Trainer Clinton McDonald and bloodstock agent Shane McGrath teamed up to win their second G1 Blue Diamond Stakes in three years today with Streisand (Magnus) victorious in the juvenile feature at Caulfield.
The 2YO filly started double figure odds despite having won the Prelude a fortnight earlier and being twice Stakes placed prior to that.
But she will fly under the radar no longer, winning today’s first 2YO G1 of the season in determined fashion despite having raced three-wide for the majority of the 1200m trip.
Streisand led in a G1 quinella for Inglis graduates in the Blue Diamond, defeating Classic Yearling Sale colt Closer To Free.
Streisand is the 115th individual G1-winning Inglis graduate since 2018 and one of 49 of those that could have been bought for $100,000 or less.
She is also the 31st G1-winning 2YO in Australia produced from Inglis sales in the past 20 years, over 20% more than the tally produced from sales conducted by the nearest rival in the same period.
McDonald teamed up with McGrath to buy Streisand from Northmore Thoroughbreds for $100,000 at last year’s Premier Yearling Sale.
Northmore had pinhooked the Eldon Park Stud-bred filly with Waterford Livestock, purchasing her for $22,000 at the Great Southern Sale as a weanling from the Yarran Thoroughbreds draft.
McDonald won the Blue Diamond in 2024 with fellow Inglis graduate Hayasugi, of which McGrath had a key association with her purchase from the Australian Weanling Sale.
But today it was all about Streisand (pictured), a filly McGrath knew from the moment he saw at Oaklands 12 months that it was love at first sight.
“We saw her down at the Premier Sale and from the moment we saw her we just loved her,’’ McGrath said.
“She was such a big, strong, powerful filly and honestly, she was a Magnus that looked like a Zoustar and we said ‘we’ve got to buy her’ so we bought her for a client, we’ve got a heap of owners in her, my son and daughter are in her, it’s like they’ve won a grand final and this is the grand final of Melbourne racing.
“We work hard, we look at every horse at every sale, we’ve got a really select criteria for what we look for and Clinton’s systems at Cranbourne, it’s a real family environment, horses love being trained there and he’s a horseman at heart.’’
There were extraordinary scenes in the Caulfield mounting yard post-race as a huge ownership group celebrated Streisand’s victory.
“It doesn’t get much better than that. It’s great for racing, it’s a big bunch of owners, it’s what racing needs, there’s kids, there’s mums and dads, it’s fantastic. It was like being in a mosh pit at a concert after the race,’’ McDonald said.
“What a filly. She did it the tough way and I thought she was really strong all the way to the line. I just thought she was the most seasoned horse in the race, it was her fifth start…the way she walked around the mounting yard was like she’d done it her whole life and she raced that way. It’s just terrific.
“Hayasugi was understated, she won the Prelude by a head and everyone wrote her off and I think she started $18 in the Diamond and same with this filly, she’d had four starts, she got beat a short half head in two of them, was unlucky when she ran 5th and then she won her fourth start. I’ve said all along she’s had a faultless preparation, she’s had a solid preparation and she’s tough and that’s what you need to win these races.’’
Northmore’s Tammy Notman added: “I can’t believe it! She was the most experienced runner in the race and Clinton was so confident and she got the job done.
“It’s amazing timing as well, on the eve of the Premier Sale, it just gives buyers the confidence to buy off us again.’’
Northmore will present a draft of 12 yearlings at this year’s Premier Sale, which begins next Sunday, March 1 and runs for three days.
“We’re really happy with the draft overall but there’s a Home Affairs filly there out of Mywayorthehighway (lot 225) that we bred and she’s just so similar to Streisand, same attitude, same demeanour, loves her work, good eater, relaxed, takes everything in her stride and is the same build as Streisand, same everything,’’ Notman said.
Premier inspections begin at Oaklands on Tuesday.
To view the catalogue CLICK HERE.
Streisand was one of 10 Stakes winners by Inglis graduates today in Australia and New Zealand.
Earlier on the Caulfield program Sheza Alibi (Saxon Warrior) – one of the most exciting 3YO fillies in the country – returned to racing in rude health, winning the G2 Angus Armanasco Stakes with staggering ease despite enduring a troubled passage through the race.
It was a fifth career win for Sheza Alibi from just eight career starts and set her up for a likely tilt at her first G1, the Randwick Guineas, at her next start in a fortnight.
Queenslander Fred Noffke purchased the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained Sheza Alibi on Inglis Digital as a weanling in June 2023 for just $10,000.
She has not missed a place in all eight starts – and won almost $700,000 in prizemoney along the way - and looks destined for far greater glories this preparation and beyond.
“I really do think I’ve got a top-class horse on my hands,’’ Noffke said.
“She’s strong, better, more mature and very easy to live with.’’
Winning co-trainer Moody added: “There won’t be a deep campaign…because she had a long year last year and we’ll be back for the spring.
