A pair of “lucky” but highly talented racehorses capped a successful weekend for graduates of Australia’s leading thoroughbred sales company Magic Millions.
Lucky Hussler and Lucky Street scored career peak victories when they respectively won the Group One William Reid Stakes on Friday night and Group Two Karrakatta Plate on Saturday.
First up since a close second to Hucklebuck in the Group One Emirates Stakes in November, Lucky Hussler came with a barnstorming run in the straight to win his first race at racing’s elite level under the Moonee Valley lights.
Aided by a copybook ride from proven big race rider Glen Boss, Lucky Hussler steamed home to beat Vain Queen and co by a widening length and three quarters. It was a total dominant display over the concluding stages.
A $100,000 purchase for connections from the draft of Monarch Stud at the 2011 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Lucky Hussler sent his earnings past $886,000 with his latest success.
“I couldn’t be happier with that,” a delighted trainer Darren Weir said. “It’s a huge thrill for the stable. I’ve thanked them all before but the team at Warrnambool, Daniel and Denita – they do a great job with the horses at the beach – plus I must thank the crew at home as well – it’s a big team.”
“He came back better this time with two trials and Johnny Allen our main trial rider gave glowing reports. He galloped him again on Monday and he went terrific.”
Weir and Boss then had to convince connections to head to the William Reid Stakes – thankfully for connections that is where they headed.
“I was pretty confident and couldn’t believe his price,” Glen Boss said. “He’s a dynamic sprinter. His best distances are probably six furlong to 1400 metres and last time we stretched him to a mile.”
“I’ve got a lot of faith in his horse and he’s got a great turn of foot when you ask him,” Boss added.
Lucky Hussler as his name suggests is a close relation to former Australian Horse of the Year and seven time Group One winner Weekend Hussler.
Friday night’s star is from the Adelaide winning Black Hawk mare Talaq Dancer, a half sister to the former Ross McDonald trained star. While Weekend Hussler is by Hussonet, Lucky Hussler is by Hussonet’s Group One winning son Husson.
Lucky Street delighted favourite punters and confirmed his status as Western Australia’s champion two-year-old with a smashing of his rivals in Saturday’s $500,000 Group Two Karrakatta Plate (1200m) at Ascot.
The four and a half length victory was one the easiest seen in any feature race in Australia this year and provided champion local hoop Paul Harvey with his first win in a Karrakatta Plate.
A $75,000 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale purchase for trainer Trevor Andrews from the Mungrup Stud draft, Lucky Street becomes the first home to win the state’s two premier juvenile events after capturing February’s $250,000 Magic Millions Perth 2YO Classic at the same track.
A winner his last four starts in a five start career Lucky Street has sent his earnings past $600,000. In between his Magic Millions and Karrakatta Plate successes he cruised to a two and a half length win in the Perth Stakes at listed level.
“He’s just a super colt,” Andrews said. “Just a really good racehorse with a good motor and Paul has ridden him a treat.”
“Paul’s ridden him in his work and he knows him back to front.”
“It’s just good to bring a horse to that races that is odds on like that and win like an odds on type!”
“He’s going to the paddock now as I don’t want to race the sprint out of him. I’d like to run in a race like the Winterbottom (Stakes) at the end of the year – it’s a million dollar race at weight-for-age – he’ll get 52 kilos on his back.”
“If he can get a Group One win on his back we’ll stand him at stud. People are looking for fast and good two-year-olds. This bloke is a ripping type and a super two-year-old.”
Lucky Street is the third Karrakatta Plate winner for Mungrup Stud based Stravinsky sire Oratorio. A winner of the Magic Millions Adelaide 2YO Classic as well as the Group Three CS Hayes Stakes, Oratorio is the sire of 12 stakes winners.
Rumours, the dam of Lucky Street, won six races, including two at two – all of her six wins coming on Perth metropolitan tracks. Rumours is by Umatilla and is a half sister to the dam of Singapore star Given Vision.
As well as Lucky Street, Rumours is the dam of Perth winners Secret Enigma and Rumoured and four time Singapore victor Joyous Express.
Lucky Hussler and Lucky Street weren’t the only Magic Millions graduates to win at stakes level over the weekend with Catkins, Amber Orchid, Banca Mo, Ondina and Boom Time also among the feature winners.
One of the most popular horses in the country, Catkins cruised to victory in Saturday’s Group Two Emancipation Stakes for James McDonald and Chris Waller to record her second win in the feature event.
