Two years ago she was an unwanted juvenile – now consistent Gold Coast galloper Ma Royal Hiney is a valuable race mare bound for a productive career in the breeding barn.
Ma Royal Hiney, left behind by her former owner, repaid the faith shown in her by trainer Bryan Guy when she scored a gritty win in Wednesday’s Bollinger Champagne Maiden Plate (1640m) at Doomben.
Trained throughout her career by Guy, Ma Royal Hiney’s racing career was almost over when her owner shot through to England two years ago and left a mountain of spelling bills owed to Royston Stud.
The Royal Academy mare was subsequently repossessed and sent through a Magic Millions tried horse sale where Royston Stud, at the suggestion of Guy, purchased Ma Royal Hiney for just $2000.
Her prizemoney is now just shy of $20,000 with the promise of more to come but with a city win beside her name and her dam Ma Victoire Group One-placed in New Zealand, Ma Royal Hiney’s real value is in the breeding barn.
“She’s got good ability and she is a very nice mare,” Guy said.
“I have trained her all the way along but one day the bloke who owned her vanished and he left her behind.
“The last I heard of him he was in England but he never came back to get his horse and he left a string of bills owing to Royston Stud.
“The solicitors got involved and she went through a sale and we picked her up for $2000.”
Ma Royal Hiney ($4) had finished runner-up at her previous three starts but finally shed her maiden status with a determined short half-head win over the well-supported Only The Strong ($2.50 fav) with Belladonna Delago ($4.80) two lengths back third.
Ma Royal Hiney gave premiership frontrunner Chris Munce the first leg of a winning double.
He backed up two races later to guide the Bruce Brown-trained Black Magic to an easy win in the Sky Racing Maiden (1200m).
