Thirteen runners with Magic Millions 2yo Classic aspirations made the trip to the Sunshine Coast on Friday for the $75,000 Access Insulation Sunshine Coast QTIS Hcp (1000m), which turned out to be a dogfight between a son and daughter of Aquis Farm's first season sire The Mission.
Coming off a win at Eagle Farm on October 30, the Less Ross-trained gelding Mishani Warfare clung to a short-half-head margin over the Michael Costa-trained filly Perfect Mission with the winner’s stablemate Mishani Persuasion (Heroic Valour) a further one and a quarter lengths back in third.
More drama followed when Andrew Mallyon on the runner-up lodged a protest against Jackson Morris on Mishani Warfare who drifted out noticeable in the final stages.
The protest was thrown out and Mishani Warfare claimed the $42,700 winners cheque, the QTIS bonuses and the Aquis Farm The Mission bonus.
“I’m ecstatic, that was a very good win,” Ross said.
“The instructions were to come out positive and do your best. Jacko decided to go back and find the fence and he rode it like G. Moore.
“Both of them are heading to the Millions and it looks like they will get in now, so hopefully we can get a few more.
“I’m a bit disappointed that (Aquis) only pay the $100,000 bonus on metro winners and even though this is a metro races it is on a provincial track, so only $25,000.
“I’ve got 19 nominated for the Magic Millions and I’ll be trying with all of them, but if I can get three or four in it would be lovely although we are hoping for six.”
A homebred for Mike Cooks’ Mishani Enterprises, Mishani Warfare advances his record to two wins, a second and a third from four starts with earnings of $155,550.
He is the second and final foal of the unraced Denman mare Mishani Harmony, a descendant of the Group 1 QTC Queensland Oaks heroine Travel Light.
A Group 1 winning son of the recently deceased Choisir, The Mission stands at Aquis Farm for a fee of $8,800.
