Ciaron Maher and David Eustace put a frustrating run of Magic Millions Raceday near-misses behind them to win Saturday’s Restricted Listed $1 million Jewel Magic Millions Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast with improving mare Semana, who becomes the third stakes-winner for her sire Winning Rupert.
The powerful stable saddled up third-placed Spywire and fourth-placed Erno’s Cube in the $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic, and also went close with Zenzella in the Magic Millions Subzero and Froebel Star in the Magic Millions Debut Fillies earlier in the day.
But it was Semana, a daughter of Winning Rupert, that had them smiling thanks to a dominant two length win over Meridius and Revolutionary Miss.
Sold for $200,000 out of the Newgate Farm draft at the 2021 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Semana was purchased by James Bester Bloodstock and Vantage Thoroughbreds.
Maher said he was impressed with the mare’s effort to race wide and keep finding the line.
“She’s been a real revelation, this mare since she’s come back into the yard,” Maher said.
“The owners have always had a lot of faith in her.
“That was a pretty big win. She had no cover all the way. She looked like she worked most of the way and was very strong to the line.
“It is a long week but we were professional placegetters today. I needed a winner but it has been fantastic.”
Semana is the best of two winners from metro winning Nicconi mare Festivity, a half-sister to stakes-winner Merriest.
Festivity was bought from the Newgate Consignment at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale last year by Lime Country Thoroughbreds for $85,000 and produced a colt for them last spring by Farnan and she is back in foal to him again.
Semana is the third stakes-winner for Winning Rupert, who started his stud career with Newgate Farm and now stands at Grandview Stud in Queensland at a fee of $7,700.
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