Prestigious and highly competitive racing during Melbourne’s Spring Carnival attracts top gallopers from around the globe, and this year’s Carnival saw Mill Park Stud’s graduates come out on top in several of the feature races.
These results have been a timely booster as the 2020 Magic Millions Yearling Catalgoue was released and will feature 14 yearlings prepared by the farm.
Warning (Declaration of War) proved himself the best stayer in the $2 million Group 1 Victoria Derby, while taking Mill Park Stud’s success at Flemington to a new level.
He kept up a relentless gallop under Damien Oliver to defeat the honest Puissance de Lune (IRE) colt Southern Moon by three and a quarter lengths with the Shamus Award colt Soul Patch a length back in third.
"I knew I had such an economical run and that he would stay well as he's such a clean-winded horse, so I thought he finished it off that strongly," said Oliver after the race.
Warning’s Melbourne Spring Carnival campaign kicked off with a win in the Listed Super Impose Stakes. He backed up to finish second in the Group 3 Caulfield Classic two weeks later, with his efforts culminating in the Group 1 Victoria Derby score.
Mill Park Stud sold the stayer for $65,000 at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, with trainer Anthony Freedman and Will Johnson securing the gelding for a group of friends. Bred by Toorak Thoroughbred Breeding Trust, he has now had seven starts for two wins, one second and one third, and just under $1.4 million in prizemoney.
Dalasan (Dalakhani) also delivered two stakes spoils during the Spring Carnival, adding the Group 2 Danehill Stakes and the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes to his form.
The race favourite in the Carbine Club Stakes, Dalasan also collected a newly introduced $1 million bonus when he held off a fast-finishing Brandenburg to win by half a length.
"I knew I had such an economical run and that he would stay well as he's such a clean-winded horse, so I thought he finished it off that strongly," said Oliver after the race.
Warning’s Melbourne Spring Carnival campaign kicked off with a win in the Listed Super Impose Stakes. He backed up to finish second in the Group 3 Caulfield Classic two weeks later, with his efforts culminating in the Group 1 Victoria Derby score.
Mill Park Stud sold the stayer for $65,000 at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, with trainer Anthony Freedman and Will Johnson securing the gelding for a group of friends. Bred by Toorak Thoroughbred Breeding Trust, he has now had seven starts for two wins, one second and one third, and just under $1.4 million in prizemoney.
Dalasan (Dalakhani) also delivered two stakes spoils during the Spring Carnival, adding the Group 2 Danehill Stakes and the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes to his form.
The race favourite in the Carbine Club Stakes, Dalasan also collected a newly introduced $1 million bonus when he held off a fast-finishing Brandenburg to win by half a length.
"He's an exceptional young horse and I think he's got improvement," jockey Hugh Bowman said.
"He's got that quirkiness when he gets to the front. He was just waiting for something. When he gets it all together and really learns how to get to the line, you'll see a serious Group 1 horse in the future."
In between victories, Dalasan also ran second in the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude finishing less than a length behind All Too Hard gelding Alligator Blood.
Leon Macdonald, who trains in partnership with Andrew Gluyas, purchased the sprinter-miler for $80,000 from Mill Park Stud’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale draft. The debut winner has since won five of his eight starts and placed in a further two for his ownership group, which includes breeder Harry perks, taking his career earnings to more than $700,000 (excluding the bonus).
Mill Park Stud’s excellent Spring Carnival continued as Banquo (Written Tycoon) stepped out to win two starts back-to-back, including the Listed Springtime Stakes at Flemington. The promising colt’s victory added to the success of his Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Danny O’Brien.
“He's a class colt," said O’Brien. “We've given him a pretty quiet entry this spring, but it's always been based around getting him to Cup week and having a look.”
He was purchased out of Mill Park Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $600,000, selling to Bruce Perry Bloodstock. Bred by Tony and Liz Freebairn and Bill Rigg, the promising colt has had five starts for two wins and a second placing, along with $154,450 in prizemoney.
Banquo is a younger brother to Group 1 Oakleigh Plate winner Booker (Written Tycoon) who also sold through Mill Park Stud’s draft for $230,000.
He was purchased out of Mill Park Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $600,000, selling to Bruce Perry Bloodstock. Bred by Tony and Liz Freebairn and Bill Rigg, the promising colt has had five starts for two wins and a second placing, along with $154,450 in prizemoney.
Banquo is a younger brother to Group 1 Oakleigh Plate winner Booker (Written Tycoon) who also sold through Mill Park Stud’s draft for $230,000.
In the farm’s 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft, another colt from the exciting family will be presented in Lot 586. A son of Capitalist, he is out of winning Flying Spur mare Noondie making him a three-quarter-brother to Banquo and Booker.
Other highlights in the draft include two fillies from the record-setting sire I Am Invincible. Lot 400 is out of the Group 1-winning mare In Style while Lot 560 is out of Group 2 placed Snitzel mare Moreau.
Altogether, Mill Park Stud will consign 14 yearlings at the Sale with selling commencing from the 8th January. A selection of 11 sires will be represented, including Australia’s leading sires Snitzel, I Am Invincible and Fastnet Rock, as well as exciting first season sires Capitalist and Frosted.
You can view the draft online by clicking here.
Other highlights in the draft include two fillies from the record-setting sire I Am Invincible. Lot 400 is out of the Group 1-winning mare In Style while Lot 560 is out of Group 2 placed Snitzel mare Moreau.
Altogether, Mill Park Stud will consign 14 yearlings at the Sale with selling commencing from the 8th January. A selection of 11 sires will be represented, including Australia’s leading sires Snitzel, I Am Invincible and Fastnet Rock, as well as exciting first season sires Capitalist and Frosted.
You can view the draft online by clicking here.