Winner: Hoegaarden (Flying Spur-Inspect)
Race: WATC Fairetha Stakes LR (1400m)
Sold for: $100,000
Sale: 2009 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Baerami Thoroughbreds
Buyer: Ong Tiong Seng
Earnings: $66,700
Owner(s): TS Ong
Trainer: Joe Byrne (Ascot)
Hoegaarden will head to the WA Guineas after he led home a Magic Millions trifecta result in today’s listed $80,000 Fairetha Stakes (1400m) at Ascot.
Trained by renowned Ascot horseman Joe Byrne, Hoegaarden got home to beat Playing God and View the Stars in an impressive performance.
The Flying Spur gelding went into the race a maiden after two placings from as many starts – but thankfully for connections today he struck no bad luck.
“He should have won his second race,” Byrne said. “They just ran the race a bit wrong for him.”
“He would have had to have run 32 for the last three (furlongs) to win.”
Byrne has always held Hoegaarden in good regard – a young likely raced galloper who he thinks will get better as his distances are increased.
“Coming back to the 1400 (metres) we weren’t overly confident today. Because he needs to go the other way.”
“He needs to 1600, 1800 then 2200,” he added.
“He’s got a beautiful stride on him and he’s such a relaxed horse I’m really looking forward to getting him over some ground.”
“His mother won over like 2000 (metres) and Intergaze was probably a champion with eight Group Ones.”
Byrne trains the gelding for Singapore based client Ong Tiong Seng – a long time supporter of the stable and also Magic Millions sales around the country.
The two took a shine to Hoegaarden at last year’s Gold Coast Yearling Sale and went to $100,000 to buy him from the draft of Baerami Thoroughbreds.
“He’ll go to the Guineas now,” Byrne said of future plans he held for the stable’s latest stakes winner.
“I was up in Singapore the other day and I said to the boys that I’d like to pick out a couple of races over longer distances before I tip him out.”
“This is his first preparation but he’s handling it pretty good.”
Hoegaarden is one of two winners produced by the three time winning and stakes performer Integra mare Inspect.
Inspect, who won all her three races on Sydney tracks over 1800 and 2000 metres, is a full sister to former crack galloper Intergaze.
Intergaze won 12 races – eight at Group One level – and earned over $3.76 million during an illustrious career.
