Western Breeders’ Alliance has built a superb strike-rate in WA Magic Millions sales-related races since The River prevailed in the 2016 2YO Classic at Pinjarra.
The River (Magnus) was a $115,000 buy for trainer Trevor Andrews from the initial WBA intake at the Magic Millions. He’s owned by Andrews, Ken Gregson, Isaac Cohen, Ross Drage and their wives for earnings over $428,000.
They also raced Lucky Street who had won the 2015 2YO Classic and G2 Karrakatta Plate before retiring to Darling View Thoroughbreds. A son of Oratorio, his first yearlings will highlight the WBA draft at the 2020 Magic Millions.
The Alliance comprises Darling View Thoroughbreds, Westbury Park and Einoncliff Park.
Enchanted Dream (Patronize) filled out a Pinjarra hat-trick with a driving finish to overhaul future star Ellicazoom in the 2017 Magic Millions 3YO Classic. That repaid a $55,000 price-tag from WBA with interest and her residual value is hard to quantify following a positive test first-up to Capitalist in October.
The winning run continued in 2018 when Pym’s Royale responded to an odds-on quote in the Goldfields Magic Millions Classic (1200m). He won five in a row in Kalgoorlie between Anzac Day and the Magic Millions for part-owner and trainer Peter Fernie.
Pym’s Royale (Husson) proved that picket-fence was no fluke with another comprehensive victory at Belmont in August. His dam Pym’s Lane (Flying Spur), a three-quarter sister to G1 NZ 2000 Guineas winner Atlante, was a $30,000 buy for Westbury Park owner Phillip Ibbotson at a Patinack Farm dispersal in 2014.
Western Breeders’ Alliance presents a well-balanced draft of 24 yearlings at this year Magic Millions and the quality goes right through to Book 2 with a Patronize full sister to Patron Black (Lot 272). He won the 2018 Black Opal Hospitality 2YO Hcp in Canberra and is also related to 2018 WA Champion 2YO Valour Road (G2 Karrakatta Plate & RL WA Magic Millions Classic).
Lot 277 is another WBA colt by My Admiration who could be value…just like his older half-brother Chix Pic (Patronize) who was a $40,000 bargain at the 2017 Perth Magic Millions. He won the LR Perth Stakes at two before resuming this season for a scintillating victory against a small but very select field in the Bunbury 3YO Classic.
But the real fireworks will start on Day 1 when WBA doubles up with closely-related colts by Magnus (Lot 65) and I Am Invincible (Lot 66). The Magnus is a three-quarter brother to The River and he will be followed by the I Am Invincible half-brother to The River.
Another Magnus is the half-sister G2 BTC Cup winner Celtic Dancer (Lot 77). The Sun Stud sire has a great strike-rate in Perth courtesy of Great Shot (G1 Railway Stakes), Magnifisio (G1 Winterbottom Stakes), Malibu Style (LR Crawford Stakes) and The River.
And we can also claim Victorian visitor Malaguerra who ran a mighty third in the G1 Winterbottom Stakes in November. He has earned $1.80 million for owner Bruno Micalizzi after high-profile Group 1 wins in the Darley Classic at Flemington at BTC Cup at Doomben.
A retired Fremantle fisherman, he knew absolutely nothing about horses until the 2013 Perth Magic Millions Sale. “It was a real spur of the moment thing,” Micalizzi recalled. “I just wandered around the complex looking at the horses and there was an instant connection. Medicine for the soul.
“I met some really lovely people there and decided to take the plunge a month later in Melbourne. That horse turned out to be Malaguerra!”
PYM’S ROYALE