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Rockhampton Yearling Sale product salutes in Macau

5 January 2021

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By Tony McMahon

Rockhampton’s Capricornia Yearling Sale has produced another international winner, enhancing its excellent reputation as a source of winners.

The triumph came at the Macau Jockey Club’s race meeting last Saturday thanks to the former Clinton Taylor-trained three-year-old Beach Road.

Now racing in Macau as Famous Medal where he is trained by Pat Lee, the Benfica gelding scored an impressive win in his international race debut last Saturday over 1200 metres.

The official MJC results sheet listed the stakes won by Famous Medal as $168,150 (Macanese Pataca) which converts to $27,307 Australian.

The Beach Road - or Famous Medal - story commenced on October 9, 2017 when the Benfica-Glisten x Chateau Istana colt was foaled.

He found his way to the Robert Schwarten Pavilion at the Rockhampton Showgrounds under the Aquis Farm banner when offered for sale there as Lot 39 at the Sale on April 14, 2019.

There, the colt caught the astute eye of trainer Clinton Taylor who at the time was just starting to establish a stable in Rockhampton not long having moved from the countryside in south-east Queensland.

While the bay colt’s sire Benfica - a son of Lonhro - had been a Group 1-winning racehorse via the TJ Smith Stakes, his mother Glisten had a very moderate record, going around predominantly on country tracks.

After claiming a Townsville Maiden early in her 15-start career, she had failed to fire a shot at tracks including Hughenden and Mt Isa.

The Benfica colt was her first offspring, so little wonder Taylor got the yearling for just $4000, and never in his wildest dreams would be believe the subsequent storyline that was to unfold.

“He always showed me something in training; he won a barrier trial well at Yeppoon not long before his race debut,” Taylor said.

“I liked him and told those who asked that he was smart and could gallop.”

Taylor’s judgement was vindicated when on debut at Callaghan Park - in a $32,000 QTIS 2YO Maiden on July 7 last year - Beach Road won in the fashion of a very talented horse.

“I was contacted by David Chester from Magic Millions seeking to buy him for an oversees client,” Taylor said.

“The money - $50,000 - was so tempting that my wife Erin and the other owner decided to sell him.”

He admitted last Saturday when the race was run in Macau they were watching on the internet and were cheering throughout for Beach Road (Famous Medal) to win.

“We were really thrilled and it really is a big push for the Capricornia Yearling Sales and Rockhampton racing,” Taylor said.

“For sure a lot more notice will come from Macau on Rockhampton racing now.”

Clinton is a great believer in the worth of the Yearling Sale from where he has also purchased subsequent winners including Montana Night.

Year in and year out Rockhampton’s Capricornia Yearling Sales have produced some outstanding horses - including Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap winner River Lad.

The most noteworthy graduate to race overseas was Cash Dash, purchased at the 2015 rendition for $50,000 before being sold to Hong Kong interests for $500,000.

Who knows what surprise packages there will be among the 2021 CYS catalogue, set for the Rockhampton Showgrounds on Sunday, April 11, 2021.

One thing is for certain though, there will be a myriad of winners!