Magic Millions graduates continued their red hot form in juvenile races with five city winners around Australia on Saturday.
Eloping, Rubick, No Problem, Duckworth and Hold Your Tongue led the way with outstanding wins in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth respectively.
The only metro juvenile race not won by a graduate of Magic Millions was captured by a homebred of the power Darley operation.
It’s been a remarkable streak of wins for Magic Millions graduates in juvenile races in Australia this season with 43 individual city winners – including 10 individual stakes winners.
Rubick kicked away the day in style on Saturday when he led home a Magic Millions trifecta with a stylish win in the Sydney juvenile.
Sent out the odds on favourite after a couple of eye catching jump outs and then a stunning trial win on January 7, Rubick sat handy throughout before sprinting in the straight and racing away for a soft almost three length win.
A $460,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate purchased by David Raphael from the draft of Vinery Stud, Rubick is now headed to Melbourne for a Blue Diamond Prelude before the million dollar Blue Diamond Stakes at Group One level.
Trainer Gerald Ryan and rider Brenton Avdulla went into Saturday’s meeting full of excitement and anticipation and their exciting young charge didn’t let them down, scoring the most impressive of debut wins.
Rubick is a sensationally bred colt. The son of Encosta de Lago is from the group winner Sliding Cube and is a three quarter brother to Group One winning sire Manhattan Rain and stakes winner Echoes of Heaven.
Sliding Cube, a multiple stakes winner by Rock of Gibraltar, is a three quarter sister to Redoute’s Choice and Platinum Scissors – the latter being sire of Saturday’s Caulfield stakes winner Finishing Card.
Eloping extended her unbeaten run to two when she scored an impressive on speed victory in the listed Blue Diamond Preview for fillies at Caulfield on Saturday.
A member of the Peter Morgan and Craig Widdison stable, Eloping will head to the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes after her stylish victory.
A $120,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase from the Southern Cross Breeders draft, Eloping overcame a sluggish start to win impressively and earn some valuable black type for her 10 female owners.
The flashy filly was being aimed at the $2 million Jeep Magic Millions 2YO Classic and the $500,000 Racing Women Bonus, but a slight hamstring issue meant her campaign was shifted toward the Blue Diamond instead.
The third runner for the lightly raced Rory’s Jester mare Runaway Jesse, Eloping is a daughter of globe trotting sprinter Choisir and is a full sister to Melbourne winning and three time group placed juvenile Jesse’s Girl.
Earlier this month Victorian trainer Mark Riley went to $170,000 to secure Eloping’s three quarter sister by Starspangledbanner from the draft of Rosemont Stud at the 2014 Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
No Problem notched back to back metropolitan races when he edged out Tales of Fashion in an all Magic Millions finish to the QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap at Eagle Farm.
A son of Real Saga, No Problem gave his rivals weight and a beating in the race and continued the bright start for graduates of the recent Magic Millions Gold Coast Horses in Training Sale.
With the sale having been held just four months ago, already two graduates have emerged from the auction as city winners, No Problem and the impressive Flemington winner Bugatty.
No Problem is one of two winners, from two runners, for the seven time winning and $242,000 earning Monashee Mountain mare Sweet As.
A five time Brisbane winner, Sweet As came close to earnings black type twice when fourth in a Tattersalls Stakes and Sir Douglas Wadley Handicap.
No Problem is raced by Evan Hartley and trained from the Sunshine Coast by Len Treloar who suggested another run before a spell, where eventually the colt would be gelded with the future in mind.
Local youngster Duckworth will head to Melbourne and face a likely showdown with Rubick and Chivalry after another impressive win at Morphettville in Adelaide on Saturday.
The son of Gonski tracked the leaders throughout before finishing too well for the favourite Piacenza and winning well.
In stretching his unbeaten run to two, the Jon O’Connor trained Adelaide Yearling Sale graduate booked a trip east to chase some Melbourne riches.
O’Connor said the Blue Diamond Prelude was an option as connections look at seeing how he lined up with some of the country’s best youngsters. He didn’t rule out trying to emulate Adelaide youngster Miracles of Life by heading to Victoria’s richest two-year-old race after that run.
Duckworth is the first winner to date for the unraced Keltrice mare Always Vain – a half sister to former star Hong Kong galloper Always Flying.
The latest yearling from Always Vain, a bay colt by Danehill’s Irish bred Group One winning son Oratorio, is Lot 288 in the On Focus Lodge draft for March’s Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
Hold Your Tongue burst into contention for the $250,000 Magic Millions Perth 2YO Classic with a strong debut win at Ascot on Saturday.
Prepared by Lou and Dion Luciani, Hold Your Tongue led throughout for a strong one length win in the 1100 metre event.
A $160,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase from Bellerive Stud, Hold Your Tongue is a son of former star Magic Millions graduate and Golden Slipper winner Stratum.
Hold Your Tongue is one of three city winners from three to race for the lightly raced, well bred and top producing Hussonet mare Weekend Gossip.
A half sister to triple Group One winner Mentality, Weekend Gossip is the dam of Group Three Skyline Stakes winner I’m All the Talk and the in form Sydney galloper Straturbo – all three are sons of Widden Stud’s Stratum.
The $250,000 Magic Millions Perth 2YO Classic will be run at Ascot on the eve of the Perth Yearling Sales, on February 15.
Photos – Sportpix (Sydney), Greg Irvine (Melbourne, Brisbane), Jenny Barnes (Adelaide), Damien Wyer (Perth).