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The Magic Millions Classic picture changed rapidly on Saturday with impressive winners in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane staking big claims for the $2 million race at the Gold Coast on January 12.
The winners, by Zoustar, Fastnet Rock and Rubick, came from the leading stables of Darren Weir, Tony McEvoy and the Hayes/Dabernig team at Lindsay Park.
Weir sent out Yes Yes Yes for a second successive win at Moonee Valley, Lindsay Park’s Coolmoire-owned filly Movie Role showed big improvement at her second start to win at Randwick while the McEvoy-trained Sun City was too strong for a big field in the G3 BJ McLachlan Stakes at Doomben.SUN CITY (Zoustar x Roulettes by Flying Spur) became the seventh stakes winner for his exciting young sire with his stylish win at Doomben over the Sydney-trained youngsters Rome (Pierro) and Krameric (Rubick).
Attunga Stud sold Sun City to McEvoy Mitchell Racing and David Redvers at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $525,000.He is the second stakes performer produced by the stakes winning mare Roulettes and has returned $162,000 prizemoney from his three starts.
Roulettes, also the dam of G2-placed Spin (I Am Invincible), is a sister to the stakes-placed Tactfully, the dam of Listed winner Vezalay (Shamardal).She is also a three-quarter sister to the stakes-placed Jennifer Ann (Flying Spur) and half-sister to G3 winner Royal Discretion (Royal Academy).
Sun City is part-owned by Qatar Racing, a major shareholder in his sire Zoustar who is currently in the UK at Tweenhills Stud for his first northern hemisphere shuttle season.McEvoy, who won the 2018 Magic Millions Classic with Zoustar filly Sunlight, was also represented in the McLachlan Stakes by highly touted first starter Just Zerene, another Zoustar filly who finished sixth as favourite.
• Zoustar sired his first winner in Hong Kong on Saturday when Dancing Fighter (Zoustar x Permiscuous by Danzero) made a successful debut for the Caspar Fownes stable.The 3YO, a $375,000 Magic Millions yearling, had one trial in Sydney for Chris Waller before being sent to Hong Kong where he races for local celebrity Aaron Kwok.
Previously sold for $100,000 at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale, Dancing Fighter is the fourth winner from his G3-winning dam.Yes Yes Yes made it two wins in succession with a comfortable win at from Alburq (Rubick x Euro Chic, by Dehere).
Yes Yes Yes was a $200,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase by Darren Weir and John Foote Bloodstock from the Kitchwin Hills draft.Bred by Arlington Park Racing, Yes Yes Yes is a half-brother to the stakes-placed Dee Nine Elle and is the third winner from the Wellington Boot winner Sin Sin Sin, a half-sister to G3 winner Hot As Hell, Listed winner Flaming Hot and the Hong Kong stakeswinner Craig's Dragon.
Sin Sin Sin has a yearling colt by Press Statement and a Sebring colt foal.Rubick shot up the first season sire standings on Saturday with a two-state double after Rubic Rose opened her account with a win at Ascot in Perth and another of his runners Krameric was placed at Doomben.
Rubic Rose, trained by Karen Kersley and passed in as a yearling at the Melbourne Premier Sale, is out of Kyoto, a Gonski half sister to G1 winner Pillaging from the family of Encores, Irradiate and Sir Laurence.MOVIE ROLE (Fastnet Rock x Aspen Falls by Hennessy) showed the benefit of her first race experience at Flemington when she won with authority at Randwick.
Movie Role had excuses on debut when fifth to Magic Millions rival Yes Yes Yes. She featured in the stewards report and had a slow post-race recovery.She was a $600,000 Magic Millions purchase by Lindsay Park Racing and races in the Coolmore colours.
Movie Role comes from a high class family, being the fifth winner from Aspen Falls. They include the G1 winner Irish Lights, dam of high class G2 winner Omei Sword who made $1.7 million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale this year.Aspen Falls produced a filly this year by American Pharaoh.
Aspen Falls is out of a half-sister to Fall Aspen, the fabled US broodmare who is the dam of international G1 winners Northern Aspen (Northern Dancer), Hamas (Danzig) and Timber Country (Woodman).