Coolangatta had been the talking horse in the run up to The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic and Jan. 15 the Ciaron Maher- and David Eustace-trained juvenile lived up to that hype when she produced a brave performance to land the AU$2 million race on the Gold Coast.
The daughter of Written Tycoon came into the race with a lofty reputation to uphold, having landed the Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes (G3) on her first start on Oct. 2 before she followed that up with a victory in the Magic Million B.J. McLachlan Stakes (G3) at Doomben on Boxing Day.
Coolangatta's victory in Saturday's race was a second for the Maher-Eustace stable, who landed the first Magic Millions 2YO Classic with Away Game in 2020, while it was the first win in the lucrative 1,200-meter (six-furlong) contest for James McDonald, who gave the filly a fine ride from post 10.
McDonald slotted in swiftly from the off and asked the question early of the filly, who despite racing greenly, traveled strongly to hold
off a determined Russian Conquest by a head with Snitcat a further 2 1/4 lengths away in third.
Maher was full of praise for McDonald, although he admitted he was a bit nervous that the rider had pushed the button too soon.
"J Mac when he went a bit early I thought 'Oh God,' He made me a little nervous," Maher said.
"He's good under pressure, he's a great man. A great job by the team."
The victory added yet another feather in the already heavily decorated cap of McDonald, who has once again been enjoying a wonderful season, headlined by a maiden win in the Lexus Melbourne Cup (G1) on Verry Elleegant in November. Verry Elleegant herself is also co-owned by one of Coolangatta's ownership group in Brae Sokolski, who was also effusive in his praise of McDonald's ride on the filly Saturday.
"If it wasn't James McDonald you couldn't imagine it, but with him you expect it," Sokolski said.
"Landing in that one-out, one-back was perfect, he was very confident he had a lot of horse under him. He took off nice and early and put them to the sword."
McDonald himself said he felt the pressure ahead of the race, especially given the high expectations surrounding the filly.
"It was a great thrill to ride such a dominant favorite in the race, it comes with big expectations," McDonald said.
"I was glad to be able to aid her with a nice ride.
"Especially with a hype horse like she is, she's been a dominant favorite for a long time."
Maher confirmed the filly would now head for a break, before being prepared for a crack at the Golden Slipper Stakes (G1) where she will be aiming to become the first horse to complete the double since Capitalist in 2016, who was incidentally also by the now Yulong Stud-based sire Written Tycoon.
Bred by Highclere Stud, Coolangatta was purchased by Maher and Eustace for AU$280,000 (US$217,813) at last year's edition of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Milburn Creek draft and she is one of two winners out of the dual-winning More Than Ready mare Piping Hot. The filly's half brother, Snitzonfire, has won three times, but finished a disappointing 15th in the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas in the following race on Saturday's card.
Piping Hot herself is a daughter of group 2 winner Ribe (Danehill) and produced a further seven winners, headed by 2008 Arrowfield Stud Blue Diamond Stakes (G1) scorer Reaan. In 2020, Piping Hot produced a filly by Arrowfield Stud resident Dundeel, before missing to Capitalist and she was covered again by Written Tycoon last September.
Coolangatta is one of 44 stakes winners for Australia's reigning champion sire Written Tycoon, who has shown an affinity with daughters of More Than Ready and this filly is one of 15 winners bred on the cross, which is headed by group 1 winner Luna Rossa.
King Of Sparta Reigns
While the training partnership of Peter and Paul Snowden fell one short in the 2YO Classic with Russian Conquest, there was adequate compensation arriving just one race later as their King Of Sparta took out the AU$2 million Gold Coast Magic Millions 3YO Guineas.
The win led to familiar connections celebrating in the winner's room post-race, as owners China Horse Club also took last year's running of the Guineas with the Snowden-trained Aim. However, victory for King Of Sparta perhaps looked unlikely through the early stages of the 1,400-meter (about seven-furlong) contest, as old habits resurfaced after jumping from post 10, with the gelding pulling furiously when he and jockey Nash Rawiller found themselves posted wide on the track.
Despite his early misdemeanors, the favorite proved too classy for his 17 rivals, when in the straight he powered into the lead down the center of the track and held off the challenge of last-start listed winner Me Me Lagarde in the silks of Magic Millions supremo Gerry Harvey, to claim a dominant 1 1/4-length victory.
The best of the trailing pack was the Maher- and Eustace-trained Socialist, who finished a further length and a half back in third.
"He's a horse that's always had immense talent but he always seems to do something wrong in his races and ends up being his own
worst enemy," Paul Snowden said.
"But today with Nash—it's the first time he's sat on the horse believe it or not—I was filling him up with plenty of instructions before the race and thankfully there was always going to be good tempo and he got into a lovely trailing spot midfield where we wanted to be."
King Of Sparta entered into Saturday's contest with just two wins from 11 starts, having run fourth in both the Iron Jack Silver Slipper (G2) and Widden Kindergarten Stakes (G3) as a juvenile and third behind Paulele in the Polytack Roman Consul Stakes (G2).
"He was much too good," Snowden added.
"Maturity is what he's always lacked and it showed through his early career when he was doing things wrong against that better class of horse but hopefully he is that better class of horse now and he can keep going this way.
"We'll get him back to Sydney tomorrow. It's meant to be an autumn preparation but he's ready to go now. What we do with him depends on how the races fall for him. A Brisbane winter campaign is also a possibility. But a lot of it was pushed towards today, coming off a very strong first-up run."
