The first Queensland two year-old race of the season was run at Toowoomba and first season sires were always predicted to play a big role in the $75,000 Pat O'Shea Plate (1000m) and so it played out with Newgate Farm’s Menari siring promising filly Menari Magic to beat Mishani Warfare, a gelding by Aquis Farm’s the Mission.
Trained by Paul Butterworth, Menari Magic was second in two trials coming into this race and ran right up to that form.
She raced up on the pace and was very strong to the line, repelling the challenge of the runner-up to win by a short neck.
“She’ll go to the paddock now and then we’ll look at the Magic Millions,” said Paul Buttterworth.
“We always thought she was an early horse and she’s had no trouble with her shins, but was muscle sore after her first trial. She came out of the second trial much better and I knew she’d be strong at the finish today.”
A $30,000 Magic Millions Book 2 purchase for her trainer from the Gleeson Thoroughbreds draft, Menari Magic is the first winner and final foal from Iadore Tantrums, an unraced Commands mare, whose grand-dam is stakes-winner Destruct.
A dark bay with a prominent blaze like her sire, Menari Magic is the first runner for fertility troubled Menari, a Group II winning son of Snitzel.
Menari has a first crop of just 19 two year-olds and stands at a fee of $11,000.
