Raheen graduate Punch On (Tiger Hill) started the New Year with a fast-finishing victory in the $1 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas at the Gold Coast. She was a $16,000 buy from Raheen’s draft at the 2010 Magic Millions QTIS yearling sale and has now earned over $806,000 for trainer Peter Balzen.

Before that lucrative result, Punch On led home a Raheen quinella in the G3 Vo Rogue Plate in Brisbane. She defeated Noisy Ocean (Shovhog) who was another bargain at the 2010 Magic Millions. He cost $15,000 and has returned $296,000 for trainer Bryan Guy.

Publishing has half-brothers to Punch On (Lot 258 ex School Blue) and Noisy Ocean (Lot 65 ex Gold on Gold) at the QTIS Sale. “They are both strong, athletic colts and are true to type,” Raheen studmaster Basil Nolan jnr said. “Publishing was a high-class sprinter and his pedigree is Magic Millions through and through.”

Publishing’s sire Testa Rossa and his dam Sally Magic were the first two home in the 1999 Magic Millions 2YO Classic. And he was the highest priced Testa Rossa colt of his year when selling for $250,000 at the 2005 Gold Coast Magic Millions.

Raced by Lloyd Williams, Publishing captured the G3 VRC Standish Hcp down the Flemington straight six and he also claimed the G3 MRC Carlyon Cup (1400m) at Caulfield.

Nolan is also delighted with the progress of Publishing’s colt from Dodgalady (Lot 11). His dam is a three-quarter sister to black-type mare Con’s Amy and Melbourne sprinter-miler Davcon. “He’s a lovely colt,” Nolan said. “He has a blaze but it’s not nearly as big as Davcon’s.”

Apart from Publishing, Raheen’s draft includes yearlings sourced from outside stallions the calibre of Show A Heart, Bel Esprit, Jet Spur, Court Command, Canny Lad and Sequalo. Among the highlights are the colts by Show A Heart (Lot 111 ex Mrs Bligh) and Jet Spur (Lot 364 ex Alyssa Jean).

The Show A Heart is a half-brother to Hard To Catch who claimed black-type wins at Eagle Farm, Gold Coast, Doomben and Eagle Farm. The Jet Spur is from a winning half-sister to the international stakes winners War Of The Worlds (HK) and Conquered Dream (South Africa).

Raheen’s South African connection came up trumps when Gimmethegreenlight won the Queen’s Plate in January. A week after that Group 1 triumph in Cape Town, Raheen sold his close relation by Commands for $160,000 at the Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling sale.

Back home, Adebisi (Shovhog) claimed a G3 victory in the George Moore Stakes at Doomben. He cost $15,000 from Raheen at the 2009 Magic Millions Summer yearling sale and has posted $491,000 in prizemoney.

Mackay based flyer Rocket To Glory also banked more than $400,000 after changing hands for just $20,000 at the 2010 Magic Millions QTIS Sale.

“It’s been a dream run,” Nolan said. “We had four lots in the Top 10 among Queensland studs at the Gold Coast Magic Millions and we’re looking forward to bring the first Publishing yearlings down for the QTIS Sale.”

DAVCON
Raheen has a close relation (Lot 11) by Publishing at the QTIS Sale

Raheen’s yearlings have been catalogued under the Murrulla Stud consignment heading for Adelaide.  Murrulla studmaster Tim Nolan is a son of Raheen owners Basil and Dianne Nolan.

Tim’s brother Basil jnr is also busy prepping Raheen’s consignment for the Gold Coast Magic Millions QTIS Sale a week after Adelaide.  Publishing’s initial crop dominate the Gold Coast draft.

“Publishing’s yearlings look nice prospects and we picked out a beauty from his first crop for Adelaide,” Basil Nolan jnr declared.  “He’s an outstanding colt and there’s black-type right through his pedigree.”

Catalogued as Lot 10, the Publishing – Mine Counter (Zeditave) colt is from the immediate family of Lindsay Park’s G2 SAJC Yallambee Classic placegetter Prosperous Bid and he’s also closely related to Champion G1 performer Racing To Win.

