Of the last 12 Slippers to be offered as yearlings, nine of them were sold at the Gold Coast at Magic Millions including this year’s hero Vancouver.
Vancouver confirmed his status as Australia’s best juvenile with a dominant win in Saturday’s $3.5 million Group One Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill.
In front of a crowd of almost 20,000, Vancouver raced home under Tommy Berry to emerge as one of the hottest sire prospects in the world with a famous victory.
The Medaglia d’Oro colt extended his unbeaten run to four and had favourite punters cheering when he led home stablemate English in the world’s richest two-year-old race.
The win was the sixth in the race for champion trainer Gai Waterhouse and saw her join her legendary father Tommy Smith as the most winning trainer in the show piece event.
Vancouver extended the outstanding record of Magic Millions graduates in the Golden Slipper. Of the last 12 Slippers to be offered as yearlings, nine of them were sold at the Gold Coast.
That group includes the likes of Triple Crown champions Dance Hero and Pierro and star sire Sebring.
Waterhouse, in partnership with Sydney based bloodstock agent James Harron, took a shine to Vancouver when he was offered for sale by Coolmore Stud at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The colt headed to Waterhouse’s stable after the successful $185,000 bid at the Gold Coast. Of Waterhouse’s six Slipper winners – five were purchased from the same sales ring at the Magic Millions – the other was a homebred.
“He’s a dominant colt and he took it out today (Saturday), very exciting,” Waterhouse beamed. “He’s just a joy to train.”
– Magic Millions release
