“She lifted her head out of the feedbin, walked to the stable door and looked me straight in the eye,” said owner breeder John Muir as he recalled the day Magic Time was passed in at the 2021 Gold Coast Yearling Sale. “She stalled well short of her $150,000 reserve and I was adamant she was worth every cent of that. A little later I walked around to her box wondering if private offers would be forthcoming. Everything changed when she gave me that look. Being the sentimentalist I am, the decision was made to take her home and race her under the Milburn Creek Stud banner.”
Memories of that special moment came flooding back to the respected breeder as he watched Magic Time produce a whirlwind finish to win the Gr 3 P.J. Bell Stakes at Randwick. It was the tenth race on a track which had progressively deteriorated as the rain fell throughout the afternoon. On a day of gobsmacking performances this was one of the most impressive.
This was the eye that melted John Muir's heart at the Gold Coast Yearling sale 2021 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Magic Time raced midfield to the turn three wide with cover behind Ithadtobezou. For a few heartstopping moments coming up the rise Jordan Childs had to ease off the heels of Ithadtobezou. He then snagged her across the heels of Dashing Legend into clear air, but she was still five lengths off the leader Lady Laguna at the 200m. How she won by 1.3 lengths aroused almost as much discussion as I Wish I Win’s amazing T.J. Smith performance. John Muir, flanked by grandchildren Camilla, Annabel and Tom looked stunned as he watched slow motion replays on the infield screen.
Magic Time makes it a hat trick in the PJ Bell. To think she didn't make her reserve at the yearling sales - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Always on the lookout for the right kind of potential broodmare, John had to go to $300,000 for Magic Time’s dam at the 2018 Gold Coast National Mare Sale. Time Awaits had been trained throughout a ten start career by Tony McEvoy, recording three wins and two seconds for a none too shabby $278,000 for owners Pipeliner Bloodstock Pty Ltd. She won an open 2YO event in October 2016, the listed Cinderella Stakes in March 2017 and the Gr 3 Sires Produce Stakes a few weeks later - all three wins were at Morphettville. The two second placings recorded by Time Awaits were at Gr 3 level. “Two wins and two seconds at stakes level appealed, and so did the fact that she was by Nicconi who was quickly making a name for himself,” said John.
In selecting Time Await’s initial stud partner John plumped for Hellbent, Yarraman Park’s potential heir apparent to his own famous sire I Am Invincible. Hellbent raced consistently through a twenty three start career which yielded seven wins and nine placings for a healthy $901,000. Yarraman Park principals Arthur and Harry Mitchell had always liked the colt as a type, and were impressed with his second in the 2017 William Reid Stakes and his third placing in Russian Revolution’s Oakleigh Plate. His gutsy win in the 2018 William Reid Stakes convinced the Mitchells that this was the horse to follow in the footsteps of his celebrated dad. John Muir was one of several discerning breeders to snap up a share in the young stallion.
When it was time for the Milburn Creek Stud founder to send his Hellbent/Time Awaits filly to a trainer, he didn’t hesitate to seek the services of the astute Grahame Begg who was getting ready to relocate from Caulfield to Cranbourne at the time. That decision was based on an association formed with the trainer fourteen years ago under unlikely circumstances. The story began when John attended the 2008 Inglis Weanling Sale with the intention of purchasing a suitable filly for resale the following year. Acting on the recommendation of bloodstock consultant John Freyer, he outlayed $38,000 for a chestnut filly by Dubawi who wasn’t the internationally respected stallion he is today.
John “pinhooked” his filly at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in 2009, and by his own admission would have been happy to clear expenses. “I finished up passing her in, and while I was contemplating my next move along came Grahame Begg to ask what I intended to do with the filly,” said John. When I told him I intended to race her myself, he expressed great interest in being considered as the likely trainer. The rest as they say is history.”
John Muir was a guest on Sky's Inside Racing programme soon after Secret Admirer won the Epsom in 2011.
Named Secret Admirer by John and his family, the Dubawi filly won her maiden at Canterbury in September of 2010, and just three weeks later produced a booming finish to win the Gr 1 Flight Stakes. A little over a year later she produced a similar finish to beat subsequent Cox Plate winner Pinker Pinker in the historic Epsom at Randwick. She never won another race, but recorded a further eight placings in Group 1 company. Secret Admirer retired with a record of 28 starts for 3 wins,15 placings and $1.4 million in prize money.
On the breeding front Secret Admirer is already the dam of Danawi whose three wins include the Gr 3 Ming Dynasty Quality defeating the top filly Mizzy. He was also runner up in a Gr 3 Up And Coming Stakes. Another of her foals Townsend scored a gutsy maiden win at a recent Wyong Saturday meeting for Waterhouse/Bott. One of the part owners is media icon Alan Jones who was given the task of naming the Dundeel colt.
Alan’s broad knowledge of history led him to the conclusion that Townsend would be an appropriate name for a colt out of Secret Admirer. He was of course alluding to the legendary 1950’s romance between Group Captain Peter Townsend and the Queen’s sister HRH Princess Margaret. In the beginning the former flying ace could be nothing more than a secret admirer. In later years the relationship would capture headlines all over the world. Connections of the equine Townsend are hoping he can generate a few headlines of his own. A half sister to Danawi and Townsend by The Autumn Sun went under the hammer on Day 2 of the Inglis Easter Sale (April 4th) and was knocked down to Pilkington Bloodstock for $280,000. The filly bears a definite resemblance to her dual Gr 1 winning dam.
Secret Admirer (Brenton Avdulla) stormed home to win a 2011 Epsom. She produced a similar finish to win the Flight Stakes the previous year - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Magic Time’s spectacular Gr 3 win on Saturday obviously spotlighted her Dundeel half brother who had the Lot 416 sticker attached to his rump when he strutted onto the Riverside stage on Tuesday. He made $300,000 and was knocked down to Freedman Racing/Julian Blaxland. He’ll follow in the footsteps of his half sister by beginning his racing career in Victoria.
Grahame Begg reports that Magic Time came out of the P.J. Bell in great order. So well in fact that she will almost certainly back up in a fortnight’s time in the $200,000 Gr 3 James Carr Stakes (1400m). She looked every inch an emerging stakes filly when she won a Pakenham Synthetic maiden by a widening 5 lengths last October, and followed with a determined win in the 1400m listed Amanda Elliott on the final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival. She was spelled immediately. Grahame Begg’s achievement in launching her for a Gr 3 victory almost five months later, consolidates his reputation as a very gifted trainer.
John and Trish Muir with Sue Begg minutes after Secret Admirer's brilliant Epsom win - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
As the son of pioneer Holden dealer Les Muir, John predictably established a career in the motor trade - a long and distinguished career which terminated in 2018 when the landmark Muirs Motors Dealership at Ashfield was sold to make way for Stage 3 of the Westconnex development. Now in his 50th year as a commercial breeder, seventy eight year old John Muir runs Milburn Creek Thoroughbred Stud at Wildes Meadow near Bowral on the Southern Highlands. His reputation as a breeder and presenter of yearlings is second to none. He’s an old world gentleman who never fails to express his thanks for the smallest of favours. With ordinary luck he’ll be expressing appreciation for future trophies won by the mare who did herself a huge favour when she looked him straight in the eye at the Gold Coast Sale.
(Banner image - Jordan Childs pumps the air as he returns to scale on Magic Time after the PJ Bell - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)