Publishing’s sire Testa Rossa has a second-to-none record in Adelaide siring G1 winners ranging from Rostova in the Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) to Testafiable in the South Australian Derby (2500m).

Publishing was the highest priced Testa Rossa colt of his year when making $250,000 at the 2005 Gold Coast Magic Millions and he paid it back pronto with G3 victories at Flemington and Caulfield.

Raheen’s Testa Rossa – La Goulue (Danehill Dancer) colt listed as Lot 218 in Adelaide also has local links through his dam.  La Goulue won twice at Moonee Valley and was third home in the 2009 LR W H Wylie Hcp at Morphettville behind Very Discreet and Augusta Proud.

La Goulue is a half-sister to Gimmethegreenlight who is gunning for Champion 3YO honours in South Africa this season.  The Australian bred colt won the G1 Queen’s Plate and then looked all set to double up in the G1 J&B Met before Horse of the Year Igugu arrived with an inexorable finish.

Raheen owns several mares from Gimmethegreenlight’s family and Cape Town trainer Justin Snaith has been keeping the Nolans up to date with the colt’s progress.  “No three year-old had won the J&B Met since Badger’s Coast back in 2000,” Snaith said.  “And it took a champion to beat him.

“Gimmethegreenlight gave it everything and was courageous in defeat.  He pulled up 100% sound and will be back for another Group 1 after a short break.”

Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) has been invited to the 2012 Breeders’ Cup in November but there are delays exporting horses out of South Africa due to African Horse Sickness.

The Jet Spur colt from She Can Chatter (Canny Lad) is other Raheen colt with an international pedigree through his dam’s half-brother Top Spin.  Catalogued as Lot 56, he will impress South East Asian buyers who can recall Top Spin winning the G1 Kranji Mile and G1 Singapore Derby.

GIMMETHEGREENLIGHT
Champion South African colt wins the G1 Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth

Raheen Stud is coming off a very successful Magic Millions at the Gold Coast in January and has entered a total of 36 yearlings at the QTIS Sale.

For more information contact Basil Nolan jnr – 0407 162 296.

Local vendors were grinning from ear to ear after the prestigious event wound up. “We can confidently say that the old ‘Queensland stigma’ has finally been broken,” TBQA President Basil Nolan said. “We are dominating on the track and have had enormous success in the sale ring.”

Glenlogan Park and Raheen Stud were the dominant Queensland studs at the Magic Millions. “It just shows that if you breed a nice Queensland horse you can be well rewarded,” Nolan added.

On top of those fantastic results, there were the ongoing winners at metropolitan tracks right around the country. “That will give buyers something to seriously think about for the March QTIS sale,” Nolan continued. “Especially when most Queensland studs have kept their best horses for that sale.”

Queensland led home a Magic Millions 3YO Guineas quinella with Raheen Stud bred filly Punch On defeating Easy Running who is by Wattle Brae Stud sire Easy Rocking.

Nolan’s Raheen consignment at the 2012 Gold Coast Magic Millions included four lots in the Queensland Top 10

$270,00 Stratum – Annamarie colt (Raheen Stud) – Rick Hore-Lacey

$180,000 Sebring – Hurl filly (Raheen Stud) – Cameron Cooke Bloodstock

$160,000 Commands – Stepping colt (Raheen Stud) – James Bester Bloodstock

$120,000 Snippetson – Seduction colt (Raheen Stud) – Steve Brem

BULLBARS
Raheen’s top Magic Millions yearling by Stratum is from a three-quarter sister to Darley’s classic colt Bullbars

Punch On (3f Tiger Hill – School Blue by Geiger Counter) produced a perfectly-timed finish to defeat Easy Running by a nose at the end of 1400 metres.

The winner was a $16,000 buy from Raheen’s draft at the 2010 Magic Millions QTIS yearling sale. She has now earned over $806,000 for trainer Peter Balzen and part-owners Tom Ware and Jeff Grover.

“It’s been a dream run,” Raheen studmaster Basil Nolan jnr said on the Gold Coast. “It started with Gimmethegreenlight in the Group 1 in South Africa last Saturday. And our yearlings have been very popular at the sales this week.”

