Gainsborough Lodge preparing for bumper week of Magic Millions sales

RACING: The Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale is the equivalent of a grand final for the breeding industry.

Kelly Summers (left) with a Better Than Ready-Civita filly and Christine Frohloff with a Pariah-Licorice Stick filly. Photo: Bev Lacey

RACING: The Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale is the equivalent of a grand final for the breeding industry.

Gainsborough Lodge is one of a number of Darling Downs based vendors taking premium yearlings to one of Australia’s biggest sales.

An institution in Toowoomba since the 1970s, the operation is now run by Melinda Richards and Craig Wallace, continuing on from the work of Alfred Grant and Col Richards, who was a founding partner of Magic Millions.

This time around Gainsborough Lodge will send four yearlings to the sales, and Wallace said it is the most exciting time of the year for the stud.

“It’s like a grand final in football in some respects. It’s the result of decisions made three years ago,” Wallace said.

“From the breeding decisions, through to raising them through the year, you form quite an attachment and wish them well.

“We feel very proud as a stud with our success rate. There have been some Group 1 winners come from here.

“We’ve produced group winners and placegetters like Swiss Ace, Captain Jamie and Street Smart, and have a strong winners to runners ratio.
“Even if they win smaller races in the country, in town or down south, they’re still your babies in some respect.”

Gainsborough Lodge will send three fillies (Pariah-Licorice Stick, Spirit of Boom-Stylemaker and Better Than Ready-Civita) and one colt (Choisir-Oscar Queen) to the Gold Coast.

Wallace was unable to split the quartet, making a case for all four to be well received by potential buyers.

“Everyone sees different things (they like in horses),” he said.

“Personally I like the Pariah filly. We have another nice colt by Choisir who is a prolific sire of winners.

“Our other two are by Queensland’s top two sires in Spirit of Boom and Better Than Ready.”

The Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale gets underway today.

Originally published as Gainsborough Lodge preparing for bumper week of Magic Millions sales