Centrefire was an upset winner at the Gold Coast on Thursday, but that was of little concern to the big group who race the Chris Munce-trained mare.
The six-year-old daughter of Shooting To Win will go down in history as the inaugural winner of the Magic Millions The Syndicate, a $1 million weight-for-age event over 1200m open to horses owned by a minimum of 20 individual registered owners and/or syndicate members.
Munce said it was a great concept for what is an increasingly popular way to be involved in racehorse ownership.
“It’s becoming the way of the future,” Munce said.
“So many owners, they can’t afford the big costs of being a one-out or two-out owner and these syndicates provide that opportunity for people to come racing and have a lot of fun and win million-dollar races like today.
“You’ve got a mare like this; a Stakes winner, a Stakes placegetter and she’s a very valuable broodmare as well.”
A $100,000 purchase by Munce out of the Yarraman Park Stud draft at the 2018 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Centrefire has now collected $955,625 in a 43-start career that has generated nine wins and seven placings.
Centrefire denied a Magic Millions legend in The Syndicate, digging deep to deny one-time 3YO Guineas winner and back-to-back Magic Millions Cup winner Eleven Eleven another success.
A $26 chance, Centrefire, defeated Eleven Eleven ($3.30) by a half-neck with $2.40 favourite Scallopini two lengths away third.
Tim Clark was aboard for the Magic Millions success and was delighted to make a big group of owners happy.
That’s what it’s all about, getting into a horse for maybe not too much money,” Clark said.
“They can turn up and race for a million dollars. It’s fantastic.”
Already a stakes-winner, Centrefire was bred by Yarraman Park in partnership and is the best of six winners from as seven to race out of the three time winning Exceed And Excel mare Coco Kerringle, who was on-sold in 2019 and is a half-sister to Group I Vinery Stud Stakes winner Mirjulisa Lass.
