Gold Coast to host 2020 Stud and Stable Staff Awards

Held at the Gold Coast Turf Club on Sunday, May 24, the awards recognise the invaluable contribution of the industry's behind-the-scenes employees including strappers, stable hands, exercise riders, breakers, grooms and stud hands.

Having begun in Australia in 2015 as an initiative of Thoroughbred Breeders Australia and Racing Australia - supported by Godolphin - nominations are open to all employees involved in racing and breeding activities contained withing the Thoroughbred industry. Nominations close at midnight on Friday, March 13, and can be completed online via the Stud and Stable Staff Awards website at www.studandstablestaffawards.com.au.

"We are delighted that organisers of the SSSA have decided to present the awards on the Gold Coast during the southern hemisphere's most important breeding stock auction. The awards are a wonderful way to recognise those who work so hard behind the scenes to make our industry a world leader," Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said.

The Stud and Stable Staff Awards are judged in seven categories: Dedication to Racing, Dedication to Breeding, Leadership, Horsemanship, Administrative and Ancillary services, Thoroughbred Care and Welfare, and a Newcomers Award. The awards provide total prize money in excess of $100,000 spread over the individual categories plus an overall Thoroughbred Excellence Award.

"These awards have become an integral part of the local and international racing scene and to have an organisation such as the Magic Millions involved only adds to their significance. It's a natural fit for Magic Millions to sponsor the Dedication to Breeding category. Breeders are their clients and this award acknowledges just that - their dedication," Godolphin's corporate services director Ross Cole said.

2018: Angus McAlpine, Eureka Stud - Runner-up: Dedication to Breeding Award.

2017: Jane Gollan, Gollan Racing - Winner: Thoroughbred Care and Welfare Award.

2016: Ian Brady, Wattle Brae Stud - Winner: Leadership Award; and Hayley Nichols, Kelly Schweida Racing - Winner: Dedication to Racing Award.

2015: Amy Taylor, Affinity Park Thoroughbreds - Winner: Thoroughbred Care and Welfare Award; and Cassandra Simmonds, Magic Millions - Finalist: Administrative and Ancillary Award.

"YOU can't quantify guts" is how Sunshine Coast trainer David Vandyke responded when 3YO gelding Alligator Blood confirmed his status as one of the country's best gallopers with an emphatic win in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.

It was a performance to savour as Alligator Blood led from start to finish for regular rider Ryan Maloney sprinting clear in the straight to beat Superstorm and Soul Patch and others.

"That was just amazing," Vandyke said moments after the win. "Wow - he won that with authority. He did it for Queensland. He did it for the owners. He did it for All Too Hard his stallion. He did it for Ryan.

"You can't quantify guts. We can look at form and decide where he should finish in a field but his determination and will to win has gone to another level," he said.

Alligator Blood was bred by Magic Millions co-owner Gerry Harvey and sold for $55,000 to Allan Endresz's Ezybonds No 1 Syndicate at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Alligator Blood is the first Group One winner for sire All Too Hard - Black Caviar's Group One winning half-brother and resident of Vinery Stud - while his dam Lake Superior is an unraced Encosta De Lago daughter of VRC Oaks place-getter and triple stakes producer Kylikwong.

With 10 wins - plus a nose second in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas - from just 11 starts, the outstanding performer has earned more than $2.8 million. He's also the first horse to complete the Magic Millions Guineas and Australian Guineas double. Provided he comes through the Guineas in good shape Alligator Blood will head to the $5 million All Star Mile at Caulfield next month.

BLACK type winning 3YO colt The Odyssey is poised to replicate a rare double - winning both the QTIS 2YO and 3YO Jewels at the Gold Coast and their Doomben preludes.

Last season the Better Than Ready colt, trained by Brisbane-based Kelly Schweida, won the QTIS 2YO Jewel Prelude at Doomben before winning the QTIS 2YO Jewel at the Gold Coast two weeks later. Skip forward 12 months and last Saturday, The Odyssey won the QTIS 3YO Jewel Prelude at Doomben with the QTIS 3YO Jewel his next target.

Schweida had great faith that The Odyssey would inherit his sire's speed having earlier trained Better Than Ready for eight wins and three placings from just 16 starts. Four of the wins were at Listed level in Sydney and Brisbane while he placed third in the Group 1 BTC Cup at Doomben and fifth in both the VRC Newmarket and Doomben Ten Thousand.

The Odyssey has the distinction of being both the first individual winner and first black type winner for Lyndhurst-based Better Than Ready courtesy of winning the 1110m Listed Phelan Ready Stakes for colts and geldings at Doomben. Now his race record stands at six wins and four placings from 15 starts while his prize money earnings of $746,850 includes $63,000 in QTIS bonuses.

A $30,000 purchase at the 2018 Magic Millions January yearling sale, The Odyssey is from The Odyssey is from the lightly raced Snitzel mare Jessica's Hope. Unfortunately for long-term Darling Downs breeders Tony and Ruth Thomas, the 9YO mare died in January 2018 in foal to Widden-based stallion Star Turn.

SIX racing venues - Brisbane (Doomben), Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns - have hosted eight qualifying races for the lucrative QTIS Jewel 2YO and 3YO races at the Gold Coast on Saturday, March 14 with the winner of each race exempt from ballot if nominated. The qualifying races were:

Rockhampton, February 27: 1100m Handicap - Aleysa's Dream (F2 Carrara/Aleysa Kan), Lyle Wright (Rockhampton).

Townsville, February 29: 1200m Plate - Tennessee Boy (G2 Spill The Beans/Tennessee Red), Roy Chillemi (Atherton).

