Like Mother Like Daughter - Stefi Magnetica Triumphs in Group 1 Stradbroke

Mark Smith - Saturday June 15

Twelve years after Mid Summer Music scaled the heights in the Group 1 Stradbroke Hcp, her 3-year-old daughter Stefi Magnetica equalled the feat in the $3,000,000 feature at Eagle Farm.

Stefi Magnetica edges Bella Nipotina (image Grant Courtney)

Eleven months after breaking her maiden at Wellington in country NSW, the Bjorn Baker-trained daughter of All Too Hard received a Group 1 ride by Zac Lloyd to defeat the painfully courageous Pride Of Dubai mare Bella Nipotina by a half-neck with the Hallowed Crown gelding Vilana two lengths back in third.

Stefi Magnetica rose to fame similarly to her dam Mid Summer Music, who broke her maiden as a 4-year-old in February 2010 when she was a 5-length winner of a Warracknabeal maiden.

Advertisement

It was only due to the persistence of Linda Meech that her career did not end there. The daughter of Oamaru Force still had plenty to do to make a believer in Peter Moody, who was her greatest fan by the time she headed to the broodmare paddock with four stakes wins highlighted by her defeat of Buffering in the 2012 Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap.

With Bjorn Baker in England for Rachel King’s wedding, stable representative Jim Clarke said it had been a meteoric rise for the All Too Hard filly.

“She’s an amazing filly. She won a Wellington two-year-old race at the back end of the season, she won a BM58 at Orange in December, and she was just chinned in the Surround," Clarke recounted.

 “Bjorn opted to give her a short break and set her for the winter. Her run in the 10 000 was amazing. She was in the wrong part of the track, I think everyone saw that.

Group 1 glory (image Grant Courtney)

“It was an amazing ride there. To win Queensland’s greatest race with a filly that Gary and Mitch Cunningham bought as a yearling and trained by one of my best mates and one of my best supporters in Bjorn, is the biggest thrill of my career, and I’m just so pleased.”

It was the first Group 1 for an emotional Zac Llolyd.

“I was fine the whole time cantering back, but to see my dad has got me emotional,” Lloyd said.

“I was very confident pre-race. She galloped enormous on Tuesday. My dad and I went through the race thoroughly and we honestly thought we were on the right horse. The first furlong or two went perfect. She was in a good rhythm, she wasn’t overracing.

Happy days (image Grant Courtney(

“Just as a couple of horses started dropping back in our face I had to make a decision to go around with the pack but I ultimately thought there’d be too much traffic so I thought I was travelling so well I was happy to go inside of them.

“She was tough. I saw Bella Nipotina and I thought that was one horse you don’t want to be in a finish with, but she was great.

“It is really good just to get that group one on my resume. I’ve had some great opportunities in the past year or so and I haven’t been able to capitalise. To get the job done today in a very big race, it is very special.”

A $140,000 purchase for Cunningham Thoroughbreds/Clarke Bloodstock Pty Ltd (FBAA)/Bjorn Baker Racing from the Cressfield draft at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Stefi Magnetica advances her record to three wins, two seconds, and four thirds from 13 starts with earnings of $2,125,800.

A half-sister to the Group III MVRC Typhoon Tracy Stakes winner Hellfest (Hellbent), and stakes-placed winner Euphoric Summer (Not a Single Doubt), Stefi Magnetica is the best of five winners from as many to race for Mid Summer Music.

Sent to the 2013 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, Mid Summer Music was purchased by Tyreel Stud for $300,000.

Covered by All Too Hard, she was back in the ring a year later at the Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale, where Bruce Perry Bloodstock purchased her on behalf of Cressfield Stud for $375,000.

Scott Waters shelled out $100,000 for Mid Summer Music’s Bivouac filly from the Cressfield draft at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Mid Summer Music revisited All Too Hard last spring, having missed to him in 2022.

Stefi Magnetica is the 25th stakes-winner and fifth Group 1 winner for Vinery Stud’s All Too Hard, who stands for $38,500 in  2024.  

