"Team Mishani" searching for more QTIS gold in the Jewel

By Jordan Gerrans

While the Magic Millions is always the main prize for “Team Mishani”, the QTIS Jewel for 2023 will be a nice secondary option with promising filly Mishani Royale.

The two-year-old was one of the hard-luck stories of January this year leading into the rich Magic Millions.

The daughter of Kobayashi was a dominant winner of the feature Gold Pearl on the Gold Coast seven days before the 2YO Classic earlier this year.

And, just moments after she passed the winning post, most thought she would be a fair chance in the big dance at Aquis Park on the following Saturday.

Trainer Les Ross quickly confirmed that Mishani Royale was not eligible for the Magic Millions.

As Ross, stable major owner Mike Crooks and the entire “Mishani” operation work over 30 yearlings every year leading towards the Magic Millions, they cannot pay up for all of them.

While they were disappointed to not participate in the Millions decider, Mishani Royale can make up for it this Saturday afternoon at Doomben in the QTIS Jewel.

She was dominant in the Jewel Prelude earlier this month.

The $500,000 winning prize for the Jewel is only a fraction of what is on offer in the Magic Millions but Ross and Crooks will most certainly take it if she can continue her winning ways on Saturday.

“This filly cut her leg when she was a yearling and we missed a bit of work with her so she didn’t go into the Millions,” Ross said.

“It is a shame but maybe the break did her the world of good.

“We are just lucky that the Jewel was a few months away as we had her right for the Millions, if we had paid up.

“But, unfortunately when you have 30 odd of them, you cannot pay up for all of them.

“Hopefully she can pick up the money on Saturday.”

As they have done over the years, the Mishani crew are currently working up 37 yearlings towards next year's Magic Millions.

At this point, the veteran trainer cannot tell which of the yearlings is the best.

And, that is the same for Mishani Royale and her age group crop.

While Mishani Royale has quickly developed into a star on the rise, the Eagle Farm-based trainer couldn’t have predicted that she would be the pick of the bunch.

The brown filly has quickly emerged as the apple of Ross’ eye.

“She is certainly one of my favourites now as we love the ones that win money,” he said.

“She has had four starts and won more than $200,000, so that’s an average of over $50,000 a start, so that isn’t bad.”

Often referred to as the “QTIS King” in the Sunshine State, Ross is looking forward to having a massive team of runners at Doomben on Saturday.

He will saddle up four from his team in the 2YO event with Mishani Royale considered his leading hopeful to take home the major slice of the stakes. 

Royale will be joined by Metallic, Raider and Gangster. 

As of Thursday morning, the TAB has Mishani Royale as a $3.70 favourite to lift the Jewel crown. 

“I only train QTIS horses,” he said.

“If someone rings me up and offers me a horse I will not let it in my yard if it is not QTIS.

“Mike only wants to race in QTIS races, as well.

“It is a credit to Crooksy as he puts up the money for us to have these horses.”

After Adin Thompson rode the stand out filly in her first two race starts, in-form hoop Ben Thompson has taken over the pilot duties in her last two efforts.

After breaking through for his maiden Group 1 in Melbourne just recently, there is not a jockey riding with more confidence in the Sunshine State at the moment then Ben.

On Jewel Prelude day, Ben rode the opening four winners on the program and he is happy to be sticking with Mishani Royale on Saturday.

“She is a class act and a really nice juvenile for Les Ross and Mike Crooks and the team,” Ben said.

“Hopefully she can reach high heights after Saturday.

“Let's put it this way, I would not swap her for any other horse this Saturday.

“She is a real professional, she has a great attitude and she knows what her job is and does it very well.”

Ben and Ross both have one major question leading into Saturday’s QTIS show-piece race.

Will Mishani Royale run out the 1200 metres?

Two of her victories have come at 1000 metres with the Gold Pearl triumph being over 1100 metres.

Ben is of the belief that if his 2YO Jewel hopeful filly repeats what she did in the Prelude, then she will be in the race for a long way on Saturday.

The top rider pointed to the filly’s father Kobayashi as a reference to his confidence about her running the trip.

“She is placed very well,” Ben said.

“She has got the right credentials to go to this race and be a force to be reckoned with, she just needs to tick the 1200 metre box.

“All signs say that she will be able to run the 1200 metres as her sire Kobayashi ran the trip out really well and had a similar style to her.

“He had a fast start - Kobayashi – and was able to quick off a fast speed.”

Ross is happy to have the freshly minted Group 1 hoop sticking with his filly.

“Ben really likes her,” he said.

“I can see why he would like her, she is so relaxed filly and she is lovely and quiet.

“It is good to have a good rider and good horse so hopefully they can stick together.”

Ben also rode the Tony Gollan-trained All That Pizzazz to victory in the 3YO Prelude and could be set for another big day on Saturday.

The $2 million Queensland Jewel race day will be hosted at the Brisbane Racing Club for the first time this year. It will once again be headlined by the $500,000 2YO QTIS Jewel and 3YO QTIS Jewel.
 
Now in its sixth year, the Queensland Jewel race day is one of the premier thoroughbred horse racing events for Queensland bred horses and will feature some of the Sunshine State’s best home-grown thoroughbreds and jockeys competing for over $2 million in prize money.