Punch On strikes for Raheen Stud

Punch On put the seal on a very successful season for Raheen Stud’s two year-olds when she scored an eye-catching victory at Doomben on Saturday.

Raheen’s list of juvenile winners in 2010-11 takes some beating and all of them are graduates of the Magic Millions sale ring on the Gold Coast.

“It’s been our best ever season with two year-olds,” Raheen studmaster Basil Nolan jnr said on Sunday.  “They’ve been doing the business at home and overseas and Rocket To Glory will be one of the favourites for Queensland’s Champion 2YO Award.”

Raheen’s new sire Captain Sonador will also be in the running for Queensland Horse of the Year honours after a season that saw the Shamardal stallion score a Group 1 victory in the AJC Epsom Handicap at Randwick.

RAHEEN STUD 2YO ROLL CALL – 2010-11

ROCKET TO GLORY (2g Shovhog – English Summer by Dodge)

Mackay flyer completed a hat-trick of rich bonus wins at Townsville, Rockhampton and Brisbane.  A front-running victory in the $250,000 Geon Group QTIS 600 Plate (1400m) at Eagle Farm on July 9 boosted his earnings to $403,000.

Rocket To Glory was a $20,000 buy out of the Raheen consignment at the 2010 Magic Millions QTIS 600 yearling sale.  The John Manzelmann trained youngster is spelling in advance of a campaign heading towards the Magic Million 3YO Trophy in January.


NOISY OCEAN
(2g Shovhog – Hepburn Rose by Sir Tristram)

Classy sprinter and, like Rocket To Glory, a member of Shovhog’s penultimate crop.  He won at Eagle Farm in January and followed up with a lucrative QTIS pay-day at the Sunshine Coast.

Noisy Ocean returned for the winter carnival and was a close second to Mahisara in the LR Centenary Classic at Eagle Farm.  The he was far from disgraced when filling out a Raheen quinella behind Rocket To Glory in the $250,000 Geon Group QTIS 600 Plate a fortnight later.

Noisy Ocean is trained by Bryan Guy and was another bargain buy from Raheen at the 2010 Magic Millions.  He cost $15,000 and has returned $216,000 so far for connections.

SANTA MAURA (2f Falvelon – Millibaci by Dantibes)

Stablemate of Noisy Ocean and she just missed some black-type early in the season when fourth behind Military Grace in the LR Calaway Gal Stakes at Eagle Farm.

Santa Maura broke her maiden with a brilliant victory at the Gold Coast in June and has been nominated to kick-off her three year-old campaign back at her home track this Thursday.

Retired Sydney businessman Tony Valos bought her from Raheen at the 2010 Magic Millions yearling sale.  “Santa Maura looked a real nice type in the sale ring and Tony had to go to $40,000,” stable foreman Daniel Guy recalled.  “She will more than pay her way this season.”

CLUB COMMAND (2g Commands – Stepping by Dodge)

There’s no stopping Peter Moody and the champion trainer will begin the defence of his crown with Club Command at Flemington this Saturday.

Club Command spaced his rivals by four lengths on debut at Seymour a fortnight ago and he has been nominated for a $70,000 Super VOBIS event over 1400m at headquarters.

Raheen Stud sold him to Moody for $150,000 at the 2010 Gold Coast Magic Millions.  His dam Steeping won four races and she is a three-quarter sister to the dam of South African star Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready).

Gimmethegreenlight won his first four races in Cape Town and Durban and has been unlucky at his last two starts in the G1 Gold Medallion and G1 Premier’s 2YO Champion Stakes at Greyville.

The South African connection has been a winner for Raheen and Commands with gallopers the calibre of Conquered Dream.

Raheen sold Commands colt Conquered Dream to trainer Charles Laird at the 2008 Gold Coast Magic Millions and he went on to win the 2010 South African Derby Trial at Turffontein.

Raheen has another Commands – Stepping colt that will be catalogued for the 2012 Magic Millions and the mare is due to foal to Flying Spur in October.

MY NEW BOSS (2g Stromberg Carlson – Lady Of Jewels by Danzero)

The Singapore based sprinter boosted Raheen Stud’s strike-rate from the 2010 Magic Millions HIT Sale with a brilliant victory at Kranji on July 24.

My New Boss looks a sure-fire money-spinner for trainer Brian Dean.  “I got him for $20,000 from the Raheen draft at last year’s Ready to Run Sale,” Dean said after the gelding blitzed his rivals.  “He’s a lovely horse and looks a cheap buy now.”

Dean decided to bypass the G3 Magic Millions Juvenile Championship with My New Boss in the knowledge there are several suitable races for him in August.

My New Boss posted the 95th win for Raheen sire Stromberg Carlson.  He is a Redoute’s Choice half-brother to Testa Rossa.

JEONSEONG SIDAE (2c Stromberg Carlson – Jessie’s Journey by Crown Jester)

Raheen Stud sire Stromberg Carlson has built up a winning reputation in South Korea and buyers from that region will target his stock at the 2011 Magic Millions 2YO HIT Sale on October 19 & 20.

Stromberg Carlson’s pin-up galloper in South Korea is Jeonseong Sidae who has won 4 of his 5 starts this year.

Jeonseong Sidae won on debut over 1000m in March and stretched out to a three length victory over 1600m on July 17.  He has banked the equivalent of AUD 107,020 for owner Jeong Un Jin.

That’s a profitable mark-up on the $15,000 he cost from the Raheen draft at the 2010 Magic Millions HIT Sale.

Viva Storm is another Stromberg Carlson star in South Korea.  He has won 3 races and earned over AUD 130,580 for owner Kang Seung Ju.  Raheen sold him for $10,000 at the Magic Millions.

PUNCH ON (2f Tiger Hill – School Blue by Geiger Counter)

Peter Balzen will continue on a QTIS campaign for Punch On instead of heading to Sydney with his promising filly.  “The QTIS money is so good you can’t afford to go too far away,” Balzen said.  “Travelling south is always an option if she really starts to dominate.

“She’s a half sister to Punch Up who is pretty handy but she’s going to be a lot better than him,” the Gold Coast trainer claimed.  “I made a couple of gear changes because she had been throwing her head up and running about.  Now she’s much more tractable.”

Punch On was a $16,000 graduate from the Raheen draft at the 2010 Magic Millions QTIS 600 yearling sale.  Saturday’s Doomben victory increased her earnings to $69,000.