An $85,000 purchase for Ingham Racing from the draft of Amarina Farm at the 2011 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Catkins will be given a chance to win at Group One level with future options including the Queen of the Turf Stakes and All Aged Stakes in the coming weeks.
Catkins boasts an outstanding record of 15 wins and 11 minor placings from just 31 starts. She has earned her connections over $1.68 million with a win haul that includes nine group wins as well as another two at listed level.
The bonny mare is a good looking grey daughter of Dubawi, the Irish Two Thousand Guineas winning son of ill fated champion Dubai Millennium. Dubawi is the sire of 85 stakes winners around the world including Lucky Nine, Kazeem, Makfi and the Australian bred Group One winners Happy Archer, Secret Admirer and Tiger Tees.
Catkins is from the twice raced Catbird mare Salix Caprea – a half sister to Adelaide’s listed Classic Mile winner Rally – a 10 time winner and earner of over $270,000.
Amber Orchid made it a group race double for Australian bred daughters of Dubawi when she scored a breakthrough stakes win in Saturday night’s Group Three Jacaranda Handicap at Turffontein.
Bred and sold by Darley in the same 2010 National Weanling Sale draft that included champion colt Pierro, Amber Orchid has now won five races in South Africa for the Sean Tarry stable and her owners Chris Van Niekerk, Markus Jooste and Hassen Adams.
The mare, a $20,000 purchase, is one of five winners for the winning Hennessy mare Amber Shore, a half sister to Flemington stakes winner Fabulous Friscoe. It is also the family of international Group One winners Al Shemali and Bad Girl Runs.
Champion Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse added an Adelaide stakes win to her autumn haul when Ondina led throughout in Saturday’s listed Laelia Stakes at Morphettville.
With Blake Spriggs in the saddle, Ondina found plenty over the concluding stages to hold out her rivals headed by the Tony McEvoy trained Into the Mist.
A $40,000 purchase for Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds from the Tyreel Stud draft at the 2013 National Yearling Sale, Ondina boasts the impressive record of three wins from six starts and she looks a leading contender for the upcoming Group One Australasian Oaks at Morphettville.
Ondina is the third stakes winner for Encosta de Lago’s two-year-old Group One winning son Manhattan Rain – a full brother to champion sire Redoute’s Choice.
She is from the two-year-old winning and stakes placed Mujadil mare Mermaid Island, a half sister to Irish One Thousand Guineas winner and proven stakes producer Nightime.
Another of Mermaid Island’s products is the multiple Moonee Valley winner Holy Cow, a daughter of Teofilo who has been twice fourth at listed level for the Mick Kent stable.
Outstanding Tasmanian galloper Banco Mo sent his earnings soaring past $760,000 when he scored a dominant win in Saturday’s listed Mornington Cup and in doing so clinched a berth into October’s Caulfield Cup.
Prepared on the Apple Isle by Scott Brunton, Banco Mo showed his usual fighting qualities to hold out a sustained challenge over the concluding stages from the fancied runner Big Memory to win by three parts of a length.
‘Mo’ as he is affectionately known by connections was purchased by owner Mandy Gunn for just $2,100 at the 2009 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale.
Banco Mo is the sole winner to date for the three time winning Mukddaam mare I Gotcha Babe. Successful at distances from 1250 to 1600 metres, I Gotcha Babe is from a two-year-old winning half sister to stakes performer Le Melezin.
It is the family further back of stakes winners including Rasputin’s Revenge, Marist Lady, Arietta, Bandoo Bay, Ontonic and Shades of March.
Boom Time burst into contention for the Western Australian Derby with a brilliant win in Saturday’s listed Melvista Stakes (2200m) at Ascot.
The first leg in a big stakes double for trainer Trevor Andrews, Boom Time overcame a three wide run throughout to beat his fancied rivals and stamp himself a leading contender for the city’s upcoming blue riband.
A graduate of the 2013 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, Boom Time went into Saturday’s race as a maiden but looked a stayer of promise with a last start third in the listed JC Roberts Stakes.
Boom Time is the 94th individual stakes winner for his sire, Danehill’s Golden Slipper winning son Flying Spur.
He is from the seven time winner Bit of a Ride, a three time city winner who is a three quarter sister to the Group Two winner and four time Group One placegetter Scandinavia, the dam of four stakes winners – Magnus, Wilander, Scandiva and Arctic Flight – as well as the dams of superstars Black Caviar and All Too Hard.
