as strong in his follow-up win in the Group 3, B J McLachlan at Doomben on December 23 ... again by that a very comfortable 2.40 length margin ... and it was really a simple repeat dose of what had gone before when Storm Boy trounced his opposition in the Two-Year-Old Classic, beating the second placed Highness by his now standard 2.50 lengths.
Storm Boy wasn’t the best away at the break, but Adam Hyeronimus wasn’t about to hang around and he quickly pushed the son of Justify up towards the leading line, racing in fourth, three wide, in the early part, only a length off the $201 rank outsider Mishani Ego.
With 800m left to run Storm Boy was up to second place and by the top of the straight the Waterhouse / Bott runner was alongside the early leader. A stride later he took over the lead ... and that, basically, was that. Read more ...
STORM BOY BLOWS THEM AWAY IN THE $3 MILLION MAGIC MILLIONS TWO-YEAR-OLD CLASSIC
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The Robert Heathcote trained Abounding scored a rousing victory in the $3 million Magic Millions Three-Year-Old Guineas at the Gold Coast when she produced a superb, sustained, finely judged run in the home straight to pass a wall of horses in a pressurised finish over the final 200m to forge into the lead when it mattered most to edge out the $31 outsider Sovereign Fund by a 0.20 length margin.
When Heathcote walked back ... all alone for the moment ... across the parade ring towards the winner’s enclosure to meet his Guineas winner and received the many plaudits from Abounding’s huge ownership group after the race, it almost seemed like he was enjoying a moment of serenity amongst the surrounding mayhem, letting the moment sink in. Even his thumbs-up to the camera was a gentle and calm gesture, rather just acknowledging the camera than making any brass victory celebration statement.
“If you could bottle that feeling immediately after winning a $3 million race, I’m tipping you’ll make a dollar,” said Heathcote. Read more ...
ABOUNDING GIVES HEATHCOTE AND HARLEY A SPECTACULAR WIN IN THE $3 MILLION MM GUINEAS
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Martin Harley rode an inch perfect race to get the Robert Heathcote trained Abounding home in the $3 million Magic Million Guineas at the Gold Coast on Saturday, but his real heroics wasn’t as much to do with what he did ... but, rather, it had to do with the fact he was actually able to be there to do it in the first place.
Harley’s race-fall twelve months ago, which left him with a broken neck, has been well documented as has his unbelievable level of commitment to his rehabilitation taking on a physical workload, just the thought of which might have left a less determined person beaten before they even got started.
So, a salute goes out here to Harley for clenching his teeth and not giving an inch until he had overcome his dire adversity, obviously with the help of those close to him. That’s the real hero part of Harley’s incredible personal story over the last twelve months. Read more ...
MARTIN HARLEY WINS THE $3 MILLION MAGIC MILLIONS GUINEAS ABOARD ABOUNDING – IT IS QUITE A STORY
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The case of horses for courses does not come more clearcut than The Peter and Paul Snowden trained King Of Sparta and his love affair with the Gold Coast track ... old and new.
On January 15, 2022, King Of Sparta won the then $2 million Magic Million Three-year-Old Guineas. The next time he saw the track was on January 19, 2023, where he won the $1 million Magic Millions Sprint.
For the next twelve months, albeit racing against opposition of real quality ... horses like Imperatriz, Think About it, Rothfire when contesting three Group1’s, two Group 2’s and one Group 3 ... King Of Sparta did not win another race. His only run other than Group company during that time came in The Hunter at Newcastle on November 18, where he earned a runner-up finish in what would be his last run before making a third trip to the Gold Coast for his 2024 Magic Millions assignment, this time in the $1 million Magic Millions Snippets.
With his unbeaten Glitter Strip record on the line, King Of Spata, under James McDonald who had ridden hm in his Magic Millions success a year before, thrived as well as he has ever done at the track, taking no prisoners when routing the opposition in a far more decisive manner than his official two length winning margins suggests. Read more ...
KING OF SPARTA - A MAGIC MILLIONS GOLD COAST TRACK SPECIALIST WINS FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW
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First out of the gates ... first home, that was the story of So United’s win in the $1 million Magic Millions Subzero.
