All the action ahead of Saturday's Magic Millions Gold Coast 3YO Guineas was centered around the unbeaten Winning Rupert (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) and the dual Group 1 winner Global Glamour, but in the end it was the longest shot in the lineup, the 101-1 Flying Jess, who lived up to her name to nail Global Glamour on the wire. Winning Rupert was among the fastest from the gate, but took back to sit a couple lengths off the lead as Global Glamour moved over from her outside barrier 20 to sit second early. It looked for much of the stretch run as if Global Glamour would be able to hold her opponents at bay, but Flying Jess came charging on the outside from midpack inside the final furlong to get up just in time, with Eckstein also charging hard on her outside. Winning Rupert never fired to suffer his first career defeat in fourth.
Flying Jess, who was a A$60,000 purchase at the 2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, broke her maiden at fifth asking in the G3 Ubet SA Sires' Produce S. at Morphettville in April. She had shown little in the interim, however, finishing well beaten in a pair of stakes in Victoria at the start of the spring before improving a bit to be sixth, beaten two lengths, in a Caulfield plate race Oct. 15. She was again well beaten when 13th in Flemington's Listed Lexus Hybrid Plate Nov. 1, and she checked in fourth in Sandown's Listed Twilight Glow S. Nov. 12. Her latest effort prior to Saturday was a tame seventh in a Canterbury benchmark 72 race.
Trainer John Moloney said despite being winless since the autumn, he had been pleased with his charge's condition heading into the race. “As [syndicator Joe O'Neill] said, you've just got to be in it to win it and you never know what can happen on the day,” Moloney said. “Her run in Sydney was OK, there was nothing wrong with it and today back to the 1400 metres with a nice gate and a nice ride, we're in the finish. This horse has not turned a hair, she went to Sydney and didn't miss a beat and now she's turned up here in great order.”
The yearling half-sister to Flying Jess by Not A Single Doubt was knocked down to Gollan Racing and John Foote Bloodstock on Wednesday's opening day of the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $130,000.
Saturday, Gold Coast, Australia
GOLD COAST MAGIC MILLIONS 3YO GUINEAS-Listed Restricted, A$1,940,000, 1-14, GCTC, 1400mT, 1:20.33, gd.
1–FLYING JESS (AUS), 121, f, 3, by Hinchinbrook (Aus)
1st Dam: Maritess (Aus), by Magic Albert (Aus)
2nd Dam: Positive Flyer (Aus), by Full And By
3rd Dam: Dinky Flyer (NZ), by Balmerino (NZ)
(A$60,000 yrl '15 MMGCYS) O- J V O'Neill, J C Bagnoux, N D
Rance, T W Nicol, Ms K S Murtagh, G M Harding, B J Quick, J N
Bolch, K R James, R G Wilson, J A Treloar, 8 Ponies Partnership
(Mgr: M Stokes), Sewgoolam Racing Connection (Mgr: Dr H
Sewgoolam, Mrs L Sewgoolam) & Bobbin Along (Mgr: A Cork);
B-Milburn Creek Stud; T-John Moloney; J-Tye Angland;
A$1,200,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Aus, 12-2-1-1,
A$1,291,430.
2–Global Glamour (Aus), 121, f, 3, Star Witness (Aus)–
Spectacula (Aus), by Testa Rossa (Aus). (A$65,000 yrl '15
MMGCYS) O-It's All About The Girls No 1 (Mgr: Mrs E Lawlor) &
It's All About The Girls No 2 (Mgr: Mrs E Lawlor); B-Lauriston
Thoroughbred Farm; T-Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott;
A$370,000.
3–Eckstein (Aus), 120, f, 3, I Am Invincible (Aus)–Comrie (Aus),
by Choisir (Aus). (A$50,000 wnl '14 INGMAY; A$165,000 yrl '15
MMGCYS) O-Ms A Winchester, Mrs V H Green, Mrs N Santry,
Mrs R A Fahlstrom, Mrs K Robertson, M D Weiner, A M Cardy,
P Green & Poidevin Paradice Racing Syndicate; B-Redbank
North; T-Kurt Goldman; A$180,000.
Margins: 1/4, HF, 2. Odds: 101.00, 8.50, 12.00.
Also Ran: Winning Rupert (Aus), Faraway Town (Aus), River Racer (Aus), Miss Wonderland (Aus), Candika (Aus), Mr Markou (Aus), Crack Me Up (NZ), Pipeline (Aus), Dam Ready (Aus), Arbeitsam (Aus), Rare Occurrence (Aus), Tiyatrolani (Aus), Heart Skipt A Beat (Aus).
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