By Glenn Davis
The countdown to next month’s QTIS Jewel for two and three-year-olds and the two-day Magic Millions QTIS March sales is underway.
The $500,000 QTIS Aquis Jewel for two-year-olds and $200,000 The Jewel for three-year-olds will be run at the Gold Coast on March 16 with the two-day QTIS Magic Millions March sales held on March 18 and 19.
Both features will be run over 1200 metres.
A total of 384 yearlings are listed for sale including 30 yearlings by Queensland super sire Spirit Of Boom while a massive 49 yearlings by boom sire Better Than Ready are set to go under the hammer.
Trainer Chris Munce believes the Magic Millions QTIS March sale is one of the best value sales in the country.
“The March sale is without doubt one of the best value sales in the country,” Munce said.
“The bonuses on offer are also a great help for the Queensland racing industry.
“It’s a great incentive and I’ll definitely be there buying.”
Munce was prepared to go to $100,000 when a son of Spirit Of Boom caught his eye at the 2017 March sales.
He was surprised when he paid only $45,000 for the colt who was later named Boomsara and went on to claim The Jewel last year.
“He had a good size about him and stood out at the sales,” Munce said.
“He was a very kind type of colt and I got him for $45,000 when I expected he’d go for around $100,000.”
Munce registered his biggest payday as a trainer at the time when Boomsara claimed The Jewel.
Boomsara later went on to become one of Queensland’s best performed two-year-olds last season with placings in the Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial and Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes last winter.
As a three-year-old he won the Group 3 Vo Rogue Stakes at Doomben in December before giving Munce his first win in last month’s $2 million Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast.
Munce, a former champion jockey and member of the elite Grand Slam club with victories in the Golden Slipper, Cox Plate and Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, is hoping history can be repeated when he attends next month’s sales.
Munce is aiming Bucket Pride and The Carpenter for next month’s two-year-old The Jewel while Racecourse Road will target the three-year-old race.
Racing Queensland webnews February 24