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Godolphin will have its first runner in the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast next Saturday.
Their Snitzel filly Exhilarates raced into the field with an impressive win at the Gold Coast in the final lead-up race on January 5, the same race that won by three of the last four winners of MM Classic – Sunlight, Houtzen and Le Chef.
A $600,000 buy at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast sale, Exhilarates is out of the dual G1 winner Samaready (More Than Ready) and is a result of Sheikh Mohammed’s decision to pursue high class yearlings out of top race mares at Australian sales.Godolphin returned to the sales ring last year, buying eight horses at Magic Millions, four fillies and four colts among a total of 20 purchases at major sales for more than $6.5 million.
"It's exciting to know that we've got a 2-year-old in the Magic Millions the first year we were active in the Magic Millions market," said Godolphin trainer James Cummings.
She is the first named foal out of dual Group 1 winner Samaready (More Than Ready), who was trained by Mick Price to win the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes as a 2YO.
Samaready is a half-sister to G2 winner Night War (General Nediym) and the stakes-placed Samartested (Testa Rossa) and has since produced a yearling colt by All Too Hard.She was covered by I Am Invincible in November.
At Randwick the Written Tycoon colt Hightail also qualified for the MM Classic with an easy win for his second success in three starts.Hightail, a $520,000 purchase at last year's Gold Coast Sale, is out of La Paris (Falvelon), a half-sister to Ringa Ringa Rosie (Bradbury's Luck) from the family of G1 winner Dashing Eagle (Danehill) and G2 winner La Caissiere (Luskin Star).
Also at Randwick the win by the promising Ljungberg (I Am Invincible) boosted the value of his half sister by Written Tycoon to be offered at the Magic Millions this week.They are both out of Octavia (Holy Roman Emperor), a multiple stakes-winning mare who is out of a daughter of Paklani (Haulpak).
