Ole Kirk Filly wins Emotional $3million MM 2YO Classic

Tara Madgwick - Friday January 17

Bred and offered for sale by leading Victorian nursery Gilgai Farm, who also bred and sold her sire Ole Kirk, O' Ole scored a dominant win in the $3million Magic Millions 2YO Classic on Friday night at the Gold Coast. 

A decade after his late brother Nathan won the The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic on Unencumbered, brilliant jockey Tommy Berry claimed an emotion-charged win in the coveted race aboard the flying filly.

Advertisement

O' Ole wins the MM 2YO Classic - image Magic Millions

Riding for the same trainer, jumping from the same barrier and giving his horse an eerily run were all hallmarks of one of racing’s great fairtytales, when O’Ole burst to the lead and raced away form her rivals in the final 200m of the race.

Bjorn Baker’s filly stamped herself as the nation’s premier two-year-old with the dominant length-and-a-half win over Memo, in what was a replica of the quinella in last month’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic at Wyong. Classy Wootton Bassett (GB) colt Gallo Nero was third having beaten both of those fillies at his previous start in Sydney.



Berry said the win rated among his most special in the sport.

“It means so much,” Berry said.

“Since that day, they’ve named the trophy after Nathan, it’s the Nathan Berry Trophy every year and I’m sick of handing it out, I wanted to win it again.

“Ironically, I get to do it for Bjorn Baker, who Nathan was pretty much stable rider for and he obviously won on Unencumbered here for Bjorn 10 years ago.

“It might have even been from the same barrier so the starts aligned today.

“It’s an amazing sport and I’m blessed to be a part of it.”

Berry, who won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic in 2011 aboard Karuta Queen and 2012 on Driefontein, said O’Ole has all the assets needed by a juvenile to win at the elite level.

“She wins the start every time by a length and she did that again today,” he said.

“I kept looking over and using her just as much as I had to to get her into that nice one-one spot and she did the rest from there.

“She’s a beautiful filly.

“She’s by Ole Kirk who I had a lot to do with and I’m sure they sold really well at the sales because he (Ole Kirk) is another good one.”



A delayed flight meant Baker didn’t make it to the track in time to watch the filly but his close friend and bloodstock agent Jim Clarke said it was a win for the in-form stable to savour.

Clarke and Baker combined to pay $325,000 for the filly out of Gilgai Farm’s draft at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Together they teamed up on 16 purchases during last week’s 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Clarke said the filly has risen to every challenge during her short tenure in the stable.  

“It’s amazing,” Clarke said.

“Nathan rode Unencumbered for Bjorn 10 years ago and that’s what set him off on his way.

“There were so many things at play here today – she drew the exact same gate as Unencumbered, ended up getting the exact same ride form Tommy and it was all over at the 200m.

“Bjorn has had a huge opinion of her from the start and it was always the long-term plan to get her here.

“She was probably the filly in the Magic Millions (catalogue) last year that our whole team zeroed in on, although I probably didn’t expect to be going there thinking that I’d fall in love with a yearling by Ole Kirk out of a Sepoy mare and pay the sort of money that we did.

“She had a phenomenal physique and every time we saw her she paraded perfectly and fortunately she’s done the same in her racing career so far today.

“She’s just been the ultimate professional from the start and she’s got an amazing constitution which has allowed her to take everything before her the whole way through.

“Bjorn’s flight was delayed by about four hours and he’s only just landed, that’s why she was in the club colours.

“Luckily he landed in time to watch the race.”

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s filly The Playwright, which is raced by an all-female ownership group, finished fourth and collected the bulk of the $500,000 Magic Millions Racing Women’s Bonus.

O' Ole was a $325,000 MM purchase from Gilgai Farm.

O’Ole was bred by Gilgai Farm and is the first stakes-winner among three winners from Sepoy mare Vellor, a winning half-sister to Group II winner Altar from Group II winner Hosannah.

A Godolphin bred mare that was purchased from one of their reductions at the 2019 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale by Dermont Farrington for Gilgai Farm for $375,000, Vellor has a yearling filly by Ole Kirk and appears to be back in foal to him after having a year off in between.

Ole Kirk increased his Magic Millions Book 1 average this year to $230,000 up from his first season average last year of $206,300, which is not easy to do and he also had 100% clearance reflecting the strong demand from the market for his stock.

