REIMAGINED SUMMER RIGHT ON MONEY
Carnival new launching pad for future stars
WILL the Alligator draw Blood and avenge his heartbreaking Caulfield Guineas defeat? And will Mark Newnham’s baby Rose bloom and be the new heroine of the Magic Millions?
They are just two of the questions on the lips of punters and race fans, who get to size up the biggest summer of racing in Queensland over the next two months.
This year’s carnival has received a huge injection of funds, bringing the total prizemoney and bonuses on offer to more than $21 million.
It includes the addition of new races – the $250,000 Gateway, a 1400m race at Eagle Farm for four-year-olds that guarantees the winner a ticket into next year’s Stradbroke Handicap; and The Wave, a 3&4YO race over 1800m that carries a $200,000 bonus should the winner be Magic Millions qualified.
Feature races have also been boosted by the move of the Grand Prix from winter to December 21, to complement the Origin Jockey Series weekend, and the addition of several new races on the Gold Coast a week before the $10 million Magic Millions Day on January 11.
As Racing Queensland chief executive Brendan Parnell said at this month’s Summer Carnival launch, “this is summer reimagined”.
Winter has long been recognised as the launching pad for future stardom, but summer is building a strong record too.
Sure, the Magic Millions 2YO Classic has been a great producer of future stars, with inaugural winner Snippets followed by Group 1 winners that included St. Jude, General Nediym, Testa Rossa, Assertive Lad, Excellerator, Regimental Gal and Dance Hero.
This decade, Capitalist and Sunlight graduated from the Gold Coast to Group 1 glory, while local filly Houtzen was competitive enough in Australia’s best races to be given her chance on the international stage.
Nowadays, though, it’s not just the summer two-year-olds that go on to bigger and better things.
A few years back, Brisbane had the pleasure of seeing Takeover Target arrive for the summer after an indifferent spring carnival.
He promptly smashed the Doomben 1200m course record, won another summer feature and then went back to Melbourne and franked himself as the best sprinter in the land.
More recently, Pierata tore through the summer three-year-old features, culminating in the Magic Millions Guineas.
He’s now regarded as among the top sprinters in the country as well.
Tony McEvoy (pictured) won the 2018 Magic Millions with Sunlight and last year claimed the Group 3 B.J. McLachlan Stakes with Sun City. He has a team of six young horses he’s hoping to bring to Queensland this summer.
He says there’s one reason above all others for being here: “It’s the money!”
“We go to the Magic Millions sales to try and get them back for MM Day. The owners are keen to be involved and part of our selling spiel is that we will give the horse every chance to get back to the Coast,” McEvoy said.
Unlike a lot of southern trainers, McEvoy brought Sunlight to Queensland early and she won two starts here before claiming the Magic Millions. He says it’s important to acclimatise.
“It’s like a different country up there compared to down here,” the South Australian said.
“We don’t get the humidity you get. I’ve been going to those sales for years, and when I go there, it knocks the stuffing out of me for a few days.
“Acclimatisation is just time. It suits me to go up there a bit earlier and it suits my horses.”
Sunshine Coast-based trainer David Vandyke has some unfinished business at this year’s summer carnival.
His top-class three-year-old Alligator Blood is early favourite for the Magic Millions Guineas after a heartbreaking last-stride defeat in the Caulfield Guineas in October.
Alligator Blood will run in the Gold Edition Plate (1200m) and Vo Rogue Plate (1400m) at Eagle Farm before making his way to the Gold Coast.
“We had the option of pressing on (in Melbourne) after the Guineas, but we were keener to come home and try and win the Magic Millions race in his home state,” Vandyke said.
“I’ve only watched (the Caulfield Guineas) the once.
“When the initial pain of that type of situation subsides, I like to draw whatever positives I can and move forward. The two big positives out of that were obviously he’s proven he’s a top three-year-old and, secondly, he will carry 2kg less in the Magic Millions Guineas because he go beat.
“A Group 1 horse carries 59kg and a Group 3 horse carries 57kg
“If he wins the Magic Million Guineas by a short margin, I can thank his defeat in the Caulfield Guineas!”
Mark Newnham knows what
it’s like to win a Magic Millions as an assistant, as he was with prolific Magic Millions winner Gai Waterhouse for many years.
Now he’s a multiple Group 1winning trainer in his own right and his strike rate in Queensland is quite extraordinary.
He has Queensland winter carnival stakes winner Diamond Thunder being aimed at the Magic Millions Guineas and he also trains the favourite for the 2YO Classic, Every Rose.
“With all your horses you have to look at achievable targets and Queensland has a good variety of options for different horses for different reasons,” he said.
“Diamond Thunder travelled there (in the winter) with the summer carnival in mind more than anything.
“I wanted to get him away from home and teach him to grow up a bit.”
Newnham gave him six weeks off, before having him tuned up to win the Brian Crowley Stakes in Sydney.
He is likely to resume at Wyong on December 12 before clashing with Alligator Blood in the Vo Rogue.
Every Rose emerged as favourite for the MM 2YO Classic after winning the Gimcrack and she, too, will resume at Wyong, but may not have another run before January 11.
“She’s a ready made twoyear-old. She trialled really well. She took a sit in the trial, she drew well in the Gimcrack and led. So she’s versatile and looks an ideal Magic Millions type,” Newnham said.