A modest $130,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Newgate Farm draft last year, Russian Revolution colt Rush Hour provided a dream result for connections when winning the inaugural $500,000 Magic Millions Debut (900m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
The last race run before the state of the track forced postponement of this meeting, the Debut is a new race for unraced juveniles and attracted a full field of 12.
The Nathan Doyle trained Rush Hour came in with two barrier trial wins last month at Rosehill and Wyong and was well fancied despite the difficult conditions and did his absolute best for Koby Jennings.
Rush Hour was strong to the line winning by half a length over Capitalist colt Getty, trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, with Mark Newnham’s Headwater colt Storm the Ramparts in third place.
“He was very good. He’s shown us a lot of talent from day dot and ideally we would have been in the main two-year-old race but he just had a little setback and this race looked ideal,” said Nathan Doyle.
“After his second trial Andy (Adkins) said I think he’s looking for 1100 so we really backed off but we didn’t want to make him too dour. We wanted to leave him fresh.”
Rush Hour was bought by Calibre Racing Group / Nathan Doyle Racing and has banked $302,000 for his debut win.
“It’s a terrific result for the Calibre guys. It is the first yearling that they’ve bought as a syndication group and they’ve ended up back her in twelve months time winning a half-million dollar race so it is very good for them and it is good for Koby coming here for one ride,” Doyle revealed.
“I’m good mates with Koby and he’s actually moved to Newcastle so I’ve got him riding plenty of work as well.
“We were best mates in Sydney when I worked for Team Snowden. You dream about winning good races together and to be able to pull it off with a terrific ride.
“You want to compete with the best and it is good to get the result.”
Rush Hour is the second winner from stakes-placed Gio Ponti (USA) mare Pearl Congenial, who comes from the family of Group I MRC Caulfield Guineas winner Super Seth.
Newgate Farm will offer her yearling colt by Brutal as Lot 667 at Inglis Classic.
Pearl Congenial had a colt by Justify (USA) last spring and is now in foal to Wild Ruler.
