Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday January 13

Zoustar can top off a magical week at the Gold Coast in Saturday's $2,000,000 Magic Millions 2yo Classic.

Among the most sought-after stallions at the sale, the Widden Stud-based stallion has two leading chances in the Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young-trained colt Sunsource and the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained filly Platinum Jubilee.

A jaw-dropping win for Platinum Jubilee in Gimcrack Stakes (image Steve Hart)

A $600,000 purchase for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott/Kestrel Thoroughbreds from the Newgate Farm draft at the Gold Coast twelve months ago, Platinum Jubilee races for a syndicate, which includes her breeder, Sir Owen Glenn's Go Bloodstock.

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Sir Owen may not know where to look at the finish as he also has interests in leading chances Empire Of Japan (Snitzel), Sovereign Fund (Capitalist), and Royal Entrance (Snitzel).

Platinum Jubilee made a memorable debut in the Group III Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on October 1.

The daughter of Zoustar came from a seemingly impossible position to overpower the Russian Revolution filly Perfect Proposal by a length and a quarter.

Twelve weeks later, Platinum Jubilee led up in an 1100m race at Randwick and was nailed on the line by the Hellbent filly Fireburn, who she opposes again on Saturday. Third in the race was Snitzel's Group III Breeders' Stakes winner Empire Of Japan, among the favourites on Saturday.

Platinum Jubilee is the second foal of stakes-winning Fastnet Rock mare Miss Debutante, who has made an exciting start to her broodmare career.

Her first foal is the I Am Invincible filly Queen of the Ball, who won the Group III ATC Widden Stakes and Group III CRC Black Opal Stakes at two and the Group III MVRC Scarborough Stakes this season at three.

Sir Owen Glenn purchased Miss Debutante for $430,000 through Paul Moroney Bloodstock when consigned by Kia Ora Stud to the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

She won four of her eight starts for Gai Waterhouse, highlighted by a dominant performance in the Listed Denise's Joy Stakes at Scone, defeating Snitty Kitty, Smart Amelia, and Eckstein.

Platinum Jubilee a $600,000 Magic Millions yearling

Miss Debutante is from imported Group II winning More Than Ready (USA) mare More Than Real (USA), who Todd Pletcher trained for celebrity chef Bobby Flay. She won the Grade II Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf two years before it was elevated to a Grade 1.

More Than Real (USA) was a US$675,000 purchase for James Bester at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. She has proved to be a sound investment for Kia Ora with her Exceed And Excel filly Pretty Elsa selling for $1,200,00 at the 2019 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

More Than Real (USA) is a sister to Miss Always Ready, the dam of Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Structor (Palace Malice), and Always Carina (Malibu Moon), who was runner-up in the Grade II Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont.

The top-producing sisters are daughters of the crack Dehere (USA) mare Miss Steffens whose eleven wins included five stakes.

There is still plenty to look forward to as Miss Debutante has a yearling Written Tycoon filly, a colt foal by Flying Artie, and was covered by I Am Invincible in November.

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