Former U.S college volleyball player Hannah Mathiesen wins Magic Millions 2YO Classic with Away Game
An injury playing volleyball for a U.S. college led to Hannah Mathiesen’s transition into racing and now she has won one of Australia’s richest races with her first horse from Down Under.
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AN injury playing volleyball for a U.S. college led to Hannah Mathiesen’s transition into racing and now she has won one of Australia’s richest races with her first horse from Down Under.
The 22-year-old Californian hand-picked Away Game from the 2019 Magic Millions Yearling Sales and was part of the all-female group of owners who cheered home the $41 chance as the filly powered away from rivals down the straight to win the $2 million 2YO Classic.
The winning connections pocket $1,160,000 for the win and a further $325,000 as part of the women’s bonus.
“It’s so crazy. It’s unreal, I couldn’t have dreamt of this,” Mathiesen said after the race.
Mathiesen said she had only found a love for thoroughbreds in recent years after working with them for the first time at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California.
“I played volleyball in college and got hurt doing that so I jumped into horse racing a few years ago,” Mathiesen said.
“At college we had a thoroughbred enterprise on campus. We had a few mares there and would breed them to local stallions in California.
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“We did all the hands on work and learnt about their pedigrees and I just fell in love with it.
“I convinced my dad to buy a five per cent share in a syndicate horse in 2015 and we have come along way in a short period. I am absolutely in love with it.”
Mathisen came to Australia and spent a year working for trainer Ciaron Maher before starting Oakmont Horse Club, a syndication company, in 2019 with business partner Colt Pike.
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She attended last year’s sales flanked by Maher and bloodstock agent Kerri Radcliffe where she purchased her “queen”, a filly by Snitzel from Elusive Wonder, for $425,000.
“She was really a queen in my eyes,” Mathiesen said.
“She had a huge deep girth, big shoulders, big hips and a huge walk.
“She was a star. She had pedigree too, the kind of horse we had to have.”
Maher had to fight back tears post-race and labelled the victory with training partner David Eustace the most satisfying of his career.
“It was a really good effort,” Maher said.
“She is already a stakes winner, she is a filly and has now won the Magic Millions.
“It was a great ride by Luke Currie and a fantastic job by Christine, our travelling foreman who basically slept with this horse.
“She has iced her and done every little one per cent of it that you need to do. It’s very pleasing and satisfying for (Away Game) to get the job done.
“We have put a lot of time and effort into our two-year-old’s this year and they have been absolutely flying.”
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