Raheen sold three youngsters during the first three sessions of the Magic Millions for a total of $610,000.

Rick Hore-Lacy bought a Stratum colt for $270,000, Peter Moody weighed in with $180,000 for a Sebring filly and James Bester paid $160,000 for a Commands colt.

The Commands – Stepping colt is from a three-quarter sister to the dam of Gimmethegreenlight.

Nolan is also looking forward to selling the first yearlings by Raheen’s first-season sire Publishing at the 2012 Magic Millions QTIS Sale in March.

Among them is the half-brother to Punch On catalogued as Lot 258. “Publishing is siring great types,” Nolan said. “His pedigree is Magic Millions through and through, too.”

Publishing’s sire Testa Rossa and his dam Sally Magic were the first two home in the 1999 Magic Millions 2YO Classic. And he was the highest priced Testa Rossa colt of his year when selling for $250,000 at the 2005 Gold Coast Magic Millions.

Publishing won his maiden as an early-season two year-old and he trained on at three for a hat trick of wins by big margins in Melbourne.

Returning as a four-year-old, Publishing captured the G3 VRC Standish Hcp down the Flemington straight six and he also claimed the G3 MRC Carlyon Cup (1400m) at Caulfield.

Raheen has catalogued 20 yearlings by Publishing for the Magic Millions QTIS Sale.

PUNCH ON
Jubilant jockey Paul Hammersley returns to scale on the Raheen graduate
after the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas

Photo / Ross Stevenson

The Commands – Stepping colt has been catalogued as Lot 334 for the Gold Coast Magic Millions and he will go through the ring around 5pm on Thursday afternoon

Stepping is a three-quarter sister to the dam of Gimmethegreenlight who looked ultra-impressive winning the G1 Queens Plate in South Africa on Saturday.

And the good news doesn’t end there.  Champion trainer Peter Moody reckons the family has another feature winner of the future back at his Caulfield stables.

The Commands colt is a younger brother to Moody’s very promising gelding Club Command who spaced his rivals by four lengths on debut at Seymour in July.  “I gave him an extended break after that short winter prep,” Moody said.  “He looked a very good horse winning his maiden and there were excuses when he was run down second-up at Flemington.

“He got kicked in a hind leg so we tipped him straight out.  He’s back work and will return for the end of the autumn carnival.

“Club Command’s main goal will be the Brisbane winter carnival,” Moody added at the Magic Millions this week.  “He’s QTIS registered and I think he will be really competitive up here.”

Moody purchased Club Command from Raheen for $150,000 at the 2010 Gold Coast Magic Millions.

Meanwhile, Nolan has fingers crossed Raheen’s winning run can continue with Punch On and Noisy Ocean in the $1 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas at the Gold Coast this Saturday.

They also graduated from Raheen’s draft at the 2010 Magic Millions and warmed up for the MM Guineas by filling out a G3 quinella in the Vo Rogue Plate at Doomben on New Year’s Eve.

COMMANDING COLT
Studmaster Basil Nolan jnr with the Commands – Stepping colt catalogued for the Magic Millions

Photo / Michael Ross

]]> http://www.raheenstud.com.au/moody-gives-club-command-the-green-light/feed 0 http://www.raheenstud.com.au/raheen-gets-green-light-for-magic-millions http://www.raheenstud.com.au/raheen-gets-green-light-for-magic-millions#comments Sun, 08 Jan 2012 01:09:55 +0000 raheen_admin http://www.raheenstud.com.au/?p=734 Raheen Stud’s Nolan family were celebrating on Saturday night after the Group 1 victory of Gimmethegreenlight in the Queens Plate (1600m) at Kenilworth.

Gimmethegreenlight (3c More Than Ready – Yes She Can Cancan by Canny Lad) turned the tables on Variety Club in a thrilling finish to South Africa’s premier summer event. The Australian bred colt had been an unlucky fourth to Variety Club (Var) the last time they met in the G1 Cape Guineas on December 17.

