Racing: Military Rose has all guns firing

GOLD COAST - Million-dollar baby Military Rose will be given the chance to chase Golden Slipper history after fulfilling trainer Gillian Heinrich's dream of winning the Magic Millions Classic on the Gold Coast on Saturday.

The daughter of General Nediym, who cost A$155,000 ($193,580) when bought by Heinrich's husband, Hoss, as a yearling, streaked home by 3 lengths from Sydney filly Ambers Waltz in the A$2 million feature.

Brisbane filly Demanding Miss was a neck away third.

Military Rose, who remains unbeaten after four starts and has now earned more than A$1.3 million, clocked 1:10.27 for the 1200m sprint, well outside Clan O'Sullivan's race record of 1:08.46.

Heinrich, who was showing signs of nerves before the race, rated the victory as the best of her career, as did winning jockey Stathi Katsidis.

"This is sensational. Just to get a horse in the race is fantastic but to win it is unbelievable," Heinrich said.

"When she was still in front 200m out I really started to get excited."

Heinrich has been training for almost 20 years and declared before the race that a Magic Millions victory was what she wanted before a group one.

"It's hard to get a horse into this race. Normally trainers have to battle with shin-soreness with their 2-year-olds, but she's kept whacking up for the last four starts."

Military Rose's win also was a triumph for General Nediym, who won the race in 1997 and was the only race winner to sire a Magic Millions winner previously when Regimental Gal was successful in 2003.

Heinrich now plans to give Military Rose a break before aiming her at the A$3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) in April.

"She's in the race and so long as she pulls up well she'll be going down," Heinrich said.

Katsidis showed why he is leading the national jockeys' premiership since making his riding comeback in July last year.

"I've ridden about 87 winners this season and I rate this win as one of the best," Katsidis said.

Trainer John O'Shea offered no excuses and was proud of the performance from runner-up Ambers Waltz, who was well back on the home turn.

"She beat everything bar the winner and it was a great effort," O'Shea said.

Ambers Waltz's rider, Corey Brown, was confident of winning on the home turn but was surprised with the winner's sustained speed.

"Everything went perfect but I thought the winner had to come back to us but she kept going," Brown said. Rookie trainer David Pfieffer savoured the biggest win of his fledgling career when Graceful Anna won an action-packed A$1 million ($1.25 million) Magic Millions Trophy.

Pfieffer has been training in his own right for 15 months and scored his first black-type win when Graceful Anna won the group three Vo Rogue Plate at Doomben on Boxing Day.

For Pfieffer, Graceful Anna's victory brought back a flood of memories of his mentor Tony Wildman and he immediately paid tribute to the late trainer.

"He's up there looking down on me. I just know he is," Pfieffer said.

"I did a long apprenticeship with Tony - 15 years to be exact - but this makes it all worthwhile."

- AAP