Regimental Pride on path to Magic Millions

Monday 10 December 2012, 5:32pm

The countdown to the summer's richest race gathers momentum this weekend with key juvenile events in Sydney and Brisbane.

The $2 million Magic Millions Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast is just over a month away and Regimental Pride will take the next step in his bid to emulate his mother, the 2003 winner Regimental Gal, when he races at Rosehill.

Regimental Pride finished out of the money in Sydney's first two-year-old race of the season, the Breeders' Plate on October 6, but came out a week later to demonstrate the ability David Payne knew he had when he won at Rosehill.

Having had a few weeks off, the colt will be back in business on Saturday with his elder half-sister Lilliburlero also running at Rosehill.

"He is ready for Saturday and if he takes the race well he will back up in the Wyong Millions race and then go to the Gold Coast," Payne said.

The Wyong sales sponsored race day is on Thursday week while Saturday's Eagle Farm card features the Phelan Ready Stakes, named after the 2009 Magic Millions winner, and the Calaway Gal Stakes for fillies honouring the 2002 Golden Slipper winner.

Regimental Pride was one of 13 youngsters entered on Monday for the 1100m race but the Gerald Ryan-trained Dothraki was missing from the line-up with connections opting to delay his debut until the Wyong race.

Lilliburlero was among eight nominations for the 1400m benchmark race for three-year-olds.

The start of her career was delayed by a virus but she demonstrated her talent with a winning debut on November 28 at Newcastle.

"They are two completely different horses," Payne said.

"She is a big gross horse, more like (her sire) Redoute's Choice while the other one is little.

"He is by More Than Ready and they are not big horses."

Lilliburlero was retained by Cressfield Stud for her racing career while Regimental Pride is owned by Ron Medich.

Glyn Schofield will ride the siblings while his son Chad will be aboard stablemate Praecido if Payne decides to send him to Melbourne.

Runner-up to Lion Tamer in the 2010 Victoria Derby, Praecido has been entered for a 2000m race at Flemington on Saturday as well as a 1900m race at Rosehill.

"I'll take a good look at the field in Melbourne before I decide where he goes," Payne said.

"He has only been to Flemington once for a second in the Derby so I'm sure he would go well there again."

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »