After a string of excellent efforts Australia’s most distinctive racehorse, The Opera House, has broken her maiden status in impressive style at Wyong.
The white mare, the only one ever to be sold at auction in Australian history, gave her rivals in the 2100 metre event a galloping lesson as she strode away to win by two lengths.
A three quarter sister to former champion galloper Might and Power, The Opera House was purchased by trainer Kris Lees for $270,000 at the 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
At her ninth start this afternoon the Zabeel four-year-old mare showed she was a bright staying prospect as she sprinted away from the favourite Dreams and Desires in the home straight.
Melbourne Cup winning jockey Corey Brown was impressed with the performance – particularly the sharp turn of foot the mare showed in the straight.
“We had a good run,” Brown said. “It was a little of a stop start affair.”
“I knew she wasn’t a sit-sprint horse so at the 400 (metres) I let her roll and she actually had a better turn of foot than she’s shown in her previous starts.”
“It’s good to get that one under her belt,” he added. “She was very relaxed and on that performance she will stay all day.”
“It’s a bit of a casual day here at Wyong on a Thursday, but at the 100 metre mark I could hear the crowd yelling out.”
“Horses like this are good for racing and it’s good to see them win,” Brown summed up.
Kris Lees’ foreman Cameron Swan was also impressed.
“She won very well today,” Swan noted.
“It was a perfect ride.”
“I think the run the other day over the distance helped her out today.”
“The way she won today it didn’t look like another few hundred of metres would have worried her,” Swan added.
The filly was without doubt be the most photographed and recorded lot in the history of the Magic Millions Yearling Sales.
“Interest in the filly at the sale was incredible,” Magic Millions Media Manager Greg Irvine recalled.
“My phone never stopped ringing from TV stations and newspapers – organising photographs prior to the sale and on the day when she went through the ring.”
“The team from Amarina Farm, who prepared her for the sale, were kept extremely busy – not only from potential bidders, but from this unprecedented media interest.”
“It is great to see her break through today and considering she’s a daughter of Zabeel it’s no surprise it’s taken a little while,” Irvine added.
“But she looks to me like a filly with great upside. She should handle even longer distances – a bit like her famous three parts brother.”
Winner: The Opera House
Breeding: Zabeel-Carmina Burana (Star Way)
Sold for: $270,000
Sale: 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Amarina Farm (As Agent)
Buyer: Kris Lees
Earnings: $28,000
Owner(s): Strawberry Hill Stud Syndicate (Mgr: J Singleton), Miss K Auchter, D Butcher, A Jackson, Ms W Kerr, Mrs S Walsh, T Marr, J Poznaks, W Cotter & A Johns
Trainer: Kris Lees (Broadmeadow)
