A former ‘Best On Breeding’, the Tony McEvoy-trained Sunlight, will be favoured to break her maiden status in Saturday’s Magic Millions QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap at the Gold Coast and push her claims for the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic, but she may be beaten to the punch as the first winner for Zoustar by a high-priced colt at Warwick Farm.
The Chris Waller-trained Charge finished an even third behind Godolphin’s highly-regarded Gongs at Rosehill on December 9.
The son of Zoustar faces off against eight opponents in the opening event at Warwick Farm on Saturday.
A $450,000 purchase by David Redvers/Mulcaster Bloodstock out of the Turangga Farm draft at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Charge (pictured as a yearling ) descends from the family of one of Australia’s most beloved thoroughbreds.
He is the 1992 Melbourne Cup hero, and racings greatest ambassador, Subzero. The mighty grey is a half-brother to Group III VATC Blue Diamond Prelude winner Confederate Lady and the multiple Listed winner Bensynd, out of the imported mare Wiley Trade (USA), a three-quarter sister to the dam of Golden Slipper winner and hugely influential stallion Marscay.
Besides Subzero, Confederate Lady and Bensynd, Wiley Trade (USA) is the dam of the smart racemare Market Garden (King Of Babylon).
The winner of her first three starts at two in Sydney, Market Garden finished third behind Out Of Danger and Desirable in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes, second to Vivarchi in the Group II Bloodhorse Breeders' Plate and again second behind Golden Slipper winner Vivarchi in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes.
Market Garden failed to win in six starts at three.
In a long and productive life at stud, Market Garden produced 16 named foals, 13 got to the race and 12 were winners,
The best was the stakes-placed My Heart’s Delight (Twig Moss) but the line was best served by the Biscay filly Country Garden.
A first-up winner at Canterbury, Country Garden failed to win at her next four starts and was whisked off to stud.
Sadly, Country Garden produced just one foal before her death. That was the Sir Tristram filly Bracken Bank who won the Group II MVRC Champagne Stakes and Listed Quezette Stakes.
She, in turn, is the dam of the smart Danehill filly Niagara Falls the winner of the Group III MRC Carlyon Cup and a pair of Listed stakes.
Purchased at the 2002 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $250,000 by Turangga Stud’s Stuart Ramsay, Niagara Falls is the dam of Elite Falls who was honoured as the joint top filly on the 2010-11 Australasian 2yo Classifications after winning the Group II Reisling Stakes and Inglis Banner in addition to finishing third in the Group 1 Golden Slipper. The daughter of More Than Ready (USA) went on to finish second in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate
The first foal of Niagara Falls was the General Nediym mare Queen Of The Falls. She was not in the class of her half-sister Elite Falls on the track, winning two of her eight starts, although she was highly enough regarded to starts in the Group 1 1000 Guineas at Caulfield.
Charge is the fourth foal of Queen Of The Falls. The first three, all by Nicconi are winners including the promising 3yo Falconic who was sold to Hong Kong.
Carrying the silks of Qatar Bloodstock, the $450,000 Charge is not the most expensive yearling purchase in the field.
That honour goes to the Not A Single Doubt colt Sokudo who was knocked down to James Harron for $500,000 at the same sale.
