The stage is now set for the brave mare Stefi Magnetica to take her place amongst the best sprinters in the land in Saturday’s $20 million Group 1 The TAB Everest (1200m). It’s been an incredible journey so far, and with any luck, there’s more to come!
It’s hard to believe how far Stefi has come since I first laid eyes on her at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January 2022. When we purchased Stefi for $140,000, I felt we had found something nice to work with as I marked her as being a “neat but very nice” filly.
To go with her physique, she had a pedigree that promised potential; her sire, All Too Hard, had produced Group 1 winners in Alligator Blood, Behemoth and Forbidden Love, and she was out of the talented Mid Summer Music, a Group 1 winner of the Stradbroke Handicap herself. She had the pedigree to be a lovely broodmare which could only be enhanced by her performance on the racetrack.
Her early days were filled with promise, with Bjorn Baker saddling her up in the Magic Millions Debut where she ran a game fifth. She was sparingly raced in her juvenile season allowing her time to mature and she began to find her feet and develop her racing skills with victories out in the country circuit at Wellington and Orange - each race bringing her closer to realising her potential.
Stefi’s victory in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap this past June was a monumental moment—not just for me, but for all of us who believed in her. To win Queensland’s premier race was a dream come true, and to achieve it with the Cunningham family and Bjorn Baker made it all the more special. It’s incredible to think that this journey has now led us to compete in The Everest, the world's richest race on turf.
The barrier draw earlier this week was favourable to Stefi who will start from gate six. It should give her every chance to perform at her peak on Saturday. As we prepare for this exciting race, I reflect on how far she’s come—from the sale ring to the bush, to Group 1 glory and now to arguably the world's most elite sprint race.
I wish all of the team behind her the best of luck this weekend, with it being an achievement in its own right to have a horse good enough to even compete in The Everest. I hope to share more thrilling news as we strive for glory on Saturday at Royal Randwick.
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