Doomben Wrap-Up - Sat 1 Jan, 2022
Eagle Farm trainers Chris Munce and Tony Gollan both landed feature successes on New Year’s Day at Doomben, where Godolphin’s Kementari gave himself a unique opportunity in Magic Millions week.
Munce’s terrific summer form continued when Smart Meteor backed up from a slashing third last week to win the Shoot Out Quality (2000m) in ground that was rapidly deteriorating through a wet opener to 2022.
The five-year-old was a winner over the Doomben 2000m as a three-year-old and relished the opportunity of getting back to the middle distance with a strong win in driving rain.
Tony Gollan added to his bulging summer carnival trophy cabinet when Tiger Heart proved far too good in the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate (1350m) and then Salateen notched a valuable stakes win in the Listed Nudgee Stakes.
Tiger Heart is a Magic Millions graduate, but as he’s not paid up for the race series, is ineligible to run in this month’s $2M Guineas.
He might have an opportunity to secure a wildcard next season in a bid to qualify for Magic Millions day, just as Salateen did by winning the Nudgee.
Salateen was not sold at public auction as a yearling, so she’s eligible to take up the wildcard for winning the Nudgee.
It’s the same story for fan favourite Kementari, who won his MM wildcard ticket by taking out the Buffering (1350m).
James Cummings and the Godolphin team have built an enviable record in wildcard races at Eagle Farm and Doomben and they now have two Magic Millions hopes, with Roheryn having qualified for the Snippets last week.
Kementari will run in the 1400m Cup on January 15 in the same week where his two yearlings will be sold at the Gold Coast sale.
Kementari proved infertile at stud in 2019 and was therefore gelded and put back into training.
It would be some feat if he could now win a Magic Millions race in the same week his two babies are sold.
Earlier, Bryan and Daniel Guy stitched up a Magic Millions 2YO Classic spot for Golden Artie, who knocked over the Sydney-based hotpot Soaring Ambition to win the Trapeze Artist – 1st Yearlings Selling in 2022 two-year-old handicap.
This meeting rounds out the Road to Magic Millions summer series for the Brisbane Racing Club, with attention now switching to the Gold Coast for the next fortnight.