Jimando will head to the Maribynong Plate with Gold Coast plans in mind after he stormed away in today’s listed Debutants Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield.
Prepared by Tony McEvoy at Angaston in South Australia, Jimando led home a clean sweep result for Magic Millions graduates as he beat home Princeton Miss and Planet Voyage.
All three placegetters were purchased by connections from January’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Jimando sat just behind the leaders for much of the race before accelerating brilliantly when asked by Nash Rawiller and he cleared away to win by three and a quarter lengths.
The win was the biggest for Tony McEvoy, a long time foreman and one time trainer at Lindsay Park who has been training in his own right in the Barossa Valley for the past year.
“He’s a big strong fella,” McEvoy said of Jimando. “His damline says he should be a three-year-old and further.”
“I never had any intentions to run him at two. Funny things happen with horses and he kept telling me to take him to the races.”
“He really impressed my today. That’s the best he’s gone – it’s nice that he saves it to race day.”
Obviously the youngster had been impressing connections back in South Australia as he was one of the better specked runners in the race. He opened a $21 chance with bookies, but jumped a $13 chance as the money trickled in from punters.
“I brought him here because I liked him,” McEvoy said. “I haven’t had a real chance to have a guide at my horses at home.”
“My first two-year-old runner on Saturday in Adelaide ran second. This horse was really impressive today. He’s very exciting.”
McEvoy said he would certainly be looking toward January’s $2 million BMW Magic Millios 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast.
“We’ll probably take him to the Maribyrnong (Plate) and then we’ll assess the situation,” he noted.
McEvoy said he couldn’t believe he was able to buy Jimando for just $50,000 from the draft of Evergeen Stud Farm at January’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
A long neck separated the minor placgetters – Robbie Griffiths’ Princeton Miss, a $150,000 Gold Coast yearling, and Peter Moody’s Planet Voyage, a $190,000 Magic Millions purchase.
Jimando is the 42nd individual stakes winner for leading Danehill sire Commands and hails from a truly international family. He was bred by John Muir’s Milburn Creek Thoroughbred Stud.
His dam, a daughter of Caerleon, won at 2600 metres in France and she is from a Group One winning mare by Blushing Groom (Rosefinch).
Jimando’s third dam Oh So Sharp was the European Champion filly of her generation by winning the Group One treble of the English St Leger, One Thousand Guineas and Oaks.
Magic Millions graduates have now won the first two juvenile stakes races in Melbournbe for the season following the impressive win of the Danny O’Brien trained Cambiaso recently.
They join the Gai Waterhouse trained Pierro as the trio of Australia’s winning juvenile stakes winning colts this preparation. Pierro was, yes you guessed it, another Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate.
Winner: Jimando
Breeding: Commands-Finko (Caerleon)
Race: MRC Debutants Stakes LR (1000m)
Sold for: $50,000
Sale: 2011 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Evergreen Stud Farm (As Agent for Milburn Creek T’bred Stud)
Buyer: Tony McEvoy
Earnings: $60,500
Owner(s): P & Mrs R Donovan, S George, FJ Phillips and Tanunda Boys Are Happy Synd (Mgr: J Ferrett)
Trainer: Tony McEvoy (Angaston)
