MAGIC MILLIONS INAUGURAL RACE DAY RESULTS FROM SATURDAY 10 JANUARY 1987

20/06/13

As I regularly write here Justracing has a wonderful array of historical racing books to fall back on and so today I thought I’d go back to the February 1987 edition of “Australian Race Results”, which featured Red Anchor on the front cover – as per today’s photograph – and pass on to website readers the full result of the inaugural Magic Millions (the first race was called the “Magic Million” not Magic Millions) race day on Saturday 10 January 1987.

Listed below are the results of the eight races run on the day. The track was noted as being “good” and the weather was “fine”.

For those old enough to remember I’m sure as you read these results that you’ll have many memories flooding back of the jockeys from 26 years ago that rode at the meeting. Some like Cyril Small, Darren Gauci and Glen Killen are still riding today.

Some of the jockeys who rode on the day have had children since and now those children are riding. John Nisbet rode at the Gold Coast inaugural Magic Millions meeting and his daughter Kayla rode a beautifully judged race in front to win on the David Hayes trained Spacecraft last Saturday at Moonee Valley.

I see that jockey Andrew Parramore rode on the day. He rode the Ipswich Cup winner in the year of the dreadful fall – 2000 – I Reign Supreme, and nowadays is a trainer based in New South Wales.

By perusing Race 3 below, one can see how the minimum weight has changed over the years.

A future champion of the Australian turf who grew up to be named Vo Rogue couldn’t run a place at 3/1 in the opening race on the day for jockey Larry Allen. Vo Rogue, his trainer Vic Rail and a new jockey named Cyril Small wrote themselves into Australian racing folklore in the years subsequent to this day.

Les Harris was the leading rider on the big day, bagging a double in Races 2 and 8. It’s wonderful to run into Les and his attractive wife Karen at the races. They may not be young anymore but they always look terrific and always have a welcoming smile.

Robian Steel would manage only fifth in Race 3 on the program, the Open Handicap, yet in the following year – 1988 – he’d go and win the Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich and in the following year he went to another level, by winning the Group 1 Stradbroke at Eagle Farm over Don’t Play in a deceptive finish.

Snippets won the inaugural Magic Millions 2YO before winning the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes at Randwick a few months later defeating two very good horses – Sky Chase and Marauding. Snippets won two more Group 1 races in his life – The Galaxy at Randwick and the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield. He also ran second in the 1988 Group 1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington behind a highly talented mare called Special. She ran a track record of 55.50 when beating Snippets and that track record stood for a quarter of a century – until earlier this year in fact, when the champion mare Black Caviar lowered Special’s figure of 55.50 to 55.42. Retired to stud in 1988 Snippets proved to be a wonderful sire. From 14 consecutive years at stud (1988-2001) he produced about 78% winners-to-runners and about 8.9% stakeswinners-to-runners. He closed his eyes for the last time during 2002 as only a rising 17YO, as short innings indeed for such a wonderful flagbearer for the Magic Millions race.

Interestingly the results book refers to the inaugural race as the “Fosters Magic Million” – not Magic Millions as it is known as today.

RACE 1 – LOGAN LIVESTOCK COUNTRY STAKES – 2015 metres.

PRIZEMONEY: $6500 (1st), $2000 (2nd), $1000 (3rd), $500 (4th).

PRICE

HORSE

WEIGHT

JOCKEY

PLACING

8

BEN BARNIE

54.5 cd 52

M. Overell

1

16

WOLVERTON MANOR

56.5

P.B. Smith

2

14

BON VIVEUR

54.5

A. Erhart

3

20

HASTY LAD

54.5

L. Harris

4

3

VO ROGUE

56.5

L. Allen

5

10

LORD GAYAM

54.5

G. Watson

6

16

MARIAN YEAR

52.5

B. Compton

7

66

FAIRYTALE PRINCESS

52.5

K. Bell

8

25

HARLAW

56.5

W. Moore

9

16

RUNDLE VALE

56.5

K. Smith

10

12

PRUSSIA

52.5 cd 53

L. Masters

11

33

GRECIAN VALE

56.5

G. Birrer

12

16

BALARA

54.5

K. Russell

13

40

MYAMIN

58.0

M. Schumacher

L/R*

10

WIND OF MELODY

56.5 cd 55.0

G.D. Kliese

L/R*

5/4

GALLERY KING

54.5

L. Dittman

P/U**

*Lost Rider

** Pulled up.

Margins: Neck/long neck

Time: 2.3.64

Winning trainer: A.C.B. Trenery

Winner’s breeding: Definate – Sister Penny

 

RACE 2 – ARROWFIELD WINES NOVICE HANDICAP – 2015 metres

PRIZEMONEY: $10000 (1st), $3000 (2nd), $1500 (3rd), $500 (4th).

