The Magic Millions picture became clearer at the Rosehill barrier trials on Tuesday when a colt with a great Gold Coast background stood out like a beacon with a brilliant display of speed in his 900-metre heat.
Gerald Ryan produced the colt by Golden Slipper winner Sepoy from a Magic Millions winner in Regimental Gal named Regimental Force and the trial success indicated he will be a major player in next January's $2.5 million two-year-old race.
Regimental Force was bred by Bruce Neill's Cressfield Farm at Scone. They took the colt to the Magic Millions Sale last January but he was passed in after failing to meet the $350,000 reserve.
Enter Damien Flower, a great Gerald Ryan supporter who conducts the Jadeskye syndicate. He was able to buy a share in the chestnut colt, a decision which he will not regret judging by Tuesday's trial win by just on 10 lengths in 54 seconds, the fastest juvenile heat of the morning.
Regimental Gal (General Nediym x Hailaya) was a $16,500 Magic Millions purchase in 2002, bought by Shaun Dwyer who went on to prepare the filly to win the Magic Millions the following year from the dead-heaters Danbird and How Funny.
The filly has had four winners from six race starters, the most successful being Lilliburlero (Redoute's Choice), a winner of the group 3 Triscay Stakes
Sepoy, a 10-time winner including four at group 1 level for Darley Stud, had his first yearling sell in 2015 and the raps on his progeny have been flowing for several months.
Regimental Force jumped quickly on Tuesday and took up the running on the rails. Brenton Avdulla gave him a click-up on straightening and the colt's acceleration was breathtaking.
There were two other Magic Millions graduates to win two-year-old trials at Rosehill. Ryan produced a filly by Fastnet Rock - Fast 'N' Feisty - which scored a comfortable win. She was a $460,000 purchase.
The other winner was the Star Thoroughbreds-owned Lucieanne, by Stratum, which cost $105,000.
The best racetrack performer in relation to the coming Magic Millions would have to be the Peter and Paul Snowden prepared Capitalist, who won the Breeders' Plate on debut at Randwick in October.
He's a very smart colt, winning the Randwick race in a hand canter, and the Magic Millions group will have a huge attraction should Capitalist and Regimental Force clash on January 9.
Hoofnote: A half-sister to Fastnet Rock retained by Coolmore Stud won a Cranbourne barrier trial on Monday in a fine performance for Lee and Anthony Freedman.
Named Piccadillies, the filly is by US champion Uncle Mo who is a runaway leader in the first-season sires in the country. Piccadillies' dam is Piccadilly Circus, who died at Coolmore Stud this month.
Prime Premier offerings
New Zealand Bloodstock, walking tall after their record breaking Ready To Run Sales at Karaka last week, have wasted little time in sending out their catalogues for the Premier Sale with 447 yearlings scheduled for sale on January 25 and 26.
Heading the list of stallions is the local star Savabeel with 52 lots listed for sale, followed by Ocean Park (39), O'Reilly (38), Rip Van Winkle (24) Makfi, Mastercraftsman and Tavistock (all 17) and Fastnet Rock (13).
Of the first-season sires Pierro has 11 lots, while All Too Hard, Animal Kingdom, Excelebration, Your Song and Reliable Man are all represented. The first yearling sired by Frankel is a potential sales-topper.
Frankel's lone offering is from NZB's owner Sir Peter Vela's Pencarrow Stud from the Zabeel mare Our Echezeaux, a sister to Grand Echezeaux who is the dam of Darci Brahma and Burgundy and closely related to Melbourne Cup winner Ethereal.
New Zealand's leading buyer David Ellis - he bought 22 yearlings last year for $NZ3,570,000 - would be a likely candidate for the Frankel colt, having raced Darci Brahma, who is now enjoying a great stud career, with his Ta Akau syndication group.
Frankel's high five
William Inglis have five of Frankel's progeny scheduled to sell at their Easter Yearling Sales on April 5 at their Newmarket stables.
Cressfield have two of the Frankels, a filly from the imported mare Jeu De Cartes and a colt by a half-sister to Might And Power named Buenos Aires.
Widden Stud has five from the three-time group 3 winner Mocha while the Victorian-based Three Bridges Farm has a filly from the South African group 1 winner Chocolicious.
John Singleton could possibly have the most expensive Frankel at Newmarket with a colt from More Strawberries, who is closely related to group1 winner and sire All American.
Singleton sent More Joyous to England for a Frankel mating along with More Strawberries and has elected to retain the filly with such a great racing opportunity and later on a breeding career.
Shadwell spends big
Shadwell Estates, the company owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, was the biggest buyer on day one at Tattersall's December Sales on Monday, signing for three yearlings for 470,000 guineas. Their biggest spend was on a New Approach colt for 200,000 guineas, a half-brother to Bonfire, currently racing in Australia for the Gai Waterhouse stable.
