Quality mare Ortensia gave January’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale a boost when she cruised to victory in Saturday’s Group One Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot.
Sent out the hot favourite at $2.20, Ortensia came with her usual strong finishing burst in the straight to reel in Rarefied and win by a widening one length margin.
The win was celebrated by connections who were heartbroken after her previous Group One win in the Galaxy was stripped after she returned a swab irregularity.
Ortensia, now prepared by Paul Messara, is a daughter of former champion Magic Millions graduate Testa Rossa and her younger full brother will go under the hammer at January’s 2012 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Ortensia’s impressive race record currently stands at 10 wins and seven minor placings from just 29 starts and earnings have raced to over $1.5 million.
The six-year-old, originally prepared by Tony Noonan, was sent out the favourite in Saturday’s sprinting feature after a brilliant first up two length win at Flemington on Victoria Oaks Day.
Ortensia is one of two winners from two to race for the well related Picnicker mare Aerate’s Pick.
A full sister to Intelligent Star and half sister to Blaze the Turf (dam of Soleil), Aerate’s Pick was unraced but is the dam of two city winners from as many to race.
Her latest yearling product, a chestnut colt by Testa Rossa, is being prepared by Woodside Park on behalf of Riverside Stud for January’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The colt, a full brother to Ortensia, is catalogued as lot 438 and he will go under the hammer during the third session of the auction on January 13.
He is one of seven top prospects heading to the Gold Coast under the Woodside Park Stud banner – the others are by sires including Charge Forward, Northern Meteor, Stratum and Street Sense.
The cream of Testa Rossa’s latest yearling crop will be at the Gold Coast – 35 catalogued for the first five sessions of the popular auction.
The 2012 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale will commence on January 11. The catalogue is now online and can be viewed here.
