Just three of the 12 acceptors in Saturdays $250,000 Magic Millions 2yo Clockwise Classic (1000m) at Ballarat have had a start, and only one has won. So, if early betting is any guide, it looks the right spot for Winning Rupert to get off the mark with a valuable prize.
Newgate Farm's handsome son of Written Tycoon has two in the race, but it is the Matt Laurie-trained Ranveer that is garnering all the attention.
Purchased by his trainer for $200,000 out of the Western Breeders Alliance draft at the Magic Millions Perth Sale, Ranveer was the second top lot of the sale and the equal fourth of the 61 yearlings sold by his sire in 2020.
It was a slam dunk for Einoncliff Park who had purchased Ranveer's dam Bitter Twist for $60,000 out of the Kingstar Farm draft at the 2018 Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale when carrying the son of Winning Rupert.
A daughter of California Dane, Bitter Twist was no superstar on the track. Her only win in seven starts came in a 1000 metre maiden on a heavy track at Naracoorte.
She could, however, boast some top-class siblings including her brother Inspector who was a six-time winner in Melbourne and was runner-up in the Listed Kilmore Cup and third in the Group III Standish Handicap.
Bitter Twist's half-brother Hoegaarden (Flying Spur) may have won just one race in a six-start career but, he made it count. He won the Listed WATC Fairetha Stakes while placing in the Group II Western Australian Guineas and twice at Listed level.
Bitter Twist is a daughter of the talented racemare Inspect, and this is where the magic happens.
A three-time winner in Sydney and placed in the Listed Australia Day Cup, Inspect is a sister to the magnificent Intergaze.
Sadly, Intergaze will most likely be remembered as a spoiler, raining on Octagonal's farewell parade in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the first of two wins in the race.
His eight wins at the highest level included the ATC Champagne Stakes at two and the Australian cup at six.
Intergaze defeated Might and Power in the Canterbury Guineas, and after finishing second to Tie The Knot in the Group 1 Mercedes Stakes, gained revenge on the son of Nassipour in the Group II Chelmsford Stakes before lowering the colours of Sky Heights in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes.
Inspect and Intergaze were the best of four winners out of the imported Temperance Hill mare Tempergaze herself a daughter of the royally bred Secregaze.
The unraced Secregaze was the daughter of two champions, the incomparable Secretariat and the Coaching Club American Oaks heroine Magazine (Prince John).
Winning Rupert is a fascinating stallion prospect. He is the lone stakes-winner on the pedigree page for four generations.
There were few more talked about horses in late 2016 than the son of Written Tycoon.
Despite being trained at Warwick Farm by Bjorn Baker, all of Winning Rupert's six starts came in Queensland.
He reeled off five consecutive wins including the Group II Champagne Classic at Doomben at two and the Group III Vo Rogue Plate at Eagle Farm and the Listed Gold Edition Stakes at Doomben at three.
Winning Rupert met his Waterloo in the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas after which he had to have bone chips removed and was retired to Newgate with almost $600,000 in the bank.
Despite the lack of black-type, his dam Winaura (Show a Heart) was a very talented, hard-knocking mare who racked up five wins and five placings in a 27 start career.
At two she placed behind two top-class fillies in Gold Edition and Pure Energy and was highly enough regarded to make the trip from Brisbane to Melbourne to contest the Listed Maribyrnong Plate won by the future Blue Diamond Stakes winner Nadeem.
A grand sought, Winning Rupert has only had three runners to date. His daughter Bolsonaro did the best of them when runner-up over 1000 metres at Morphettville on November 7.
