Next month’s Magic Millions National Yearling Sale received a boost when quality three-year-old Shootoff won the $100,000 Lord Mayor’s Cup at Canterbury.

Sent out the favourite after winning the Frank Packer Plate at his previous start, Shootoff treated his rivals with contempt, cruising home under Josh Adams to win by almost three lengths.

A son of Duelled, Shootoff is trained by Graeme Rogerson and his stable foreman Roger Elliott was impressed with the victory.

“He’s really maturing into a nice horse,” Elliott said. “He’s getting stronger and better with time.”

The gelding will almost certainly head north to take his place in feature races over the Brisbane Winter Carnival according to Elliott.

Winning rider Josh Adams said his main concern during the race was in the home straight when his charge bolted clear of his rivals – worrying he may have got to the lead too early – he shouldn’t have worried.

“He did a great job,” Adams said. “He’s a bit above these.”

“He had no weight on his back and during the race he had the perfect run.”

“The speed was really good. I just waited until we came to the corner. He put paid to them very quickly which worried me a little bit because I didn’t want to hit the front that early – but he went on with it really well,” Adams summed up.

A three quarter brother to Shootoff has been consigned by Evergreen Stud Farm for the upcoming Magic Millions National Yearling Sale.

Catalogued as Lot 1986, the bay or brown colt is by Duelled and from the Tights mare Intrim.

Intrim is the dam of six winners including the Zabeel mare Athenri – the dam of the in form Shootoff.

Duelled, a Redoute’s Choice three quarter brother to Nothin’ Leica Dane, was a graduate of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

He was a high class staying three-year-old – winning the AAMI Vase at Group Two level before running a close second in the Victoria Derby at Flemington.

Shootoff is a member of the first crop of Duelled, a blue blood who’s made a bright start to his career as a sire in New Zealand.

The Magic Millions National Yearling Sale will be held at the Gold Coast from June 5-7 with over 670 lots catalogued.

The National Sale as a whole will commence on May 25 with the first of three sessions comprising the National Weanling Sale.