Melbourne Spring Carnival Highlights the Magic of Mill Park

Media Release - Monday November 18

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 wins the Victoria Derby - image Grant CourtneyWarning (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 won the G3 Carbine Club Stakes - image Grant CourtneyDalasan (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).
 
Banquo won the Listed Springtime Stakes - image Grant Courtney 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.
 
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.
 
Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Tuesday December 24
Here is the full list of 9 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
A busy set of trials at Rosehill on Monday morning featured four heats for juveniles and the winners were all unraced youngsters by Tassort, Too Darn Hot (GB), Super Seth and Golden Slipper winner Farnan, while a Wootton Bassett (GB) colt showed he could possibly still get to the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
Little Brose to Stand at Little Avondale
Arguably there is no better stallion making race in Australasia than Victoria's only Gr.1 event for two-year-olds, the Blue Diamond Stakes, and when you add the hottest bloodline in the Southern Hemisphere to the mix, you have an exciting stallion prospect. 
Eagerly Anticipated Karaka Debuts for First-Season Sires
An exciting group of rookie stallions will have their first yearlings going through the Karaka sale ring late next month.
Super Seth Filly Set to Star for Wexford Stabels
Wexford Stables are bullish about landing a couple of knockout blows at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
Brave Smash Winning Double Hong Kong
The Sha Tin meeting on Sunday produced some great  results for the Yarraman sires with Brave Smash (Jpn) posting a winning double and Hellbent siring a promising new three year-old winner.
Magic Millions Order of Entry Updated – Blue Point Fillies on the Rise
After a busy weekend of racing, the Magic Millions order of entry for the 2YO Classic and 3YO Guineas have been given a shake up with two fillies by Blue Point (IRE), a stallion that has had a mixed reception Australia, shooting into contention for the big day at the Gold Coast on January 11.
2024 Favourite Foal Winner
Firstly we’d like to thank everyone for taking an interest in our foal gallery and supporting their favourites, but there was always a sentimental top pick for many and the most famous foal in the country has now won his first race!
The Yearlings You Know You Want to See!
A flood of yearling images uploaded to the Magic Millions website ahead of the Christmas break have brought the first major Australian sale of 2025 to life in an online sense and for those who have not been visiting the farms in the lead up to the sale it’s a great chance to get a look at some of the superstar yearlings.
Hong Kong Summed Up - Dec 22 - Brave Smash Winning Double
A double for Brave Smash, including a new winner, also new winners for Hellbent and Kermadec, and three yearling catalogue updates amongst seven Australasian bred winners at Sha Tin on Sunday.