Magic Moonee Valley Stakes Double

Pheidon and It is Written continued the great run of Magic Millions graduates with a stakes winning double at Moonee Valley on Friday night.

The Gai Waterhouse trained and Star Thoroughbreds syndicated three-year-old Pheidon led the way with a dominant win in the $223,500 Group Two Alister Clark Stakes (2040m).

Cleverly ridden just behind the leaders by proven big race rider Damien Oliver, Pheidon accelerated away in the straight to win by two lengths.

The win was the third in just five starts for the progressive galloper who was purchased by Denise Martin for $77,500 from the Emirates Park draft at the 2012 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

The three-year-old gelding is yet to miss a place in his career and Oliver, who’s win in the race was his fourth, said the blinkers switched his charge on nicely for the big race win.

A son of Danehill’s Australian Guineas winning son Al Maher, Pheidon is the first named foal for his dam Encosta Quidd.

A Melbourne winning daughter of Encosta de Lago, Encosta Quidd hails from an outstanding international family.

She is a half sister to Golden Mirage, the Irish stakes winning dam of three stakes winners – one of them already having thrown another two stakes winners.

Pheidon is a three quarter brother to the stakes performed five time winning Adelaide based galloper Marble Rye.

It is also the family of Group One winners Cosmo Sunbeam, Greenland Park, Fitnah, Capponi and former champion Australian juvenile Tierce.

Meanwhile, quality Victorian sprinter It is Written added a second stakes win to his record and sent his earnings spiralling toward $500,000 with a strong finishing win in the listed Abell Stakes (1200m) later in the night.

A $45,000 Adelaide Yearling Sale buy for trainer Robbie Griffiths, It is Written sat off the speed in the feature sprint before coming with a perfectly timed run under Matthew Allen to win narrowly.

The five-year-old has a liking for the Moonee Valley track having won or placed in nine of his 12 runs on the strathayr. 

The handsome galloper was third to Richie’s Vibe and subsequent dual Group One winner Moment of Chance in the Group Two Australia Stakes two runs back.

It is Written, one of 13 stakes performers for former Champion First Season sire Written Tycoon, was bred and sold by South Australia’s Riva Ridge Stud, the property of the Hodgson family.

His dam, the lightly raced and three-year-old placed Danehill Dancer mare Winning Team, is the dam of three multiple winners.

She in turn is from the Sydney winning Bletchingly mare Ginty, a sister to the dam of stakes winners How Good Is He and Winter King.

Winning Team’s latest yearling, a full sister to It is Written was purchased by Victorian trainer Shea Eden during Day One of the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale on Monday night.

A quality filly who attracted the attention of many trainers and syndicate managers, the filly was knocked down for $65,000.