Newgate Graduate Semana wins $1million Magic Millions Cup

Tara Madgwick - Sunday January 14

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.

Semana gets her fi rst Black Type win in the MM Cup for fillies and mare - image Grant Courtney

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.

Advertisement

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.

Semana got valuable Black Type for her win as well as cash! - image Grant Courtney

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.

 

Advertisment

Race Result - $1M Jewel Magic Millions Cup (RL) 1400m

Gold Coast Track: Good(3) Time: 1:21.46
1
Semana
- 4m Winning Rupert (AUS) x Festivity (AUS) (Nicconi (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: Dylan Gibbons 54
2
2
Meridius
- 4g Extreme Choice (AUS) x Jardine (AUS) (Stryker (AUS))
Tnr: L Kennewell & L Yeomans Rdr: Jamie Kah 54
3
2.2
Revolutionary Miss
- 4m Russian Revolution (AUS) x Purcentage (AUS) (Onemorenomore (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: J B Mc Donald 56
Inglis March (Late) Online Sale $30,000
Seller: Owners
Buyer: Brendan
MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale $250,000
Seller: Sledmere Stud, Scone, NSW
Buyer: Danny O'Brien Racing
4
2.3
Far Too Easy
- 5g All Too Hard (AUS) x Mnemonic (AUS) (Hussonet (USA))
Tnr: D A McColm Rdr: James Orman 59
5
2.5
The Ritz
- 6g Mossman (AUS) x All Trumped Up (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: Michael Morrison Rdr: R Dolan 53
6
2.6
Battleton
- 5g Zoustar (AUS) x Dulverton (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: Tim Clark 54
7
3.1
Zarastro
- 5g I Am Invincible (AUS) x Adrift (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Angela Jones 57.5
8
3.6
Loch Eagle
- 5g Lonhro (AUS) x Song Street (IRE) (Shamardal (USA))
Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: N Rawiller 58.5
9
4.1
Lavish Empire
- 4g Spieth (NZ) x Kissame Mucho (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: M J Dee 54
10
4.6
Perfect Thought
- 4h So You Think (NZ) x Perfectly Safe (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: J G Sargent Rdr: Craig Williams 53
11
5.1
King Of Hastings
- 7g Ilovethiscity (AUS) x Handcut (AUS) (Danerich (AUS))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: Tyler Schiller 54
12
5.3
Zoushack
- 7g Zoustar (AUS) x Shack (AUS) (Canny Lad (AUS))
Tnr: R L Heathcote Rdr: Cejay Graham 53
13
6.6
Frosty Rocks
- 7g Your Song (AUS) x Virtual Velocity (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: A Hyeronimus 56.5
14
6.8
Sunfall
- 5g Zoustar (AUS) x Queen Of The Falls (AUS) (General Nediym (AUS))
Tnr: B J Lockwood Rdr: Martin Harley 54
15
7.2
Dynamic Impact
- 6g Real Impact (JPN) x Soleil Royale (AUS) (French Deputy (USA))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: Ashley Morgan 54
16
7.7
Arentee
- 5g Territories (IRE) x Autumn (NZ) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: Chris Meagher Rdr: Damien Thornton 53
17
9
Irish Songs
- 8g Shamus Award (AUS) x Lucky Songs (NZ) (Johar (USA))
Tnr: Louise White Rdr: Jake Bayliss 56.5
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Thursday November 21
Here is the full list of 32 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Vale, Danny Champion
The thoroughbred racing industry is in mourning following the passing of respected horseman Danny Champion.
Best On Breeding
When Mick Dittman won the 1979 AJC Apollo Stakes on Scomeld, the champion jockey declared the stunning chestnut filly better than Denise's Joy.
One to Watch – Hawkesbury
Castelvecchio has gone from nowhere to somewhere during the course of this spring with three stakes-winners putting his name in lights and he had a promising three year-old colt salute at Hawkesbury on Thursday that has now won two of three starts.
Churchill Colt Pulls Off Stunning Pinhooking Result at NZB Ready To Run
Chad Ormsby has enjoyed plenty of racetrack success this year with pinhooks that he has been unable to sell at the Ready to Run Sale, but the multi-talented horseman had a very different outcome with the standout member of his 2024 Riverrock Farm draft at Karaka on Thursday.
Castelvecchio Out for Remainder of Season
Aeliana’s late charge into second place in the $1.5million Group I MRC Thousand Guineas last Saturday stamped her as the filly to follow out of the race, but it wasn’t quite enough to put her sire Castelvecchio to the top of the second season sires list and he is now out of service at Arrowfield following surgery last week.
Ka Ying Rising connection draws Hayes team to Shamexpress at Karaka
With one of the world’s most exciting sprinters flying the flag for David Hayes in Hong Kong, it has been no surprise to see the trainer’s sons zeroing in on progeny of Windsor Park Stud stallion Shamexpress during the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka this week.
Arkansaw Kid Brother Sells for $520,000
A well-related son of Harry Angel provided a late highlight in the final hour of the 2024 NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka on Thursday when he was knocked down to a $520,000 bid from bloodstock agent Morgan Carter.
Blockbuster Sale as NZB Ready to Run Records Tumble
Expectations were exceeded at Karaka with tremendous results witnessed across two days of selling at NZB’S 2024 Ready to Run Sale, confirming the demand for proven racetrack results and quality New Zealand-prepared horses.
Winning Rupert's Semana Smashes the $1 Million Barrier in Triscay Stakes
No horse has done more to champion the cause for Grandview Stud’s Winning Rupert than the 4-year-old mare Semana.