Highly rated filly Lumbini lived up to strong market support at the Gold Coast on Friday night, producing a powerful late surge to win the $250,000 Magic Millions Debut (1000m).
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained daughter of Russian Revolution jumped a warm favourite after two impressive Sydney trial wins, but supporters were briefly left sweating when she turned for home pocketed away on the rail from barrier one.
With Tim Clark content to take a trail behind the leaders, Lumbini appeared in trouble when no runs presented along the fence. Clark was forced to ease wider approaching the final stages and back her acceleration — a move that proved decisive.
Lumbini quickly lengthened stride, swept past her rivals and scored by 1½ lengths in a slick time of 57.6 seconds.
Runner-up Say You Will (Pierata) lodged a post-race protest, which was later dismissed, while Iransofar (Better Than Ready) held on for third.
“She showed a tremendous turn of foot and picked them up quite easily,” Clark said. “Barrier one always made me nervous and she had to stand in there for a while, but she got herself out of trouble and made me look good doing it.”
Lumbini was a $450,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling purchase — the highest-priced yearling by Russian Revolution in 2025 — sourced from the Newgate Farm draft by Glentree Thoroughbreds and Badgers Bloodstock.
The debut victory netted $149,975 in prizemoney and earned the filly a place in the $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic on January 17. She joins stablemate Shiki, the current favourite for the feature, who resumes from a spell at Randwick on Saturday.
Lumbini is the fifth foal and fifth winner out of US Group 1 winner My Conquestadory, and a full sister to stakes-performed Russian Conquest, runner-up in a previous Magic Millions 2YO Classic. My Conquestadory also produced a filly by I Am Invincible this spring.
Newgate Farm will offer 51 yearlings at the 2026 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, including three by Russian Revolution, who has 26 entries overall for the catalogue.
