Stanbridge dreams of Magic Millions return

By Glenn Davis

The buzz of saddling another Magic Millions Classic runner has Beaudesert trainer Donna Stanbridge excited and daring to dream again.

Stanbridge has nominated three fillies for Saturday’s QTIS Two-Year-Old Plate at Doomben in the hope of earning early prizemoney towards qualification for the $3 million Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast in January.

Debutante Dip With The Hip and Mishani Kimitsu will take their places in the 1000 metre race, but Stanbridge is yet to decide if Better Be Done will join them.

A mother of three, Stanbridge has been training for the Mishani man Mike Crooks for two years after taking over from former Eagle Farm trainer Les Ross.

Ross had trained for Crooks for many years and shared in many memorable wins, most notably in QTIS races, earning him the tag as the “King of QTIS” before retiring in 2024.

Crooks then handed the training duties to Stanbridge, who had worked for him for four years at his Gleneagle training farm, just outside Beaudesert.

Stanbridge had her only taste of saddling a Magic Millions Classic runner when Secret Sort finished seventh to the Bjorn Baker-trained O’ Ole in the 2025 edition at the Gold Coast.

“It was exciting to have my first starter in the Magic Millions Classic, but he got held up in the straight and it was a really good run,” Stanbridge said.

“I had two other two-year-olds that made the cut that year, but they weren’t ready for a big race like that.”

Stanbridge is leaning towards her $100,000 purchase, Dip With The Hip, as her best hope in the 1050 metre Two-Year-Old Plate.

“I like Dip With The Hip as I chose her at the Magic Millions sales,” Stanbridge said.

“She’s having her first start, but she ran second in a barrier trial behind Kelly Schweida’s Venus Invicta, which won well at Eagle Farm on debut.

“She’s coming along nicely and she likes to race forward.”

Stanbridge is also hopeful of a strong performance from Mishani Kimitsu, who was beaten less than four lengths when finishing fourth behind Venus Invicta.

“She ran a nice fourth, but she got well back and was held up for a run late,” Stanbridge said.

“She’s the opposite to Dip With The Hip, who goes forward, but she’s not eligible for the Magic Millions.”

Better Be Done finished second on debut, also behind Venus Invicta.

“She’s a nice filly and ran a really good race at her first start, but she’s big and very immature,” Stanbridge said.

“She was a bit slow to get going, so I’ll have a talk to Mike before deciding whether she runs.”

Stanbridge is happy with her progress since taking over from Ross.

“I don’t look at strike rates or anything like that, but things are going well,” she said.

“I’ve done two full seasons for Mike and I’m now into my third year.”