Gai's Happy Knack Of Making Millions

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday January 9, 2009

JOHN HOLLOWAY

Gai Waterhouse's buying at the Magic Millions sale ring has been legendary, with such racetrack stars of the like of Dance Hero, Excellerator, Assertive Lad, Theseo, Fashions Afield, Biaggio and Ha Ha - all feature winners on the Gold Coast's gala race day.

Waterhouse has told Bloodlines she expects to produce another star in the current racing season with one of the highest-priced yearlings sold on the Gold Coast - a $2 million colt called Seventh Reason.

Bred by John Singleton, Seventh Reason is raced in a partnership headed by Yvonne Smith and Waterhouse was brimful of confidence when she spoke about plans for the colt leading into the autumn carnival.

"He is without a doubt the most improved horse in my stable and is ready to go on from his only racetrack appearance, on the Kensington track, when beaten in a photo-finish by the Patinack-owned Rollins," Waterhouse said.

"He won a Randwick barrier trial last Tuesday week in sensational style and has continued to improve with each gallop. I'm planning to run him at Warwick Farm on January 21 and, the way he's going, I doubt very much if he'll be beaten."

Seventh Reason is by the champion European stallion Sadler's Wells from Sunday Joy and is a half-brother to the multiple group 1-winning mare Tuesday Joy. Waterhouse believes he is more than capable of gaining group 1 success during the Sydney autumn carnival.

"He'll be aiming at all the lead-up races to the AJC Derby - the Randwick and Rosehill Guineas - and I am really excited about his future," she said.

Apart from Waterhouse's main winners mentioned above, she has also saddled the following placegetters in the MM two-year-olds' sprint - How Funny, Chuckle and Miss Bussell.

Waterhouse also revealed the two-year-olds she will be aiming for the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on February 21, one of them a half-sister to Seventh Reason owned and bred by Singleton.

"I will be nominating four two-year-olds for Melbourne and they are More Joyous [More Than Ready x Sunday Joy], Manhattan Rain [Encosta De Lago x Shantha's Choice], Viking Legend [Elvstroem x Innocent Baby] and Horizons [Choisir x Ubiquity]."

All but Horizons are unraced, but the other three trialled tremendously in separate heats at Randwick on December 30. More Joyous ran exceptional sectional times in her win, while Manhattan Rain, a half-sister to Redoute's Choice, was beaten in a photo in his heat, and Viking Legend ran second in his.

Waterhouse has spent the past days making headlines buying yearlings at the MM sales and on Saturday walks over the road from the sales complex to the Gold Coast racetrack, where she has a strong representation in the feature races.

Shadow Assassin and Horizons are her runners in the $2m Magic Millions Classic, while stablemates Rock Kingdom and Bhutane Dane are both strong fancies in the $1m MM Trophy for three-year-olds as she strives to improve her great record on the Gold Coast.

Waterhouse was the toast of the Gold Coast on the opening day of the sales, buying the top-priced Encosta De Lago x Surrealist colt for $2m.

In total, she spent more than $5.2m, her purchases including a $1m Redoute's Choice x Strawberry Girl colt offered by Strawberry Hill Stud.

GOLD ON THE COAST: There may have been less buying activity from some of the locals at the Magic Million sales but the English have obviously heard about the great opportunities to be had there, with three successful British buyers making their Gold Coast debuts.

The world financial decline failed to deter the two successful bloodstock agents and an English trainer, who is setting up shop at Warwick Farm.

Tom Goff is one of the two new agents at the MM but he's not new to Australian sales, as he has visited the Inglis Easter sales several times since 1999.

Goff was a partner of Joss Collins, who was a regular at the Australian sales until his death in February 2004, and was involved in his firm, Blandford Bloodstock, which he co-owns with Richard Brown.

Blandford's standing has risen in Europe and during the past four years it has gained several clients and recently secured impressive buys Dancer's Daughter, Arfiege, McCartney and Papal Bull.

"I believe the Australian market has a great deal to offer and I am aware that Rome wasn't built in a day," Goff said.

"However, we already have some interested parties in Australia who have called on our services and are hopeful of following on from where Joss Collins left off."

The second of the agents in town is Troy Steve, a former Brisbane boy who has spent the past seven years in Newmarket establishing his bloodstock agency.

"Things have been going well," he said. "It's not the sort of business you enter and expect immediate returns, but my client list has been growing steadily and I am keen to establish myself in Australia as well."

The English trainer at the sales was Mark Wallace, who has made a giant career move from Newmarket to set up stables at Warwick Farm. He's proven himself more than capable as a trainer, with his best performer Benbaun, which has won at group level in Europe, and he is optimistic about his Australian venture.

"It's been good to catch up with the people I knew in the UK and they have been able to introduce me to a number of the locals, which has been extremely pleasing," he said. "I have inspected some nice horses at the MM complex, including plenty of two-year-old types, which I have had a great deal of success with in Europe."

WHITE IS RIGHT: Remember the all-white Zabeel filly which stole the show at the 2008 Magic Million sales?

Yes, the three-quarter sister to champion Might And Power, which was knocked down to John Singleton for $270,000 and given to trainer Kris Lees to prepare.

The filly has been named Opera House, and Singo, in another of his unique promotions, will be giving away eight 10 per cent stakes in the winnings of the white youngster at the Bluetongue Cup race meeting at Wyong on February 22.

"I love horses, horse racing and beer - and I am sure the majority of Australians do to, and I would love to have a few of them sharing in the winnings of Opera House," Singo said on the Gold Coast this week.

PRINCESS RETIRES: Princess Coup, the best mare to cross the Tasman since the champion Sunline, has been retired from racing by trainer Mark Walker following tendon problems that made her racetrack future extremely doubtful.

The daughter of Encosta De Lago won four group 1 races in her home country including the Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings, which helped swell her overall earnings to $2,858,339 from 12 wins from 33 starts.

Princess Coup was placed in five group 1s in Australia and her value as a broodmare is substantial, with her co-owner Ray Coupland yet to decide whether to breed from her or sell her to a major breeding farm.

A local retirement has occurred, with respiratory problems ending the racing career of David Payne's three-year-old filly Stripper, which has a win over champion three-year-old Samantha Miss to her credit.

The daughter of Danehill Dancer, which is heading to stud later in the year, won the group 3 Sweet Embrace Stakes from Glowlamp and Samantha Miss and another of her better runs was in the group 2 Golden Rose when beaten a short-head by Duporth.

Another retiree, this time from Hong Kong, is the great warhorse Bullish Luck, which turned 10 on New Year's Day. Bought after winning two races in Europe, Bullish Luck retires with 11 wins and 16 placings and earnings totalling $8,838,449. The Royal Academy gelding's best win was when he ended Silent Witness's 17-race winning sequence.

johnhollysenior@yahoo.com.au

© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home