“You dream of her maybe being a Cox Plate filly…or there’s races like the [$10m G1] Golden Eagle, the [G1] Empire Rose, there’s a lot of options, we just need to make sure we look after her.’’
Bred by Fred and Desley Monsour, Sheza Alibi led in an Inglis graduates trifecta today, defeating Salty Pearl and Mystery ‘N’ Drama.
Shortly after, Bossy Benita (So You Think) scored a valuable first black type success when leading all the way to win the G3 Mannerism Stakes at Caulfield.
Trainer Michael Mehegan – who bought Bossy Benita for $85,000 at the Premier Yearling Sale from the Springmount draft – was confident his 4YO mare would prove hard to beat today.
“She’s very strong and I always thought she was up to this class,’’ Mehegan said.
“It’s pretty rewarding when a plan comes off.’’
The Tarsao Investments-bred Bossy Benita has now won five of her 14 starts for $383,000 in prizemoney.
Trainer Matt Cumani celebrated his biggest win as a trainer when Single Choice (Anders) won the G2 Autumn Classic at Caulfield.
The 3YO is an $80,000 Classic Yearling Sale purchase for Sam Beatson of Riversley Park, from the Kingstar Farm draft.
And the 6YO gelding Magnaspin (Magnus) crashed through the $1m prizemoney barrier with a deserving victory in the Listed Victoria Gold Cup at Caulfield.
Bred by Jim and June Anderson, today’s was an eighth career win for Magnaspin and first at Stakes level.
Syndicator Nathan Bennett purchased Magnaspin for $60,000 from the Premier Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Maluka Thoroughbreds.
He was initially a Great Southern Weanling Sale graduate for Moorookyle Park.
At Rosehill a new contender for the G1 Golden Slipper emerged with Easter colt Stretan Ruler (Wild Ruler) easily accounting for his rivals in the G2 Silver Slipper Stakes.
The 2YO was Stakes placed at both starts prior to today and such was the authority of his victory, he firmed into $8 with Ladbrokes for the $5m Golden Slipper, to be run at Rosehill on March 21.
Trainer Phillip Stokes, who scratched Stretan Ruler from today’s G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield after drawing barrier 19, teamed up with Suman Hedge to buy the colt for $220,000 at last year’s Easter Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Willow Park Stud.
“He’s been here now, he’s experienced Rosehill, he conducted himself beautifully so it’s very exciting and the ownership group will be rapt,’’ Stokes said of Stretan Ruler, which was bred by Grant Briscoe’s Kirks Bridge Farm.
“It’s very exciting. We got this horse out of Easter but not for a lot of money and we’ve got the half sister Stretan Angel and this makes her worth more money too.
“It’s a great result, I’m rapt for everyone.’’
Stretan Ruler will have one final lead-up race for the Slipper, in the G2 Todman Stakes at Randwick in a fortnight.
In Adelaide a trio of Inglis Digital graduates each won their first Stakes races.
In the 2YO feature the Cinderella Stakes, it was trainer Phillip Stokes enjoying more juvenile success when Rebel Tuesday (Rebel Dane) won the Listed event.
Rebel Tuesday was purchased as a yearling for $30,000 through the Inglis Digital November (Early) Online Sale by Darren and Liz Dance of Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock.
She has now won two of her four career starts and led in a Stakes trifecta for Inglis graduates today, defeating Never Ordinary and Image Artist.
Later in the program the 7YO mare Eventually (Helmet) proved too strong in the G3 Lord Reims Stakes for trainer Sarah Rutten.
Josh Grantham-Lines bought Eventually online for just $5500 in the 2023 April (Early) auction as a tried horse and she’s won almost $300,000 since.
And Power Beau (Brazen Beau) won the Listed City Of Marion Stakes for trainer Wayne Brown.
The 5YO is a $14,000 online buy and is now a seven-time overall victor.
Meanwhile the G1 New Zealand Derby in a fortnight looms as a grand final for talented colt That’s Gold (Lucky Vega), a dominant winner of today’s traditional lead-up, the G2 Avondale Guineas at Ellerslie.
It was a fourth win from his past six starts for That’s Gold, a $57,500 Premier Yearling Sale buy for his trainer Chris Wood with Paul Moroney and Catheryne Bruggeman, from the draft of Yulong, who bred the colt.
Ladbrokes firmed That’s Gold into $4.20 in the NZ Derby off the back of today’s 3.7-length romp.
A number of today’s results provided pedigree updates for yearlings catalogued for the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale on March 29 and 30.
The G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Tropicus is a half brother to lot 301, a Justify filly (ex Extensible) to be consigned by Tyreel Stud while Segenhoe Stud will consign lot 348 on behalf of Fairway Thoroughbreds and that colt is a Siyouni half brother (ex Impulsive) to G2 Hobartville Stakes winner Ninja.
To view the Easter catalogue CLICK HERE.