Not that it was that simple for the So You Think gelding who made it back-to-back wins after saluting over 1800m at Randwick in the start leading in the his Magic Millions assignment.
Not for the first time, So United was given a progressive preparation distance-wise, going from 1550m first-up to 1800 to his more preferred 2200m of the Subzero contest ... a program designed to bring So United to his peak on the big day.
Peak he did, and he needed every ounce of his fitness to get the job done, needless to say with every assistance from Tim Clark in the saddle, who rated So United perfectly throughout. Read more ...
SO UNITED – THE MIDDLE LEG OF A BIG MAGIC MILLIONS TREBLE FOR THE WATERHOUSE / BOTT STABLE
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t’s a pretty good outcome for connections when they have a horse that has had only one run and has already banked $305 000 in the prize-money earnings.
That’s the pleasing situation for the owners of the Chris Anderson trained Lead Me On, who powered home in decisive fashion to take out the Magic Millions The Debut (a Two-Year-Old Plate for colts and geldings) over 1000m at the Gold Coast on January 13.
“It was a terrific thrill,” said Anderson, “We’ll take that every day of the week.
“This was our plan a long way out. We always identified that the Gold Coast trials would make him eligible for the race so, I guess we wanted to do two things. We wanted to get him away from home and not just see him trail at Doomben or Eagle Farm. We obviously wanted to see him trail at the Gold Coast where we wanted him to race ... to get to see the track, which is obviously of value, particularly for horses making their debut.
“He trialled there and won the trial with Michael Rodd on board, so that ticked a lot of boxes for us. Read more ...
A PLAN COMES TOGETHER FOR CHRIS ANDERSON
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NB- SEE SEPARATE STORIES FOR ...
THE MAGIC MILLIONS TWO-YEAR-OLD CLASSIC (STORM BOY)
THE MAGIC MILLIONs THREE-YEAR-OLD GUINEAS (ABOUNDING)
THE MAGIC MILLIONS SNIPPETS (KING OF SPARTA)
THE MAGIC MILLIONS SUBZERO (SO UNITED)
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ZOUMETEOR LEADS THEM A MERRY DANCE IN THE MM COUNTRY CUP
Queensland trainers were on the front foot early on Magic Millions race-day with the Stuart Kendrick trained Zoumeteor taking out the first race on the card.
Zoumeteor’s end to end win in the $500 000 Magic Millions Country Cup ... under Angela Jones ...came via a bold effort from the worst of the draw (sixteen out of sixteen) which saw the four-year-old son of Zoustar prevail to score by a diminishing, but comfortable enough 0.50 length margin from Velvet Haze ($9). Zoumeteor was passed in at the MM Sale at $140 000 with the reserve being $150 000. Read more ...
THE GOLD COAST WRAP - MAGIC MILLIONS DAY
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JANUARY 14
The Greg Hickmont trained Eleven Eleven, a Magic Millions race-day regular, bowed out of his impressive racing career with a sixth-place finish in the $1 million Magic Millions The Syndicate ... unplaced, but with no dent to his pride.
A second place on the track in January 2020 behind Alligator Blood in the Magic Millions Three-Year-Old Guineas inadvertently pushed Eleven Eleven into the cut and thrust battle of who would take home the $1 million plus first prize-money after Alligator Blood was originally disqualified from the race ... then reinstated after Alligator Bloods connections too the matter to open court ... than that ruling was challenged by the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission.... and now, a full four years later, the final verdict is still locked in legal wrangle.
Hickman and Eleven Eleven just got on with things though, and they got their bona fide Magic Millions win the next time they came to the Gold Coast winning the 2021 $1 million Magic Millions Cup. Read more ...
AN OLD MAGIC MILLIONS FAVOURITE BOWS OUT
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Jaden Lloyd will be taking the opportunity to ride at Kranji in Singapore before the Government there brings racing to a halt in October this year.
Any international riding assignment helps young riders grow in experience and Lloyd’s time overseas will be no exception.
Lloyd has been granted a license from January 22 to June 22.
He would have to get an extension to that, which is likely to be on offer as some other jockeys have already left the precinct ahead of its closure, if he wants emulate the feat of his father, Jeff, who won the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup aboard Mr Line in 2006. Read more ...
JADEN LLOYD SINGAPORE-BOUND
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