The win of O'Ole will propel the Vinery Stud based son of Written Tycoon to the the top of the first season sires list by earnings and also the overall 2YO Sires List   

   

Advertisment

Race Result - The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2yo Classic (RL) RL 1200m

Gold Coast Track: Good(4) Time: 1:09.27
1
O' Ole
- 2f Ole Kirk (AUS) x Vellor (AUS) (Sepoy (AUS))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: Tommy Berry 55
Ole Kirk
MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale $325,000
Seller: Gilgai Farm, Nagambie, Vic
Buyer: Bjorn Baker Racing/Clarke Bloodstock Pty Ltd (FBAA)
2
1.5
Memo
- 2f Capitalist (AUS) x Notation (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: Peter Snowden Rdr: K Mc Evoy 55
MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale $350,000
Seller: Newgate Farm, Aberdeen, NSW (As Agent)
Buyer: Snowden Racing Pty Ltd
3
2
Gallo Nero
- 2c Wootton Bassett (GB) x Chianti (AUS) (I Am Invincible (AUS))
Tnr: M, W & J Hawkes Rdr: Tyler Schiller 57
Wootton Bassett
MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale $370,000
Seller: Glenbeigh Farm, Scone, NSW (As Agent)
Buyer: Hawkes Racing
4
3
The Playwright
- 2f Written By (AUS) x Sugarparma (AUS) (Snitzel (AUS))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: B Shinn 55
5
3.2
Vein Girl
- 2f Blue Point (IRE) x Last Vein (AUS) (Unencumbered (AUS))
Tnr: Chris & Corey Munce Rdr: Cejay Graham 55
6
3.3
Hi Barbie
- 2f I Am Invincible (AUS) x Outback Barbie (AUS) (Spirit Of Boom (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Tim Clark 55
7
3.5
Secret Sort
- 2g Tassort (AUS) x Follonica (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: Donna Stanbridge Rdr: V Duric 57
8
3.6
Cool Archie
- 2c Cool Aza Beel (NZ) x Aware (AUS) (Tale Of The Cat (USA))
Tnr: Chris & Corey Munce Rdr: Martin Harley 57
9
3.8
Quietly Arrogant
- 2c Capitalist (AUS) x Single Sapphire (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: Peter Snowden Rdr: J Parr 57
10
5.1
Don'tdoubthelady
- 2f Dubious (AUS) x Teeka (AUS) (Toronado (IRE))
Tnr: Clinton Taylor Rdr: Justin P Stanley 55
11
6.4
Forgotten Spirit
- 2f Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Never Forget (FR) (Westerner (GB))
Tnr: S J Morrisey Rdr: Ms L J Meech 55
12
6.5
Icarian Dream
- 2f Blue Point (IRE) x Teebo (AUS) (Stryker (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: J R Collett 55
13
7.3
La Bella Boom
- 2f Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x La Girl (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Craig Williams 55
14
8.1
Invincible Woman
- 2f I Am Invincible (AUS) x Showcase (AUS) (Big Brown (USA))
Tnr: L Kennewell & L Yeomans Rdr: Damian Lane 55
15
9.9
Luva Flutta
- 2c Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Goodlookin Gambler (AUS) (Johannesburg (USA))
Tnr: S W Kendrick Rdr: James Orman 57
16
18.7
Formula Rossa
- 2f Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Fitna (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Angela Jones 55
More Reading...
Lightly Raced Stayer Wins Sandown Cup
The $175,000 Listed MRC Sandown Cup (3200m) on Sunday featured some battle hardened  old stayers, but it was the young kind on the block that got the prize with four year-old Tavistock gelding Diwali scoring his first stakes win.
New Classic Prospect and New Aussie 2YO Winner for Wootton Bassett
The Group III JRA Derby Trial (2000m) at Baden Baden in Germany overnight produced a new stakes-winner for Wootton Bassett (GB) with lightly raced colt Juwelier staking a claim for classic success.
Aussie Bred Trifecta in G3 Sha Tin Vase
Toronado (IRE) gelding Helios Express led home a tricta for Aussie bred sprinters in the Group III Sha Tin Vase (1200m) on Saturday defeating Invincible Sage (Thronum) and Patch of Theta (Zoustar).
Sires With Winners - Sunday June 1
Here is the full list of 51 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Cool Aza Beel Strikes Again
Proven Te Akau Racing filly Cool Aza Rene put her quality on display when prevailing in a competitive Nellies Restaurant and Bar 2YO (820m) at Wingatui on Sunday.
Sires With Winners - Saturday May 31
Here is the full list of 116 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
The Secret is Out!
He has big shoes to fill as a half-brother to a $12million earner, but there is no secret about his ability! 
Magic Justify x Fastnet Rock Cross Strikes in Hong Kong
With Justify’s very best son City of Troy (USA) shuttling to Coolmore Australia this spring it’s worth remembering the power of the Justify x Fastnet Rock nick and we saw it to the fore at Sha Tin on Saturday when Australian bred four year-old Pray for Mir took out the Group III The Lion Rock Trophy (1600m).
Ole Kirk Filly Wins Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic
Vinery Stud’s young stallion Ole Kirk is off to a flyer and now has two winners and both are stakes-winners with ill-fated Group III ATC Breeders Plate winner King Kirk now joined by quality filly O’ Ole, who booked her ticket to the Gold Coast in January when leading home a fillies trifecta in the $200,000 Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic (1100m).
Familiar Faces Win $100,000 Jumps Features at Sandown
Jumps racing took centre stage at Sandown on Sunday with some familiar colours and faces winning both the $100,000 Australian Steeplechase (3900m) and the $100,000 Australian Hurdle (3900m).