When a farm known for their two year-old speed brings a half-sister to a recent G1 Golden Slipper winner to the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, people should sit up and pay attention. Kingstar Farm sold Stay Inside (Extreme Choice) at the 2019 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale and 2022 will be Kingstar Farm’s second ever Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
Bluebloods spoke to Conor Phelan about his draft for 2022.
What puts the magic into the Magic Millions Gold Coast race and sales series for you?
“Timing is everything in the breeding game, and being the first yearling sale of the year, Magic Millions get the jump on everyone else. It’s location, location, location, and the combination of the yearling sale with the race series, the polo, and fabulous hospitality turns Magic Millions into a festival event.”
The headline act in this draft of eleven yearlings is lot 325, the Russian Revolution half-sister to Stay Inside, who has won three of his six starts to date including the G1 Golden Slipper. She is only the third live foal for her dam Nothin Leica Storm (Anabaa) who was a winner over 1150m and is a half-sister to the dam of stakes placed winners Dinnigan and Pouting Lips. This is the family of G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Wonderful World. “Russian Revolution won the Max Lees 2YO Classic with Russian Conquest recently to give him his first winner and a great start to his stud career. Our yearling has been a standout filly since she was born, and got better looking after last year’s Golden Slipper!
One of the best yearlings on our farm and an absolute highlight for us to sell a half-sister to a Slipper winner.”
A pair of yearlings by Golden Slipper winner Capitalist also have strong two year-old form in the families. The colt, lot 109, is a full brother to Sneaky Shark (Capitalist) who ran second in the 2021 Listed Karaka 2YO Million at his most recent start. Their dam, Hidden Attraction (Hidden Dragon) is a half-sister to dual G1 winner Atomic Force. The Capitalist filly, lot 826, is the third foal of stakes winning mare Brook Road (God’s Own) who won six races and was multiple times group placed. Brook Road is a half-sister to stakes winner Nepean from the family of Singapore Horse of the Year Top Spin, and Zou Dancer.
A half-sister to G3 South Australia Fillies Classic winner Mimi’s Award is lot 765, and this filly is by second crop sire Menari out of Aunt Mimi (More Than Ready) who is a half-sister to group placed winner Superare, and whose dam is listed winner and G1 placed Strawberry Field. Also by Menari is the colt, lot 338, the third foal of stakes placed winner Opinionated (Markane). Opinionated is a full sister to stakes placed winning two year-old Marking Time, and this family is full of horses who win multiple races, demonstrating a level of soundness in the family. “These two are the only Menaris we’ve got and we are putting them both here. There aren’t many of them around and he’s already had a two year-old city winner from his first small crop. We produced a Slipper winner from Extreme Choice’s small crop, let’s hope we can do it again with a Menari.”
Deep Field’s twelve stakes winners include G1 winner Portland Sky. Kingstar Farm will present a filly, lot 878, who is a half-sister to two black type performers in G3 placed city winner Miss Moana, and listed placed Hollywood Mo. Their dam, Coral Reef (Galileo) is a winning half-sister to Listed winner Chevauchee.
Timing is everything with horses, and the deeds of Anamoe have shone a light on his sire Street Boss. Kingstar Farm’s draft includes a Street Boss filly, lot 548, who is the third live foal of winning mare Sozzini (Bernardini), herself a daughter of USA Listed winner Bonifacio.
Alongside the half-sister to Stay Inside, Kingstar Farm will present two colts by second season sire and G1 winner Russian Revolution. The second foal of winning mare Munjai (Trusting) is lot 299, and this is a strong early maturing family. Munjai is a half-sister to Listed Breeders’ Plate winner Whittington, and the family also includes G3 Blue Diamond Prelude winner Bardego, dam of G1 sprinter Volpe Veloce. Lot 184 is the fourth foal of city winning mare Kuchinskaya (Red Dazzler), whose first two foals are winners. This is the family of Written Beauty, Tuscan Sling, and Assertive Approach.
Kingstar Farm’s own Bull Point has produced plenty of good early maturing winners including Inglis Nursery placed Encountabull. They will present two colts by Bull Point, both with strong two year-old form. Lot 980 is the third foal of Japanese city winner Unrevealed (Forest Wildcat), whose first foal who won twice as a two year-old last season. Unrevealed is a full sister to group winner Brownie Points, dam of three stakes winners in America. The second foal of city winner She Brings (Sebring), lot 980, is a colt whose two year-old older half-brother is already placed early in the season. This is the family of two year-old listed winner Ulfah and Full On Aces.
What’s something your brain tries to make you do and you have to will yourself not to do it?
Put my hand up for one last bid when I’m already over budget.
What is something that everyone looks stupid doing?
Dancing after 10 beers. You might not realise it but everyone else does.
What is the silliest way you’ve been injured?
I have two of them. A split decision to take up rugby union in mid-30s and jumping up on a horse bareback rather than leading it. On both occasions, shoulder surgery was required (left shoulder for rugby, right shoulder for being a cowboy).
