One To Watch - Pakenham

Mark Smith - Tuesday August 18

The optimistically named Best Ever is bred to be something a bit special and he made the perfect start to his career with a professional performance in a 1400m maiden on the Pakenham Park synthetic on Tuesday.

Royally-bred Best Ever makes a winning debut at Pakenham (Natasha Morello/Racing Photos)

Ridden by Luke Nolen for trainer Peter Moody, Best Ever rode the early speed set by Moving Day before safely holding the challenge of Queen Of Rocks (Fastnet Rock) by three-quarters of a length with the same distance back to Kumo Sun (Fighting Sun) in third.

Advertisement

Carrying the colours of his breeder John Singleton, Best Ever is a son of the 4-time Champion Sire Of Australia, Snitzel, out of Singleton’s 8-time Group 1 winner More Joyous (More Than Ready).

In a fabulous career that saw her win 21 of her 33 starts ( 8 G1, 9 GII, 1 GIII and 2 Listed) while banking over $4.5 million, More Joyous has earned the right to be courted by the best around.

Her first foal, Woman, was by the undefeated champion Frankel.

After making a winning career at Canterbury back in 2017, Woman only made three more appearances, placing at Pakenham and Sandown.

A failure at Sandown in April last year brought a premature end to her career and she visited Snitzel last spring.

More Joyous as most remember her in her heyday (Mark Smith)

The second foal of More Joyous is the Fastnet Rock gelding More Sundays who had just one win in five starts for Lindsay Park and has recently been transferred to Sam Kavanagh.

Best Ever is the third foal of More Joyous who has 2yo sister to Best Ever named Joyous Legend.

After missing to Fastnet Rock in 2018, More Joyous made her second trip to Europe where she was covered once again by Frankel.

The daughter of More Than Ready (USA) out of the Group 1 AJC Australian Oaks heroine Sunday Joy (Sunday Silence) is due to foal in late October.

Advertisment

Race Result - Magic Millions Mdn Plate 1400m

Pakenham Synthetic Track: Synthetic Time: 1:28.24
1
Best Ever
- 3c Snitzel (AUS) x More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: P G Moody Rdr: L Nolen 57
2
0.8
Queen Of Rocks
- 3f Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Dowager Queen (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: T Dabernig & B Hayes Rdr: W Pike 55
3
1.6
Kumo Sun
- 4m Fighting Sun (AUS) x Web Of Love (AUS) (Show A Heart (AUS))
Tnr: P Stokes Rdr: Michael Poy 57.5
4
2.5
Moving Day
- 4m Turffontein (AUS) x Carlie Rose (AUS) (Keltrice (AUS))
Tnr: M Ellerton & S Zahra Rdr: Damien Thornton 57.5
5
5.2
Lord Wonder
- 4g Shocking (AUS) x Princess Wonder (AUS) (Desert Prince (IRE))
Tnr: E Jusufovic Rdr: M J Dee 59.5
6
5.5
Miss Conspicuous
- 4m Smart Missile (AUS) x She's Pretentious (AUS) (Royal Academy (USA))
Tnr: Michael Huglin Rdr: Ben Allen 57.5
7
5.9
Virginia
- 4m Equiano (FR) x Cait Colleen (AUS) (Carnegie (IRE))
Tnr: Shane Stockdale Rdr: Thomas Stockdale 57.5
8
7.2
Magic Kappy
- 4m Kaphero (AUS) x Riverina Magic (AUS) (Duke Of Marmalade (IRE))
Tnr: I R Jones Rdr: Dean Holland 57.5
9
8.7
Statue Of Dreams
- 4m Statue Of Liberty (USA) x Isle Of Dreams (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: M Croston & G Gilmour Rdr: J Bowditch 57.5
10
15.7
Rittenband
- 4g Polanski (AUS) x Baby Nation (AUS) (Archway (IRE))
Tnr: Aaron Laing Rdr: B Rawiller 59.5
More Reading...
Mr Mozart First Foals Impress at Highview Stud
Young Snitzel stallion Sword of State kicked off his stud career in the best way possible on Wednesday with an Aussie 2YO stakes-winner in Torture, but he’s not the only well credentialed son of Snitzel in New Zealand with Highview Stud home to Mr Mozart.
Blue Gum Farm Find Positive in Debutant Result for Sejardan
The victory by Torture in Wednesday's Listed Debutant Stakes at Caulfield kicked off the New Zealand based stallion Sword Of State's career in fine style and Blue Gum Farm have reason to be excited by the impressive performance.
Sires With Winners - Thursday October 16
Here is the full list of 37 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Too Darn Hot Filly Chasing Guineas Start
Stablemates Oratia Beauty and Geneva will have opportunities to book their passages south when they step out at Ellerslie on Saturday.
$900,000 Toronado Colt Tops Inglis Ready 2 Race
The highest-priced colt ever sold at an Inglis Ready2Race Sale topped a record day of trade that resulted in the biggest turnover in the sale’s history today.
Brave Smashing Out Winners
Yarraman Park’s Brave Smash (Jpn) has been on a winning roll since the start of this month and racked up his fifth winner for October when talented colt Smashing Lad scored an impressive maiden win at Warrnambool on Thursday.
800k Night of Thunder Colt Stars - Record-Breaking Tattersalls October Book 2 Concludes
Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale concluded with new benchmarks set for turnover and median. The sale aggregate of 70,124,500 guineas was well clear of the wide-margin record set in 2024, and the median of 76,000 guineas was a 9% increase on the previous year’s record equalling figure. The sale clearance rate was an excellent 92%.
State of Excitement for Cambridge Stud
In a week where Cambridge Stud’s focus is largely around Joliestar’s tilt at the A$20 million Gr.1 The Everest (1200m), it was their first-season sire Sword Of State who was making headlines across the Tasman on Wednesday.
Not This Time 2026 Fee Surges to US$250,000
When Widden Stud announced they would be shuttling Group I winning sprinter Cogburn (USA) to Australia this spring there were many Australian breeders who had to start doing some homework on his sire Not This Time.
$1.5Million Dundeel 3YO Salutes
When Arrowfield boss John Messara turns up to a Thursday meeting at Hawkesbury to watch a $1.5million Dundeel 3YO go around it’s a fairly safe bet that it will be winning.