Six Stakes Win Weekend for MM Graduates

Winx was the stand out as Magic Millions graduates starred with six stakes wins over the weekend including one from a rising star in Japan.
The champion mare confirmed his status as Australia’s best racehorse when she cruised home to another feature win, this time in the Group One Chipping Norton Stakes at Randwick.
 
A $230,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase for Magic Bloodstock, Winx is already a near certainty to be crowned Australia’s champion racehorse for the season despite months to run.
The win was the seventh in succession at stakes level for the reigning record breaking Cox Plate superstar. Her connections and punters alike were again left in awe as she swept around rivals and went home with something in hand.
Bred by Fairway Thoroughbred and sold through the draft of Coolmore Stud, Winx boasts a record of 11 wins and 3 runner-up placings from just 17 starts and earnings of over $4 million.
The first runner from four to race for the multiple stakes winning Al Akbar mare Vegas Showgirl, Winx could now head to the George Ryder Stakes before her ultimate aim this preparation, the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).
Winx was one of three group winners on the Randwick card who was sold at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Scarlet Rain gave her Golden Slipper credentials a massive boost when she cruised to victory in the Group Two Sweet Embrace Stakes.
A daughter of Manhattan Rain, Scarlet Rain is now unbeaten in three starts for trainer Gai Waterhouse and sent her earnings to $244,500.
The good looking chestnut, a graduate of Arrowfield Stud, was purchased and races in the colours of leading syndication outfit Darby Racing.
Scarlet Rain is the first named foal for the Sydney two-year-old winning Exceed and Excel mare Double Ranga.
Double Ranger is a half sister to stakes winners Happy Forever (won in Sydney as Hesitates) and Super Lacuna. It is also the family further back of multiple Group One winning sire and Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate Toorak Toff.
Quality sprinter Charlie Boy added a third group win to his impressive record when he scored a track record breaking win in the Group Three Liverpool City Cup (1300m).
Prepared by Peter and Paul Snowden, Charlie Boy sizzled fresh, racing for the first time since finishing out of a place in Melbourne’s Chatham Stakes in late October.
An $80,000 purchase at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale for the Ward brothers of Triple Crown Syndications, Charlie Boy is the first winner to date for his dam Maritime.
An unraced daughter of Falbrav, Maritime is a half sister to Wakeful Stakes winner Quays (dam of three stakes horses including Quayside).
Both Maritime and Quays are from the Group One Flight Stakes winner Pontal Lass, an outstanding daughter of Marauding.
The form from the $10 million Magic Millions raceday in January was on show at Caulfield on Saturday with rising talent Catch a Fire scoring a dashing win in the Group Two Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m).
Prepared at Lindsay Park by David Hayes and Tom Dabernig, Catch a Fire has won both starts since finishing third to black type performer Wolf Cry in the Magic Millions Maiden Plate in January.
The Sebring filly was sent out as a $9 chance after an impressive win at Moonee Valley last time out and on Saturday she showed great acceleration to race clear in the straight and win by two and a quarter lengths.
Catch a Fire is one of two named foals for the Sydney placed Encosta de Lago mare Polska – both of her named foals have raced and both have won. The other is this season’s juvenile Seaburge, who was an emergency for Saturday’s Blue Diamond Stakes.
Polska is from La Volta, a daughter of WA sire Laranto, who won three races including the Australasian Oaks. She narrowly missed a $1 million bonus when beaten in a driving finish in the G1 SA Oaks when shasing the SA Fillies triple crown.
Quality Perth sprinter First Among Equals scored a breakthrough stakes success on Sunday when he scored a deserved black type win in the Pinjarra Classic.
Now the winner of eight of his 16 starts First Among Equals has turned into a great investment following his purchase for $85,000 at the 2012 National Weanling Sale on the Gold Coast.
First Among Equals is raced by Cape Falls Thoroughbreds, who purchased the son of Exceed and Excel in Queensland from the Sweeney draft and since then he’s earned over $344,000.
The talented performer is one of four winners produced by the Group Three Desert Gold Stakes winner Pride of the Class, a daughter of Volksraad. Her other winners include Melbourne winners Baron and Valedictorian.
The weekend was completed in style by rising Japanese star Campbell Junior who won the Kammonkya Stakes (1800m) at Kokura.
A $400,000 purchase for Katsumi Yoshida from the draft of Coolmore Stud, Campbell Junior romped home to win by three and a half lengths.
Campbell Junior is the first named foal for Melito – a Magic Millions graduate herself as both a yearling and broodmare prospect where she was purchased by Coolmore Stud with Campbell Junior in utero.
The win over the weekend was the fourth in six starts for Campbell Junior. The race carried a purse of over A$400,000.
Melito was a multiple Group One winner by Redoute’s Choice. Her five wins and numerous placings netted her connections almost $2 million on the track. She was then sold to Tom Magnier for $1.65 million at the National Broodmare Sale.