The $50,000 Magic Millions Off the Track for thoroughbreds jumpers at 90cm at the Gold Coast on Sunday produced a great contest with 17 starters and the cream really rose to the top when the top five went through to jump off and the winner has a close relation to be offered at Magic Millions next week!
The winners of both the Sydney and Queensland qualifiers made the second round final on Sunday with Peter McMahon and Royal Talisman pitched into battle with Matt Irvine and Jadan Park Acapella with the other three in the final being Tim Trihey and Radjish, Andrew Cooper and Ocean Eight and 17 year-old Bella Wozniac and her 20 year-old veteran Simply Red Charged.
Injured earlier in the week when kicked by a horse and hospitalized with three broken ribs, Peter McMahon is an Olympian for showjumping that competed at the Beijing Games and he showed his class to produce a perfect clear with the quickest time to take the prize.
His renowned Kolora Lodge breaking, spelling and pre-training business is about to get super busy with the Magic Millions Yearling Sale next week sure to send plenty of expensive yearlings his way for the next phase of their careers as they are broken in and prepared for the track.
Young Bella Wozniac riding the oldest horse in the class was the only other clear and she whistled around the course to go clear and grab second ahead of Andrew Cooper, Tim Trihey and Matt Irvine.
The winner Royal Talisman is a 14YO gelding by Victoria Derby winner Benicio from Temeraire and proved a less than successful racehorse with five unplaced starts racing as Immortalis before finding his true calling as a showjumper.
He is a half-brother to stakes-winner Humbucker and comes from the family of Group I winner Lady of the Pines.
Using Breednet’s Family Search for upcoming yearling sales shows two entries related to this star showjumper and one of them will sell at Magic Millions next week and she’s Lot 808, a high profile horse being the only filly in the sale by New Zealand champion sire Proisir.
Consigned by Twin Hills Stud, the filly is the first foal of Jazamour, who is a half-sister to Royal Talisman as well as the stakes-winner Humbuck.
Off the track thoroughbred competitions are flourishing around Australia creating pathways and goals for the owners of these horses and encouraging more and more equestrian people to become involved with the greatest and most versatile horse breed in the world.