He cost $155,000 from the Vinery draft as a foal at the 2009 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.

Gimmethegreenlight is the latest Group 1 winner for Vinery champion More Than Ready and the victory was also timely for Raheen Stud in advance of the Gold Coast Magic Millions.

Raheen studmaster Basil Nolan jnr has two close relations to the Queens Plate winner catalogued for the Magic Millions and trainer Justin Snaith has been keeping him posted with the colt’s progress in recent weeks.

“He’s flying and could be the surprise packet in the Queens Plate,” Snaith said in an email to Nolan on Wednesday. “I feel he could be a contender despite the fact he’s still only a three year-old.

“There’s not much between him and our Group 1 mare Ebony Flyer. She has a win over Horse of the Year Igugu and will probably be the favourite for the race. But, regardless of the result, Gimmethegreenlight will have a well deserved rest and will be much stronger when he returns from a spell.”

Snaith’s prediction proved spot on when the three year-olds dominated their older rivals at Kenilworth. He has always rated Gimmethegreenlight highly and the colt responded with four wins in his first four starts in Cape Town and Durban.

Due to a combination of wide barriers and slow getaways, the unbeaten run came to an end in the G1 Golden Horseshoe and G1 Premier’s Champion Stake during Durban’s winter carnival but Snaith wasn’t discouraged.

“Gimmethegreenlight came back this season and was flying at the finish in the Guineas,” Snaith explained. “He came out of the race well but there weren’t any other options for him except the Queens Plate.

“I could have put him in the Cape Flying Championship but didn’t want to bring him back to 1000 metres. It was a choice of leaving him in his box or running for a million rand and glory.”

His close relations in Raheen Stud’s Magic Millions consignment are:

Lot 334: Commands colt from Stepping (Dodge). He is from an Eagle Farm winner who is a three-sister to the dam of Gimmethegreenlight. Stepping is also the dam of Peter Moody’s brilliant debut winner Club Command.

Lot 850: Canny Lad colt out of Chosen Dove (Choisir). He’s the first foal of an unraced half-sister to Gimmethegreenlight and Randwick stakes winner Ofcourseican (Mossman).

GIMMETHEGREENLIGHT
Trainer Justin Snaith sent us this spectacular shot of the Queens Plate winner on the beach in Cape Town

Atomic Force (6g Danehill Dancer – Show of Force by Luskin Star) defeated the best Kiwi sprinters in training at Ellerslie.  The trip to New Zealand was “Plan B” for the Newcastle galloper after he was overlooked by the HKJC for the International Sprint at Sha Tin last month.

The short-course star hasn’t looked back since Dynamic Syndications transferred him to Darren Smith’s Newcastle stables in March 2010.  He had won just two of 13 starts during prior spells with Chris Waller, John Hawkes and Kevin Moses.

“He had been dismissed as a bush horse but he’s earned 23 cheques in 23 starts with Darren,” Dynamic manager Dean Watt said.   “He was having problems with his feet and Darren had them redone.  And he’s also much happier in the paddock rather than stalls in Sydney.”

Atomic Force won the G1 AJC Galaxy Handicap in April 2011 and Watt will decide whether to set him for the G1 Telegraph Handicap at Trentham or return home for the Magic Millions Sprint.

He is by former Coolmore shuttler Danehill Dancer and has turned out a great money spinner for connections after being purchased for just $50,000 from the Raheen Stud draft at the 2007 Gold Coast Magic Millions.

The New Zealand victory improved his career card to 11 wins in 36 starts for earnings of $878,000.

Raheen Stud’s consignment for the 2012 Gold Coast Magic Millions includes lots by Coolmore sires Encosta de Lago, Haradasun and Oratorio (Ire).

Raheen’s Encosta de Lago – Days of Innocense (Lion Hunter) is scheduled to parade as Lot 566 at the Saturday evening session on January 14.  The colt is from the immediate family of Lion Hunter’s Group 1 winning filly Luvely Jubly.

