Dino Mak will head for a spell after making the step to stakes class with an impressive win in the Group Three Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic (1400m) at Ascot on Saturday. With regular rider Patrick Carbery in the saddle, Dino Mak got up in a driving finish to beat Impressive Jeuney and The Corporate in a Magic Millions trifecta to the feature three-year-old event.
An imposing individual by Fastnet Rock, Dino Mak was the highest priced colt at last year’s Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale. He was purchased at the sale by his trainer Wally Mitchell for $280,000.
“He’s been pretty immature and Patty (Carbery) still thinks he’s six months away,” Mitchell noted.
“When he hit the front he tried to pull up, luckily he kept going.”
Mitchell was particularly impressed with the ride from Carbery. He had his mount in the firing line throughout.
“He rode him a treat,” Mitchell said. “The plan came off good.”
“In the Guineas he had no hope – he was caught three deep and four deep, pulling and we thought we wouldn’t go to the Aquanita (Stakes) and come to the Lee-Steere (Classic) and it’s worked beautiful.”
Dino Mak will most likely not race again this year and will be spelled with Group One ambitions in 2010.
“We’ll probably tip him out. I think he might be a Railway (Stakes) type horse next year.”
“When he puts it together he’ll be a nice horse,” Mitchell summed up.
Mitchell bid to $280,000 on behalf of major stable client Santoso Wirya to secure Dino Mak as a yearling at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale last year. He was offered in Perth by Gervase Park Stud who’d successfully pin hooked him for $100,000 from the draft of Kitchwin Hills at the 2007 National Weanling Sale at the Gold Coast. By Coolmore Stud’s exciting young Danehill’s sire Fastnet Rock, Dino Mak is one of three winners from the 100% winner producing mare Huka. daughter of Volksraad, Huka won three races – including one in Melbourne and another in Adelaide – and was stakes placed in New Zealand and Melbourne.
Fastnet Rock, who is the most represented sire in the upcoming Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, has been enjoying a great season.
His three-year-old daughter Irish Lights won the Group One Thousand Guineas, while his other recent stakes performers have included Curved Ball (in South Africa), Wanted, Gybe, Lagerphone, Zikmann, Ebony Rock and now Dino Mak.
In Adelaide on Saturday another of the Fastnet Rock progeny sold by Magic Millions, the Mick Price trained Luminous Harmony scored a brilliant three and a half length win.
Two yearlings by Fastnet Rock will be offered at the 2010 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale – both colts – one from Beaux Art’s stakes winning daughter Imaginaire and the other from the Snippets mare Munchie – a half sister to Happens.
Gervase Park Stud, the vendors of Dino Mak at the 2008 sale, have a top draft of 15 yearlings heading to the Belmont sale at the end of January.
Among them are yearlings by sires including Exceed and Excel, Not a Single Doubt, General Nediym, Testa Rossa, Hussonet, Starcraft, Stravinsky, Reset, Bel Esprit and locals Bletchley Park, Key Business and Flying Pegasus.