Central Coast showjumper Matt Irvine took out the hotly contested Sydney qualifier for the $50,000 Magic Millions Off the Track Cup on January 7 with a fast double clear at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre on Thursday on a dashing grey mare bred by Emirates Park.
A big field of nearly 40 stepped out for the 90cm contest and with only 10 riders going through to the second round competition was fierce.
One of the highlight horses in the event was champion hurdler Saunter Boy (FR) ridden by Steve Pateman, who won the $175,000 Galleywood Hurdle on the 11 year-old at Warrnambool this year.
A $1.2million earner in the Australian Bloodstock colours when trained by Ciaron Maher and Davied Eustace, Saunter Boy was green to this caper and had a couple rails, but was a real crowd pleaser and acquitted himself well.
The Top five going through to the Gold Coast were:
1st JADAN PARK ACAPELLA MATT IRVINE
2nd BEAUFORT JESSICA STALLING
3rd ANOTHER START CHARLIE RICHARDSON
4th MEDITERRANEAN SHOWMAN COURTNEY VAN DER WERF
5th BOOMERANG CAFE JIM SCOBIE
Jadan Park Acapella is a 15yo mare by Al Samer and owes her grey colouring to her grand-dam Ameerat- Bilaadi, who is by grey French shuttler Kenmare (Fr) from Group I VRC Oaks winner Taj Eclipse, the family also producing Caulfield Cup winning $3.8million earner Fawkner.
Racing as Moon Pebbles, she was bred by Emirates Park and had 11 starts, but managed only one placing and has proven far more successful in the showjump arena.
Mediterranean Showman and Sydney jockey Courtney Van Der Werf were a popular combination, Courtney having been off injured in recent months having suffered a nasty race fall at Taree in October that also involved Lachlan Scorse, Jeff Penza and Jeff Kehoe, who was the only one of the four not hospitalized.
Courtney and Mediterranean Showman have made a formidable team and the 10 year-old son of Smart Missile started life as a $280,000 Magic Millions purchase for James Harron Bloodstock/Snowden Racing from the Newgate Farm draft.
Bred by Matthew Sandblom and foaled and raised at Newgate Farm, Mediterranean won two races and was stakes-placed at three earning over $100,000 in prizemoney and has proven a talented showjumper in his next career.
Mediterranean is a three-quarter brother to Macau Derby winner Secret Magnate from stakes-placed Ekali and comes from the family of Golden Slipper winners Merlene and Capitalist.
