Budget buy stable gets golden reward
MAGIC Millions Cup winner Care To Think has become a budget bonanza for the likes of Gold Coast part-owner Blair Gibson.
The Currumbin Waters resident is one of 16 owners – including his mates Damien Quinn and Craig Singleton – who have shares in the fouryear-old gelding offered by Murwillumbah trainer Matt Dunn and bloodstock agent Neil Jenkinson who bought Care To Think for just $16,000 at the 2015 Magic Millions National Yearling sale.
Saturday’s win was worth $600,000 and boosted Care To Think’s prizemoney to $842,725.
“That’s why Neil is the best at what he does,” Gibson said. “He has picked the horse up for a bargain and to those people out there I say get around Neil and this stable.
“They’re local to a degree, just down the road.”
Adding to the feat was the fact it was Gibson’s first Magic Millions runner.
“We have had five or six horses, just little ownerships,” Gibson said.
“We only have small shares but we have had some good horses, slow horses and in between horses but this is the first time we have been to the Millions and we got a winner so it’s unbelievable. BLAIR GIBSON
“Who said fairytales don’t come true?”
Gibson said he was confident Care To Think would win but was concerned about the horse jumping from barrier 16 before jockey Jeff Lloyd steered him home to beat Arbeitsam, mirroring what he did on 2YO Classic winner Houtzen from the same alley last year.
“He has just improved every run for six runs,” Gibson said of Care To Think.
“We turned up thinking he would win but from the gate it was a real kick in the guts. It was a great ride by Jeff, he put him exactly where he had to be and I just can’t believe it.
“To win at the Gold Coast, it doesn’t get any better.”
It was the second Magic Millions win in as many years for Dunn who won last year’s Magic Millions QTIS Open with Madotti before backing up to win with a horse he labels the best he has ever had. Dunn praised Jenkinson who he trusted to identify a winner at the sales without casting his own eyes on it.
“These sorts of horses are what we need to gain enough exposure to get the good owners and good horses so we can go to sales and be confident in buying more expensive horses,” Dunn said.
“Full credit to Neil Jenkinson who picked him out. I didn’t even see him.
“We are finally starting to get the right horses to come here. We won a race last year and another race again this year and hopefully we can continue the trend next year.”
WHO SAID FAIRYTALES DON’T COME TRUE?