ATOMIC FORCE
Raheen graduate wins the G1 Railway Stakes at Ellerslie

]]> http://www.raheenstud.com.au/atomic-aussie-blasts-new-zealand/feed 0 http://www.raheenstud.com.au/raheen-graduates-gang-up-for-magic-millions-guineas http://www.raheenstud.com.au/raheen-graduates-gang-up-for-magic-millions-guineas#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:15:28 +0000 raheen_admin http://www.raheenstud.com.au/?p=706 Raheen Stud will be double-handed in the $1 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas after Punch On defeated Noisy Ocean in a thrilling finish to the G3 Vo Rogue Plate at Doomben on Saturday.

The first two home are both Raheen graduates of the 2010 Magic Millions yearling sales.  “They’re coming good at just the right time for the Guineas,” Raheen studmaster Basil Nolan jnr claimed.  “And we’ve catalogued their half-brothers by Publishing for the QTIS Yearling Sale in March.”

Punch On (3f Tiger Hill – School Blue by Geiger Counter) was a $16,000 buy for trainer Peter Balzen and she has now earned over $236,000 for part-owners Tom Ware and Jeff Grover.

Noisy Ocean (3g Shovhog – Hepburn Rose by Sir Tristram) was another Raheen bargain at the Gold Coast sale ring.  He cost Brian Guy $15,000 and has returned connections $296,000.

Balzen is confident Punch On can provide him with a career-high victory in the $1 million Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) on January 14.  “She’s never run a bad race and I rate her one of the best fillies in Queensland,” he said.  “She sat wide the whole way and still managed to win.”

Punch On is based at the Gold Coast but her only start at home was back in March when she finished third in the $250,000 QTIS Plate.  “It was a Heavy 10 that day and she should have won,” Balzen recalled.  “I’m really looking forward to Magic Millions day now.”

Bookmakers crunched Punch On into $9 for the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas behind Safusa ($4.80) and Niagara ($7).  Noisy Ocean firmed into $26 after as much as $121 was offered before his Vo Rogue run.

Raheen Stud has catalogued 14 yearlings for the upcoming 2012 Gold Coast Magic Millions with colts by Hunter Valley heavyweights Encosta de Lago, Commands and Stratum.  The Raheen fillies are by Sebring, Haradasun, Show A Heart, Canny Lad, Excites and Not A Single Doubt.

PUNCH ON
Raheen graduate pictured winning at Doomben on 30 July 2011

Photo / Noel Pascoe

]]> http://www.raheenstud.com.au/raheen-graduates-gang-up-for-magic-millions-guineas/feed 0 http://www.raheenstud.com.au/plenty-of-horsepower-underthebonnet http://www.raheenstud.com.au/plenty-of-horsepower-underthebonnet#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:08:59 +0000 raheen_admin http://www.raheenstud.com.au/?p=713 Trainer Ben Ahrens believes Underthebonnet will develop into a quality stayer after the Stromberg Carlson gelding won the Sky Racing Handicap (1815m) at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.

Ahrens has only been preparing Underthebonnet since an unplaced run in the G3 Grand Prix in May. The lightly raced gelding had won two in a row at Ipswich leading into the winter carnival.

Underthebonnet (4g Stromberg Carlson – Starry Eire by Honour And Glory) finished strongly to score a impressive victory at Eagle Farm. “Steele Ryan cut back his team after the carnival and I got him because the owners live near my stables at Beaudesert,” Ahrens said. “He’s been very consistent and deserved to win but a lot of credit goes to Chris Munce. It was a great ride.”

Underthebonnet is by Raheen Stud sire Stromberg Carlson and the bottom half of his pedigree is dominated by leading broodmare sires Zabeel, McGinty and Better Boy.

His dam Starry Eire is owned by Tubby Turner’s Alma Vale Bloodstock. She has foaled three fillies in last three years by Turner’s Danehill sire Ukok Warrior.

Stromberg Carlson (Redoute’s Choice) is a half-brother to Testa Rossa and he has sired 58 individual winners of 127 races in his first three crops.

UNDERTHEBONNET
Stromberg Carlson gelding wins his third race at Eagle Farm

Photo / Noel Pascoe

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