Taree previews: Sale-topper to roll out some Magic at Taree

Magic Millions sale-topper Onepointsevengone isn’t the best advertisement for spending big on horses but that doesn’t bother his current trainer Tony Ball.

Champion stallion I Am Invincible with Yarraman Park manager Arthur Mitchell Picture: Liam Driver

He is called Onepointsevengone for good reason but if he created buyer’s remorse for one group, it’s exactly the opposite for his new set of owners.

Bred for the big time, Onepointsevengone was the talk of the Gold Coast when he was offered at the Magic Millions Yearling sale in 2019.

So much so that then colt ended up with the sometimes blessed, often cursed, tag of ‘sale-topper’ courtesy of a $1.7 million winning bid.

The son of I Am Invincible has changed hands three times since, most recently in March 2023 when purchased for a mere $4,750.

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“His original name was Strategy,’’ current trainer Tony Ball began.

“They paid $1.7 million for him as a yearling and when the people who bought him off Lloyd Kennewell who had to start with, they changed his name to Onepointsevengone.”

Granted he is a seven-year-old gelding these days, and while doesn’t have the physique of a sale-topper, he certainly has the pedigree.

“It would have been his breeding why he cost so much,’’ Ball said.

“His mother was a good mare by Snitzel and he’s by I Am Invincible and everyone wants them, so that’s why they’ve paid it.

“My owners love him to death. He’s won one and run a heap of seconds and thirds.

“He’s well and truly in front.”

NEWS: I Am Invincible Colt Tops Record Breaking Book One Sale!@KennewellRacing secures the $1.7 million I Am Invincible-Oakleigh Girl colt from @yarramanpark. See the stats, leading buyers, sires, vendors - hear from Lloyd Kennewell etc!
Read more here: https://t.co/mb7lD0oFDfpic.twitter.com/oJ0CL9RESF

— Magic Millions (@mmsnippets) January 12, 2019

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Onepointsevengone is one of three Ball-housed gallopers in today’s Taree feature, the Happy 60th Anthony Hoare Benchmark 58 Handicap (1007m), alongside Telegraph and the track whiz Adamdeeant.

Despite his lowly Benchmark rating of 49, Onepointsevengone has firmed from an opening quote of $11 to $6 favourite in early betting.

“He’s been heavily supported, it’s not my money, but he’ll run super, don’t get me wrong,’’ Ball said.

“He ran super at Tuncurry when he only got beat a head or something. Back to the 1000m on Tuesday, that might be the only thing. They might just run him off his feet early but if he is close enough, he’ll be very, very hard to beat.

“We have struggled to get him into races and when you get him in, you’ve got to take them as they come.”

It is far from impossible that the Ball trio occupy all three spots on the podium today, only in which order remains to be seen.

“If Telegraph turns up, he should beat them because he goes good first-up,’’ the trainer said.

“It’ll be where he gets in the run and how the track is playing.

“He’ll will be probably midfield. If it is playing on-speed, well ‘Adam’ is the one to beat.’’

Ball can take credit for bringing arguably the second-best named horse in action at Taree on Tuesday when the former Chris Waller-trained bay Buffett goes around in the Become A MVRC Member Class 1 Handicap (1262m).

The gelding is a son of Golden Slipper winner Capitalist and named in recognition of the world’s sixth richest individual, financial guru Warren Buffett.

The equine version was passed in for $400,000 at the Easter Yearling Sale in 2022.

His lone win so far (from 13 starts) was for Waller in a mile maiden at the Sunshine Coast in August, 2024.

“His run at Hawkesbury was better than it looks,’’ Ball commented.

“He’ll go forward from that wide gate, he’ll burn across from out there, he’ll be in front and he’ll run super.’’

Ball’s first runner on his home card today is Crazy Mikki, is hammering on the door after back-to-back seconds over the same course and distance as Tuesday’s assignment.

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STARSPANGLEDBANNER son Flyball looks to have conditions to suit to hit what would be only his second home run when he takes to the plate in today’s Class 1 Handicap (1412m) at Taree.

Originally housed in Victoria, the Rosemont Stud-bred gelding fell in a drama charged VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes in 2023, one of six starts south of the border for his former trainer Henry Dwyer.

Flyball changed hands in January 2024, online at a cost of $8,500, and has since been a resident at Port Macquarie under the care of Stephen Farley, the man who will be forever associated with the dual Group 1-winner Sincero.

Flyball’s lone win, and his two seconds, are both on Soft tracks compared to his eight starts on Good surfaces where he has failed to figure each time.

“I just think the soft tracks slows the others down a little bit because he gets back in his races and the times they run up front on those good tracks, mathematically, he can’t run the time to catch them,’’ Farley says.

“He finishes on all the time, but he just can’t get over the top of them.’’

Flyball arrives at Taree off a fifth at Beaumont and an apparently misleading tenth of 12 at Coffs Harbour at his past couple of appearances.

“His two runs back have been okay without jumping over the moon about,’’ Farley said.

“They’ve been nice little hidden runs really, especially with no trials coming into (this preparation).

“He has drawn barrier one (on Tuesday) and he is going to get back but he might be able to hold in front of a few maybe.

“I like Luke (Rolls) as a rider, especially on a horse like Flyball, because he is a bit of a funny horse.’’said Farley.

Flyball will be partnered on the short trip from Port Macquarie to Taree on Tuesday by Combs who showed speed before being passed late when fifth in a 1400m Maiden Tuncurry on March 1 with Stephen Cummins in the saddle.

His mission today is the 1312m Art In the Vale Country Maiden with the added advantage of barrier one like his stablemate.

“The good draw and coming back in trip are hopefully a positive for Combs and he raced alright at Taree before,’’ Farley said.

“His only placing was at Taree actually and on a wet track.”