 

PRICE

HORSE

WEIGHT

JOCKEY

PLACING

10

GOOD LUCK LADY

51.5

L. Harris

1

8

PANDOUR KHAN

52.5

L. Dittman

2

2

GOLD RIDGE

52.0

K. Russell

3

8

INDIAN UPRISING

55.0

S. Schofield

4

6

GOLD SWEEP

55.5 cd 53.0

A. Cox

5

33

PALM MAURA

51.0

D. Gauci

6

20

PRIMENEO

51.5 cd 52.5

A. Parramore

7

14

MARCH RUNDLE

51.0

K. Smith

8

14

EXTRA GRAND

52.5

D. Messingham

9

15

MASTER HOLLOW

51.0

B. Compton

10

4

BIRALEE MISS

51.5

G. Watson

11

 

Margins: Neck/half length

Time: 2.06.05

Winning trainer: J.E. Everson

Winner’s breeding: No Mercy – Super Style

 

RACE 3 – TURF AND SURF FLYING HANDICAP – 1200 metres – WITH A 49 KG MINIMUM AND APPRENTICES CANNOT CLAIM

PRIZEMONEY: $13000 (1st), $4000 (2nd), $2000 (3rd), $1000 (4th).

 

PRICE

HORSE

WEIGHT

JOCKEY

PLACING

4/5

PARIS BEAU

56.5

L. Dittman

1

10

IMA ROMAN

50.0

D. Messingham

2

5

POWER ARROW

49.5

O. Wall

3

6

ALSVID

50.0 cd 50.5

D. Gauci

4

8

ROBIAN STEEL

49.5 cd 50.0

B. Compton

5

11/2

ARCH SOVEREIGN

49.5

G. Watson

6

9

SUPERIOR VINTAGE

50.5

S. Schofield

7

14

BRUEGHELINO

50.5 cd 51.0

R. McGrath

8

12

JAMES’ TRADITION

52.5

K. Russell

9

 

Margins: ½ length/neck

Time: 1.10.02

Winning trainer: G. Williams

Winner’s breeding: Paris Review – Marinoto

 

RACE 4 – LYNDHURST STUD F&M GRADUATION – 1110 metres – FOR NOVICE, TRANSITION AND ENCOURAGE CLASS – SET WEIGHTS.

PRIZEMONEY: $6500 (1st), $2000 (2nd), $1000 (3rd), $500 (4th).

 

PRICE

HORSE

WEIGHT

JOCKEY

PLACING

3

PRINCESS VEY

53.5

S. Schofield

1

4

SUNSANI

51.0 cd 52.0

J. Nisbet

2

7/2

WHISKEY COIN

53.5

R. McGrath

3

13/2

GOLDEN REFLECTION

51.0

K. Russell

4

9/2

BONNY CHOICE

53.5

K. Sawyers

5

40

TIGER JOY

51.0

D. Messingham

6

9

PLAY THE MUSIC

51.0

D. Gauci

7

20

AUTUMN MOSS

53.5

N. Smith

8

20

JUST BAY

53.5

P. Losh

9

16

NOSSA SLIDE

56.5 cd 54.0

A. Cox

10

33

POSH POLLY

51.0

L. Allen

11

 

Margins: 0.75 length/1.25 lengths – Protest third against second upheld.

Time: 1.4.45

Winning trainer: J. Griffiths

Winner’s breeding: Just Darcay – Bellona

 

RACE 5 – FOSTERS MAGIC MILLION – 1200 METRES – FOR 2YO’S, SET WEIGHTS, 52 KGS MIMIMUM. APPRENTICES CANNOT CLAIM.

PRIZEMONEY: $500000 and trophies of $10000, plus $2500 to winning trainer and jockey (1st), $75000 (2nd), $50,000 (3rd), $30000 (4th).

 

PRICE

HORSE

WEIGHT

JOCKEY

PLACING

2

SNIPPETS

54.0

P.B. Smith

1

12

PRINCE ANTON

54.0

B. Compton

2

11/4

MOTHER DUCK

52.5

M. Johnston

3

11/2

I’M READY

54.0

L. Dittman

4

10

RAISE THE BANNER

54.0

J. Duggan

5

14

BOASTING

54.0

D. Gauci

6

66

MUD CRAB

54.0

S. Schofield

7

10

CROWN HOPE

52.5

L. Harris

8

10

ROMAN GENERAL

54.0

J. Marshall

9

250

SPARE A THOUGHT

54.0

A. Parramore

10

66

ANNA DANIELLA

52.5

M. De Montfort

11

33

ZAMPATTI

52.5

D. Messingham

12

33

ROSES FOR US

52.5

K. Russell

13

100

HAITIAN GOLD

54.0

N. Waymouth

14

50

LORD LOCKTON

54.0

A. Erhart

15

125

POETIC SOUND

52.5

D. Brereton

16

 

Margins: 4 lengths/half length – Numbers 9-6-13-Barriers 4-7-10

Time: 1.9.90

Winning trainer: Ms. S. Rogers

Winner’s breeding: Lunchtime – Easy Date

RACE 6 – MAGIC MILLIONS CONSOLATION – 1200 METRES – 2YO’s – SET WEIGHTS, 52 KGS MINIMUM APPRENTICES CANNOT CLAIM.
PRIZEMONEY: $20000 (1st), $10000 (2nd), $5000 (3rd), $2000 (4th).

