Winner: Fifteen Carat (Show a Heart-Brynica)
Race: Qld Tatt’s RC Tattersall’s Mile LR (1600m)
Sold for $22,000
Sale: 2008 Magic Millions QTIS 600 Yearling Sale
Vendor: Warrandale Stud
Buyer: Robert Stewart
Passed for $70,000
Sale: 2008 Magic Millions Horses in Training Sale
Vendor: Robert Stewart
Reserve: $75,000
Earnings: $241,900
Owner(s): Mrs BA Bates, R Merkur, PA Kaljo, Ms M Jackson & RC Maddison
Trainer: Howard Wilson (Gold Coast)
Quality Gold Coast three-year-old Fifteen Carat will be tested at racing’s elite level following an impressive win against his older rivals in the listed Tattersall’s Mile (1600m) at Eagle Farm today.
Trainer Howard Wilson, who has prepared multiple group winners, has no doubt Fifteen Carat is the best horse he’s trained.
And he’s chosen the Group One Epsom Handicap as the new goal for his star galloper following his latest stakes victory.
“He’s a very good horse,” Wilson told AAP.
“He’ll have three weeks off and I’ll get him ready for the Epsom.”
“That’s my plan – we started him today to make sure he’d get a run in the Epsom and that’s where he’s going.”
“I’ve hardly ever had many runners in the big races,” Wilson said. “I’ve never had a Group One horse but this bloke might be the one.”
“He’s a better horse than my (previous two) Villiers winners and the best horse I’ve had.”
Glen Colless picked up the ride on Fifteen Carat with regular rider Stathi Katsidis struck down with a bad case of the flu.
Katsidis’ fiancee Melissa Jackson, a part owner of the three-year-old, was also not on track – she was at home cheering while “playing nurse.”
“Three-year-olds don’t beat the older horses very often and the horse he got past is a good old horse,” an impressed Glen Colless said.
“They’ve got to be a fair bit above average to do it and he stuck to his guns really well.”
“He’s a very nice horse but the thing I like about him is he’s just a really relaxed horse.
In a thrilling run to the line Fifteen Carat ($3 fav) finished too well for Bold Glance ($4.80) and at the line a short head separated the pair.
The rest of the field was headed by Deacon ($11), who was another length and three quarters back.
A $22,000 purchase for Robert Stewart from the draft of Warrandale Stud at the 2008 Magic Millions QTIS 600 Yearling Sale, Fifteen Carat is turning out a great value buy.
With three wins and five minor placings from just 14 starts, Fifteen Carat has already earned his connections an impressive $241,900.
As a two-year-old Fifteen Carat was also put through his paces at the 2008 Magic Millions National Horses in Training Sale at the Gold Coast.
On that occasion his bidding stopped $5,000 short of his $75,000 reserve and was retained by the vendor.
The winner is a gelded son of Show a Heart – a former outstanding racehorse and winner of the Caulfield Guineas – who is now a leading sire based at Glenlogan Park in Queensland.
He is one of 18 stakes winners for his sire, following in the hoofsteps of stars including Heart of Dreams, Mimi Lebrock, Toorak Toff, Rightfully Yours and Gotta Have Heart.
Fifteen Carat is the first winner for the Snippets mare Brynica, a daughter of the stakes winning Polish Patriot mare Little Pattie.
It is the well known Just Now family that includes the stakes winners McClintock, Telltina and Lolita Star.
PICS – Dan Costello.