Doomben, February 29: 1110m Plate (colts and geldings) - Rothfire (G2 Rothesay/Huss On Fire), Robert Heathcote (Eagle Farm).

Doomben, February 29: 1110m Plate (fillies) - Kisukano (F2 Bel Esprit/Kiss For Gran), Michael Nolan (Toowoomba).

Mackay, February 22: 1100m Plate - Lepreezy (F3 Better Than Ready/Licenced To Chill), Angela Stephens (Rockhampton).

Toowoomba, February 26: 1000m Handicap - Oh Five Glory (F3 Unencumbered/Distinctive Flyer), Peter and Will Hulbert (Eagle Farm).

Doomben, February 29: 1200m Plate - The Odyssey (G3 Better Than Ready/Jessica's Hope), Kelly Schweida (Eagle Farm).

Cairns, March 2: 1250m Plate - Tiger Can (G3 Bel Esprit/Miss Bonnie Can), Gary Farrell (Barringha).

AROUND 50 South East Queensland trainers, owners and bloodstock agents have had the opportunity to inspect a cross-section of more than 300 of the 412 catalogued yearlings being prepared for the Magic Millions QTIS March yearling sale at the Gold Coast on March 16 and 17.

Magic Millions bloodstock consultant James Dawson organised yearling parades at Canungra, Beaudesert, Scenic Rim, Toowoomba and Warwick. There were also trainer and owner events in Toowoomba and Rockhampton plus a promotional visit to Townsville races.

Participating studs this year were: Aquis, Yarramalong Park, Tipuana Farms, Lucas Bloodstock, Glenlogan Park, Telemon, Clear Summer Lodge, Warrandale, Oakwood Farm, Clear Mountain Fairview, Kenmore Lodge, Oaklands, Eureka, Grandview, Raheen, Daandine and Lyndhurst.

Dawson - who has been a consultant with Magic Millions for 11 years after working for Coolmore and Keeneland overseas - believes this year's catalogue has by far the best selection of stallions the Gold Coast March Sale has ever had. Proven Queensland-based stallions include Spirit of Boom (60 Lots), Better Than Ready (43), Spill The Beans (37), Domesday (18), Golden Archer (13), Bel Esprit (12), Husson (10), Top Echelon (10), Holy Roman Emperor (9), Love Conquers All (9) and Rothesay (6).

Last year's Gold Coast March Yearling Sale averaged $33,000 with a median price of $24,000, which is great value, especially considering the BOBS/QTIS bonuses plus the $10 million Magic Millions Races Series available to them. All 412 lots catalogued have been subject to the first payment for QTIS and buyers will have the opportunity to scoop $67,200 (colts and geldings) and $79,450 (fillies) every Saturday for a Queensland metropolitan two and three-year-old win for fully paid QTIS youngsters. A record 113 lots are BOBS eligible in a further boost for buyers.

This sale is consistently one of Magic Millions top performing sales on the racetrack, with sale graduates including champion Buffering, Group 1 winners Spirit Of Boom, Miss Cover Girl and Tinto, recent Group winners Winning Rupert, Boomsara, Chapter And Verse, Madotti, I'm A Rippa and Ours To Keep, as well as 2YO stakes winners Better Reflection, Champagne Boom and Perudo from the 2018 Sale and this season's Metropolitan 2YO winners Boom Spender, Hancora Field, Lady Banff, Plutocrat and Spirit One already from the 2019 Sale.

THE third most expensive yearling to ever sell in Victoria set the Oaklands auditorium alight as a Snitzel colt from Blue Gum Farm sold to Queensland-based Aquis Farm, Canungra, for $725,000 at the Inglis Premier yearling sale in Melbourne held from March 1 to 3.

Aquis ended the sale with five lots costing $1.685 million.

Book 1 of the Premier Yearling Sale ended with an average of $129,162 (11 per cent year-on-year increase), a median of $110,000 (22pc increase on 2019), gross of $47,402,500 and a 79pc clearance.

In total 214 lots sold for $100,000 or more (up from 186 last year) and 70 for $200,000 or more (up from 54 in 2019).

The top priced colt - the first foal of the winning Lonhro mare Jestajingle - was bred by Neville and Susan Duncan and prepared by Phil Campbell of Blue Gum Farm. After topping Day 1 with a Snitzel colt, Blue Gum again stole the headlines on Day 2 with a Pierro/Pass The Parcel colt selling to First Light Racing, Busuttin Racing and Paul Willetts for $575,000.

It capped a fabulous sale for Blue Gum who not only ended as leading vendor by aggregate by selling 23 of their 26 offerings for $4,505,000 but they also offered three of the top five lots to sell over the two days of Book 1 at Oaklands.

Second-top lot billing on Day 1 at $460,000 was shared between a Teofilo/Andes colt of Yulong sold to Ciaron Maher Racing and a Medaglia d'Oro/ Base Paradise colt which the Hong Kong Jockey Club purchased from Vinery Stud.

Brisbane-based Boomer Bloodstock principal Craig Rounsefell - who bought three lots on behalf of the HKJC - said the Medaglia d'Oro factor played a significant role in the purchase.

"The current yearlings are from the final southern hemisphere crop of Medaglia d'Oro who is the sire of Golden Sixty - one of the top horses currently racing in Hong Kong - as well as current Australian 3YOs Chenier and Flit," Rounsefell said.

Prominent Brisbane agent John Foote was also active, paying $670,000 for five lots on behalf of Hong Kong clients.