$1 million bonuses paid to QTIS Jewel nominees

With still almost five months of the 2017/18 racing season to go, the $933,375 total bonuses already paid comprise $237,700 won by the 16 nominations (10 individual winners) for the $250,000 2YO Jewel and $695,675 accumulated by the 18 nominations (all winners) for the $150,000 3YO Jewel. The overall bonus total jumps to more than $1.25 million if a Magic Millions 2YO Classic bonus of $325,000 paid last year is added.

Nominations for both races have been received from as far afield as Atherton in far north Queensland to Glen Innes in northern NSW, plus major training centres as Brisbane, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Rockhampton.

Both Jewels are feature races – along with the Listed Goldmarket (1200m)  – at the Gold Coast meeting which is an important prelude to the Magic Millions March yearling sale being held on Monday and Tuesday, March 19 and 20.

All 389 lots catalogued have been subject to the first payment for QTIS and buyers will have the opportunity to scoop $64,700 (colts and geldings) and $76,950 (fillies) every Saturday for a metropolitan two and three-year-old win for fully paid QTIS youngsters. Some 76 lots are BOBS eligible in a further boost for buyers.

Buyers also have the added incentive of a 33 percent discount on the Magic Millions Race Series nomination fee to make their purchase eligible for the $11 million plus suite of graduate races held over six states of Australia.

ONE horse missing from the 2YO Jewel will be Miss Sara as Brisbane trainer Les Ross won’t be tempted to back her up despite the filly’s narrow win in the QTIS 2YO Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday, March 10.

“The Jewel is worth a lot of money but it’s only 1200 metres and she wants further so I’ll find another suitable race for her in two weeks,” Ross said.

Wattle Brae stud master Gary Turkington may have been hoping Miss Sara would start as the stud has catalogued the filly’s yearling sister on Day 2, Tuesday, March 20.

Both fillies are by Wattle Brae resident sire Mahisara from the winning Marauding mare Diamonds’N’Pearls – herself a half-sister to Group 1 Queensland Derby winner Eagle Way. Miss Sara becomes the first city winner for first season sire Mahisara – a dual Group 3 winning son of More Than Ready – who is also the sire of Toowoomba 2YO winner Mishani Krishna.

Racing Queensland webnews reports Miss Sara’s win continued Ross’s great run of late and was his fourth winner from his past six starters. Ross paid only $12,000 for filly at last year’s Magic Millions March sales and she had now earned more than $95,000 in prizemoney and bonuses.

“I got her for $12,000 only 12 months ago but I couldn’t sell all the shares in her originally. But I’m happy now as I kept a share for myself,” he said.

TALENTED 3YO colt Hang earned a Brisbane winter carnival campaign with an impressive win in the QTIS 3YO Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday, March 10.

Having his first start since completing a hat-trick of wins at Ipswich in October, Hang has now won four in succession from only six starts and taken his prizemoney tally to $86,000.

Hang is owned and bred by Kim McCasker who won the 1999 Group 1 Doomben 10,000 with the Michael Nolan-trained Laurie’s Lottery.

Queensland Racing webnews reports that Toowoomba trainer Ben Currie, who attended the Dalby Newmarket meeting on Saturday, is hoping Hang will make a Group 1 Queensland Derby horse in June and will aim him at the major lead-up races.

Hang’s pedigree indicates he has the potential to  compete at the 3YO classic distances of 1600m (Guineas) and 2400m (Derbies). Although his Clang (Bellotto/Sudden Impulse) was renown as a top class sprinter, he has the distinction of siring AJC Derby winner Clangalang while Hang’s dam Godsana is a daughter of Group 1 Caulfield Guineas winner God’s Own.

Formerly based in Queensland for 18 seasons until his demise in 2015, Clang has now sired more than 400 winners and taken his progeny earnings past $21.3 million. Apart from Clangalang who also won the Group 1 AJC Epsom Handicap at Randwick, Clang’s other noted progeny include dual Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap winner Black Piranha and Group 1 Golden Slipper winner Calaway Gal.

GLOBAL racing and breeding giant Godolphin paid $500,000 for the overall top-priced horse at this year’s Inglis Premier yearling sale held in Melbourne from March 4 to 6 – a Fastnet Rock/ Lady Melksham filly from Rushton Park.

Queensland-based John Foote Bloodstock and Darren Weir Racing were also prominent paying the second top sale price of $450,000 for a Snitzel/Miss With Attitude colt from the Mill Park Stud draft. The colt was one of five lots bought in partnership while John Foote also bought another three lots. 

Book 1 ended with a sale average of $118,333, median of $100,000, gross of $49,936,500 and clearance rate of 83 percent. A further 148 lots were sold in Book 2 to average $39,540.

“Last year was the best Premier Yearling Sale we have ever had and this year’s version is right on par with that, so we must be satisfied with that,’’ Inglis’ Victorian Bloodstock Manager Simon Vivian said.

Woodside Park was Leading Vendor by aggregate ($3,945,000), while the leader by average was Yarraman Park Stud ($258,750).

The sale’s leading sires by aggregate were the Woodside Park duo Zoustar ($4,855,000) and Queensland-bred Written Tycoon ($4,367,500) while the best by average (for three or more sold) was Arrowfield Stud’s Snitzel at $291,000.

Seven different sires were represented in the top 10 highest-priced Lots – Fastnet Rock, Snitzel, Rubick, Pierro, Sepoy, Zoustar and Toronado.

The buying bench was as diverse as ever, with purchasers coming from all around Australia as well as Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

THREE Queensland vendors also participated across both Books at this year’s Inglis Premier yearling sale held in Melbourne from March 4 to 6.

Aquis Farm, Wonglepong, grossed just over $1 million for nine lots with its top price being $200,000 for a Tavistock (NZ)/Julez colt while Highgrove Stud, Westbook, sold a Fastnet Rock/Quaintly (USA) colt for $140,000.

The Premier yearling sale was also the first opportunity to buy yearlings by syndicated Queensland-based first season sire Better Than Ready.  A black type winning sprinter in Sydney and Brisbane, Better Than Ready – who broke Northern Meteor’s Randwick 1200m track record – had four lots catalogued in Book 2 and all were sold to average $56,500. Three of those were offered by syndicate manager Richard Foster, Yarramalong Park, Kalbar.

Based at Lyndhurst Stud, Warwick, the popular stallion, who has served three consecutive book of more than 130 mares, has 39 yearlings catalogued at the forthcoming Magic Millions March yearling sale at the Gold Coast next Monday and Tuesday, March 19 and 20.

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