Mair picks up Sneaky $325K
GROUP 1-winning trainer Mick Mair has seen and done most things in racing but even he says he has never gone close to getting $325,000 for running a dead-heat seventh.
Mair’s filly Sneaky Starter collected the lucrative Racing Women’s Bonus in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Mair, who is battling several health issues in hospital, said the huge payday would be put to good use, with his wife a majority owner in the two-yearold. With just three eligible Racing Women’s Bonus horses in Saturday’s 2YO Classic field, Mair said he had a simple mindset with his $201 chance as he chased the cash.
The $500,000 bonus was to be shared between the first four all-female-owned horses to cross the line.
Jockey Tiffani Brooker set alight the Press Statement filly and led the field up, with the likes of Coolangatta and Russian Conquest eventually racing away to fight out the finish.
After the favourites cruised clear, Mair watched Sneaky Starter beat home Stupendo (ninth) and Cusack (last).
Incredibly, connections of Stupendo still pocketed $100,000 for being the second eligible horse home and Cusack’s owners get $50,000, despite being beaten 15 lengths.
“I knew she would run 1200m so that was the plan to bust the other two in the race up,” Mair said. “That was the plan going into it actually.
“I haven’t even got close to that for running seventh before, it’s quite incredible.
“My wife owns half of the filly so I am pretty sure it will go to a good home.”
Laid up in hospital with “a lot of things wrong,” Mair said Sneaky Starter’s effort had cheered him up.
“I have everything at the moment. I’m in hospital so it has been a bit of a struggle, my temperature is really high,” he said. “I was here cheering on from hospital.”
Sneaky Starter will head to the paddock for a spell after winning two of her first five career starts.
“She will have a spell now, she will actually be a nice filly because she ran a nice race there on Saturday,” Mair said.
Sneaky Starter was the equal third Queenslandtrained horse to cross the line on Saturday, with Perfect Mission (fourth) and Mishani Warfare (fifth) finishing ahead of her while the Bryan and Daniel Guy-trained Golden Artie dead-heated for seventh.
With just two eligible horses in the 3YO Guineas, $151 chance Glorious Ruby won $162,000 for finishing eighth and Ruby Kisses got $50,000 for running second last.