Advertisment

Race Result - The Star Stradbroke Hcp Gr1 1400m

Eagle Farm Track: Good(3) Time: 1:21.00
1
Stefi Magnetica
- 3f All Too Hard (AUS) x Mid Summer Music (AUS) (Oamaru Force (AUS))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: Zac Lloyd 50
All Too Hard
2
0.3
Bella Nipotina
- 6m Pride Of Dubai (AUS) x Bella Orfana (AUS) (Star Witness (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: Craig Williams 56
Pride Of Dubai
3
2.4
Vilana
- 5g Hallowed Crown (AUS) x Retsina (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: Tim Clark 53
Hallowed Crown
4
3.5
The Inevitable
- 8g Dundeel (NZ) x Gift Bouquet (AUS) (King's High (AUS))
Tnr: J L Keys Rdr: C Newitt 53
5
4.3
Amenable
- 4g Lonhro (AUS) x Carribean Sunset (IRE) (Danehill Dancer (IRE))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: C Schofield 53
6
5.2
Osipenko
- 4g Pierro (AUS) x Raskova (USA) (Henrythenavigator (USA))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: M R Du Plessis 52.5
7
5.4
Nugget
- 7g Siyouni (FR) x Gemstone (IRE) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: J R Collett 53
8
5.4
Benedetta
- 4m Hellbent (AUS) x Whatalovelyday (AUS) (Domesday (AUS))
Tnr: Jason Warren Rdr: D W Stackhouse 54
9
5.5
Dream Hour
- 4g Dawn Approach (IRE) x Ambivalent (AUS) (Aussie Rules (USA))
Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: R Dolan 51.5
10
5.8
Semana
- 4m Winning Rupert (AUS) x Festivity (AUS) (Nicconi (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: Dylan Gibbons 52
11
5.9
Roll On High
- 3f Shamus Award (AUS) x All Highs On Me (AUS) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: P G Moody & Katherine Coleman Rdr: Will Price 50
12
6
Antino
- 5g Redwood (GB) x Mahamaya (NZ) (Bahhare (USA))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: V Duric 54.5
13
8.7
Steparty
- 3c Artie Schiller (USA) x Watch Your Step (AUS) (Sepoy (AUS))
Tnr: P A Preusker Rdr: D Yendall 50.5
14
9.4
Magic Time
- 4m Hellbent (AUS) x Time Awaits (AUS) (Nicconi (AUS))
Tnr: G M Begg Rdr: M J Dee 55.5
15
10.2
Cepheus
- 7g Sea The Stars (IRE) x Crimson Cheer (USA) (Van Nistelrooy (USA))
Tnr: M J Dunn Rdr: Tommy Berry 54.5
16
12.5
Mighty Ulysses
- 5g Ulysses (IRE) x Token Of Love (GB) (Cape Cross (IRE))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: Damien Thornton 52.5
17
14.2
Prince Of Boom
- 5g Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Dazzling Display (AUS) (Red Dazzler (AUS))
Tnr: R L Heathcote Rdr: Tyler Schiller 52.5
18
14.7
Here To Shock
- 6g Shocking (AUS) x Frescoes (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes Rdr: Regan Bayliss 53
More Reading...
She's Unusual Keeps Good Times Rolling
Continued success with resident stallion Unusual Suspect and their racing team has kept Nigel and Adaire Auret busier than they may have envisaged, but without any complaints.
Karaka Million Dreaming for Out of the Blue
Te Akau Racing marketing manager Julia-Rose Hayes has had plenty of success syndicating horses selected by her father, David Ellis, and that has continued with her latest syndicate.
Stefi Magnetica Selected for Everest Slot
A barnstorming run into second place last Saturday in the Group II ATC The Shorts has seen the Bjorn Baker trained four year-old All Too Hard mare Stefi Magnetica selected for a slot in this year’s Everest with last year’s winning slot holders Newgate and GPI Racing moving to secure the Group I Stradbroke winner.
Kiwi Raider Pier Upbeat Ahead of Epsom
Co-trainer and part-owner Darryn Weatherley is taking a glass half full approach ahead of Saturday’s Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) after he came up with an awkward wide gate for Pier.
2025 G1 The Metropolitan Field and Barrier Draw
Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher are set to have half of the Group I Metropolitan field between them with the Waller trained Birdman an easing favourite after drawing a wide gate for Saturday’s race.
2025 G1 Epsom Handicap Field and Barrier Draw
The field and barrier draw has been decided for the Group I Epsom Handicap on Saturday with odds-on favourite and unbeaten mare Autumn Glow drawing the extreme outside gate in a field of 14.
Goffs Orby Day 2 - Trio of Million Dollar Yearling Fillies
The second day of the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale took off overnight with three individual yearlings selling for a million or more with the full sister to dual Group I winning champion 2YO Colt Blackbeard selling for €1.9 million to MV Magnier.
Youngsters Impress Leading into Magic Millions Horses in Training Sale
The build up to the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Horses in Training Sale has intensified with a swag of impressive breeze up performances over the past week.
Tragedy Strikes Stefi Magnetica Family
Every breeding season brings tales of joy and sometimes sadness and the team at Cressfield have ridden the emotional highs and lows over the past month with Operations Manager Liesl Wickson sharing her story of two remarkable mares and a prized colt.
Autumn Glow Epsom Challenge - Just How Big Is This Task?
With the unbeaten Autumn Glow set to run as the first odds-on favourite this century in the Epsom Handicap on Saturday we thought we’d run some data to see how big this mountain is that she’s attempting to climb, and turns out, it’s pretty big.