Trainer Ciaron Maher is a fan of all-women syndicates for Magic Millions horses after the stable again reaped the benefits at this year’s carnival.
In the past two years his horses have picked up $712,000 in bonus payments for horses raced by all-female syndicates.
Magic Millions gives a $500,000 bonus to be shared by the first four horses over the line in the Magic Millions Classic raced by women owners with Away Game winning on Saturday.
For the first time Magic Millions also offered a $250,000 bonus for the 3YO Guineas.
Away Game, trained in partnership by Maher and David Eustace, earned an extra $325,000.
Dubious, who earned the $325,000 bonus when second home last year, ran 10th in the Guineas but was still first of the all-women owned horses and picked up $162,500.
Maher paid credit to Away Game’s syndicate head Hannah Mathiesen, who worked for the stable last year before returning to her homeland in the United States.
She was on hand with family and friends on Saturday to see Away Game win.
“Hannah worked for us last year and she was the one who picked out Away Game. It became an all girls syndicate.They’ve all come out from the US,” Maher said.
Maher has won 15 stakes races in Queensland over the past four years as well as the Magic Millions Classic.
Those stakes races include the Group One Doomben Cup (Kenedna), Group One Stradbroke (Srikandi), Group One Tatts Tiara (Srikandi) and Group One Queensland Derby (Ruthven).
“Queensland had been good to us and hopefully there will be more to come,” he said.
Away Game’s win was another triumph for super sire Snitzel who was third in the 2005 Millions Classic.
Snitzel, who has sired 85 stakes winners, also had last year’s 2YO Classic winner in Exhilarates.
Away Game’s half sister by Not A Single Doubt sold for $580,000 at the Magic Millions Sales last week.