PRICE

HORSE

WEIGHT

JOCKEY

PLACING

6

GOLDEN ADVENTURE

52.5

K. Gover

1

10

ZURBARAN

54.0

M. Kerr

2

25

ELDER TIME

52.5

D. Messingham

3

50

SONORA

52.5

G. Watson

4

5

SUPER AMBER

54.0

L. Dittman

5

6

WRITTEN REPORT

54.0

M. Schumacher

6

16

SUENARMI

52.5

P. Losh

7

4/5

COOL REPORT

54.0

K. Russell

8

25

GO CAESAR GO

54.0

N. Waymouth

9

25

HEAD FOR GLORY

54.0

S. Schofield

10

80

CROXLEY MAGIC

52.5

B. Compton

11

15

BLAZING JAMES

54.0

N. Smith

12

12

I’M A CROWN

54.0

L. Harris

13

25

EMMA LOUISE

52.5

D. Gauci

14

14

VALDET

52.5

D. Gough

15

7

MAGIC SINGER

54.0

M. Johnston

16

 

Margins: 1.5 lengths/ half length

Time: 1.11.76

Winning trainer: G.L. Slade

Winner’s breeding: Osmunda – Rose Crown

RACE 7 – LAURIE BRICKNELL HANDICAP – 1600 METRES – 51 KGS MINIMUM.
PRIZEMONEY: $13000 (1st), $4000 (2nd), $2000 (3rd), $1000 (4th).
 

PRICE

HORSE

WEIGHT

JOCKEY

PLACING

9

BLACK ZEPHYR

50.5 cd 51.0

K. Russell

1

8

INSATIATE

51.5

D. Gauci

2

9/2

LIGHT HALL

51.5

P.B. Smith

3

8

DISTANCIA

54.5

D. Williams

4

20

ALL LOOSE

49.5

A. Cox

5

25

FENN SINGH

49.5

P. Losh

6

6

WHOMSOEVER

50.5

D. Messingham

7

11/4

DARE TO BE GRAND

55.5

G. Killen

8

14

GARTER STAR

52.0

S. Schofield

9

11/4

EL J’DAIDE

54.0

R. McGrath

10

20

STENMARK

49.5

B. Compton

11

66

TRIFLAX

49.5 cd 50.0

O. Wall

12

20

WINDSOR SONG

49.5 cd 50.0

L. Allen

13

50

LATIN FLAIR

49.5 cd 50.0

G. Stockdale

14

 

Margins: 2.25 lengths/neck

Time: 1.35.37

Winning trainer: N.J. Doyle

Winner’s breeding: Black Zephyr – Aranda

 

RACE 8 – WAKEFIELD STUD GRADUATION STAKES – 1300 metres – SET WEIGHTS – FOR NOVICE, TRANSITION AND ENCOURAGE CLASS.
PRIZEMONEY: $10000 (1st), $3000 (2nd), $1500 (3rd), $500 (4th).

PRICE

HORSE

WEIGHT

JOCKEY

PLACING

14

TASSIE PRIDE

53.5

L. Harris

1

16

BAY BEAU

53.5

D. Messingham

2

7/4

MASCOT

51.0

D. Gauci

3

3

SEA CHIMES

53.5

L. Dittman

4

33

PLAY IT HOT

53.5

N. Smith

5

16

OMINECA

51.0

S. Schofield

6

10

PLEASANT DREAMS

51.0

K. Russell

7

11/2

FACE THE STARS

53.5

D. Williams

8

12

STAR OF AMIENS

53.5

B. Compton

9

7

CAPRO KHAN

56.5

M. De Montfort

10

8

PRINCE STROME

53.5

G. Killen

11

9

GYPSY DELIGHT

53.5

J. Nisbet

12

50

ROYAL OFFER

51.0

G. Watson

13

100

SANDERS

51.0

P. Losh

14

25

HAZLEMERE

53.5

L. Allen

15

 

Margins: long neck/head

Time: 1.16.80

Winning trainer: H.J. Norman

Winner’s breeding: Chantilly Lad – Tassie Dell

There was obviously a fall in the first race and a female jockey named Michelle Overell rode the first winner on the day, which is most interesting, as she was the only female jockey riding at the meeting.

Prizemoney was only paid back to fourth, whereas today at Saturday metropolitan meetings it is paid back to fifth.

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