Magic Millions graduates won eight of the nine races – including the three features – on a big day’s racing at Elwick in Hobart on Sunday.
Hold That Tiger filly Ready to Pounce led the way with an impressive win in the $40,000 Two-Year-Old Autumn Classic (1200m).
Prepared by Tammy Mollross, Ready to Pounce went one better than her last start second placing to fellow Magic Millions graduate Buzzing Along in another $40,000 feature.
“She sat three deep last start and I was confident that we could turn the tables on Buzzing Along,” Mollross told The Mercury.
“The filly is extremely fit and very tough and depending how she pulls up, her next is likely to be in the Tasmanian Sires Produce at Mowbray on May 26.”
Senior part owner Dale Butters purchased the filly for just $7,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale at Launceston.
“What a great thrill to see her win they she did,” Butters, who syndicated the filly among friends, said.
“That was her third run back from a four month spell and she has returned in wonderful order.”
The filly has now won over $38,000 – a great return in a short time from her $7,000 purchase price.
Mollross wasn’t the only horsewoman in the winner’s stall at Elwick – with former Victorian trainer Vicki Rhind capturing the card’s two other feature races.
Dash for Magic kicked off the stable double when that three-year-old gelding won the $20,000 Socks Handicap (1200m).
Under the urgings of James Nevin, Dash for Magic got home to win by a half length.
A son of Dash for Cash, Dash for Magic was purchased by Adrian McGregor for just $6,000 from the Barrine Thoroughbreds draft at the 2009 Adelaide Yearling Sale.
Now a four time winner, Dash for Magic has won a tidy $62,860 from just 14 runs to date.
Rhind’s feature race double was completed just over half an hour later when Captain Albert impressively won the $20,000 Governor’s Cup.
A chestnut son of Magic Albert, Captain Albert is a Yarraman Park graduate and was purchased for $21,000 at the 2007 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
Captain Albert, who has won or placed at his past six starts, raced clear under Lee Smith in the mile feature to win by two and a half lengths.
Earlier in the afternoon young horseman Michael Voss trained his first winner since relocating from the Charlie Goggin stable (his second in his own right) when Free Shout won the opener.
With Brendon McCoull up, Free Shout went to the line a length in advance of Master Joseph.
A four-year-old son of Tough Speed, Free Shout was a $5,000 bargain buy from the 2008 Tasmanian Yearling Sale.
McCoull made it an early double when he teamed up with the powerful father-son training team of David and Scott Brunton to win the second event with Banca Mo.
Debuting after a runaway trial victory on the inside track at Hobart, Banca Mo jumped the favourite, tracked the leaders and finished too well to win by a half length.
Banca Mo paid for himself easily in one start – he cost his owner Mandy Gunn a mere $2,100 at the 2009 Tasmanian Yearling Sale.
Stuart Gandy and Kelvin Sanderson teamed up to win the third race, a Class Two over 1100 metres, with Jay Bee’s Gee Gee.
Racing for the first time since running third in the Group Three Tasmanian Derby, Jay Bee’s Gee Gee gave Tough Speed another winner.
He was purchased for $16,000 from the 2009 Tasmanian Yearling Sale and he’s already netted over $47,000 from 13 runs.
The other Magic Millions graduates winning on the day were Gathering Gold (Street Cry-Omaha Spirit) for Kelvin Sanderson and Gary White and Pallone (Partners Choice-La Daze) for Brendon McCoull and David and Scott Brunton.
Ironically the other winner on the nine event card – the Commands mare Faye Commands was catalogued for the Gold Coast Yearling Sale – but was retained and withdrawn.
Tough Speed, who sired three winners on the Hobart card, rounded out Sunday with four winners when his son Tough Future won a feature event at Cranbourne for Mark Riley.
