Bargain-buy Mica Lil can continue to thrill in the Group 1 Sangtser Stakes at Morphettville

Bargain buy Mica Lil can complete an amazing 18 month ride for connections in Saturday’s $600,000 Group 1 Sangster Stakes at Morphettville.

SA mare Mica Lil and trainer Mark Minervini. PIC TAIT SCHMAAL.

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She’s the bargain-bin racehorse proving million-dollar dreams are still alive in SA racing.

Mica Lil could complete a stunning 18-month ride for connections when she shoots for a fairytale victory in tomorrow’s (Saturday) Group 1 Sangster Stakes at Morphettville.

The $600,000 race shapes as one of the last on-track forays for Mica Lil, who is likely to head north to the Gold Coast for next month’s Magic Millions Broodmare Sale.

SA mare Mica Lil, with trainer Mark Minervini, can complete an amazing 18 month ride for connections in the Group 1 Sangster Stakes at Morphettville on Saturday. Picture: TAIT SCHMAAL

Rated an $81 outsider with bookmaker Ladbrokes to secure her first Group 1 win in the Sangster, on paper it seems an unlikely mission.

But “unlikely” is what Mica Lil and her Adelaide trainer Mark Minervini have done best.

Minervini plucked the five-year-old, now with five wins from her 26 starts, out of Kalgoorlie for just $20,000 at auction in 2017.

Last year’s Sangster marked her biggest payday to date, when she pocketed $80,000 for running third in what was then a $1 million race.

And if tomorrow’s edition goes to plan, her price tag to join Australia’s lucrative breeding stocks could leave her prizemoney tally of $187,990 for dust.

Leading Magic Millions Bloodstock Agent Adrian Hancock put Mica Lil’s current stud value at between $150,000 and $200,000.

But factor in an upset Group 1 win tomorrow?

“Gee, then she could get seven figures,’’ Hancock said.

“She’s not overly big, buyers really love the big glamour mares now days but winning a race like the Sangster would add significant value,’’ he said.

MICA LIL is confirmed to run in the $600,000 Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes @SAJockeyClub on Saturday. @domjock to ride from seven. Race runs 4.06pm (ACST). It was 12 months ago that our star mare ran third in the same race under @CahillShayne. Best of luck to her owners. pic.twitter.com/eA47f3pwSF

— Minervini Racing (@minerviniracing) April 30, 2019

Minervini said the next few weeks would mean connections will hold off on the final decision on her sale until after the Adelaide Festival of racing.

“We’ve got her nominated for the broodmare sale and there has been quite a bit of interest in her,’’ Minervini said.

“She’s got a great pedigree. She’s free of Danehill blood, a lot of the big stallions all have the Danehill blood, so she would appeal to a lot of breeders out there.

“The breeding industry at the top level here in Australia is through the roof, there are a large number of international players now and they are happy to invest on quality bloodstock here in Australia.

“She’ll also run here in the Proud Miss (Group 3) on May 18 and then we’ll sit down and decide if we go to the sale, what reserve we put on her and we will more than likely also nominate her for the Group 1 Tatt’s Tiara in Brisbane over 1400m, which would be ideal for her,’’ he said.

For Minervini Mica Lil arrived at the perfect time as he tried to re-establish himself in the highly competitive Adelaide training ranks.

“I’ve basically rebuilt my business on tried horses like her,’’ Minervini added.

“She fits the mould that works and I seem to do better with the mares. If you can turn them around there is a chance to get a really good result for their owners.

“She’s been a dream to train, I think that’s why she has appreciated being at my place, I like to let them run into fitness, leave them alone and they really seem to appreciate it,’’ he said.

Connections with Mica Lil at last year’s SA carnival. Picture: CALUM ROBERTSON

Minervini said also moving into syndication with the tried horses had been a success for his stable.

“Again, that’s how I have re built my business having numbers in syndicates,’’ he added.

“I probably prefer to training for bigger groups and smaller (percentage) owners, they seem to get a bigger kick out of it than the big players,’’ he said.

Saturday will be just the ninth time Mica Lil has been to the races in Adelaide but in this phase of her career alone she’s banked connections just shy of $140,000 — well and truly exceeding any expectations Minervini had when he took a chance on the mare.

“When I watched her replays, the thing that appealed to me is that she could get back in her races and always round them up pretty easily,’’ Minervini said.

“I don’t care where you win, if you can give your opposition a start and a beating you’re going OK.

“When she won first-up for me Dean Yendall rode her. He was riding a lot of good horses for Darren Weir at the time and he said we could run her in anything, she wouldn’t disgrace herself.

“She was probably going better 12 months ago when she ran third to Shoals (in the Sangster) than she is now, but I’m happy it’s a smaller field this year and if the breaks went her way there is no reason why she can’t be really competitive again,’’ he said.