Big-spending American racehorse owner John Stewart is coming to the Magic Millions and he plans on making his trip to Gold Coast more than just a holiday with plans to ramp up his investment in Australian racing.
Hours after watching his $3.2 million Inglis Chairman’s Sale purchase Tutta La Vita finish a gallant second at Gulfstream Park at her first start in North America - dramatically, the race was abandoned by stewards because of a fall - relative industry newcomer Stewart confirmed he and his girlfriend Chelsey Stone would be making their maiden appearance at Magic Millions.
The pair will break up their travel by spending time in Tahiti, but they will arrive on the Glitter Strip in time for the first of six selling sessions of Magic Millions, which starts on January 7.
Resolute Racing’s Stewart, the founder of investment fund MiddleGround Capital, has been “intensely” going through the 1401-lot catalogue to identify a short list of yearlings to add to his rapidly growing global bloodstock venture.
Stewart spent $5.44 million on six yearlings at the Inglis Easter sale in April, his first foray into the Australian market, and he has placed them with leading trainers Chris Waller, Ciaron Maher and Bjorn Baker.
He is arguably better known for being the under bidder at $9 million in the record-breaking Pierro filly out of champion mare Winx who was bought by co-breeder Debbie Kepitis for $10 million at the same Easter sale.
“There's a number of really accomplished mares that have horses in there (Magic Millions catalogue),” Stewart told The Straight about his impending trip to Australia.
“There's half and full-sisters to some amazing horses and full-brothers to some amazing horses in Australia, including Imperatriz who we weren't able to purchase earlier this year who we really liked.
“And so those (pedigrees) are going to be some of the targets that I'll be looking at.”
Resolute Racing’s highest-priced Australian purchase to date, the three-time Group 1-placed filly Tutta La Vita, pleased Stewart with her introduction to American racing in Florida on Sunday morning (Australian time).
Tutta La Vita a terrific second from an impossible position at her American debut at Gulfstream - but the race was declared void after a safety siren blared mid-contest.
— Andrew Hawkins (@AndrewNJHawkins) December 28, 2024
She'll win some nice races in the US though, that's for sure. pic.twitter.com/HdwirpjkUK
Ridden by prominent US jockey Irad Ortiz Tutta La Vita was slowly away in 1600m turf “no race” but she ran home strongly on the Gulfstream circuit, convincing Stewart and new trainer Ignacio Correas to target a Grade 2 race at the Pegasus World Cup meeting at the same US track on January 25.
“He (Correas) hadn't breezed her or anything yet, but she definitely showed the speed when she was closing, and so I was really happy with the effort, even though the race ended up being cancelled because a jockey had a spill,” Stewart said.
“It ended up being like a test run for her, which was good. So we were definitely happy with the effort, and we're going to point towards an undercard stakes at a mile and an eighth on Pegasus Day.”
Aushorse Investor’s Guide 2025
- More Races worth $1 million+ than Europe & America combined
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The US$1m Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf will be run over 1800m, Tutta La Vita’s most likely next start, while there is also a Grade 2 Pegasus F&M Turf on the same card.
The long-range plan for Tutta La Vita is to get her to next year’s Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar in California in November.
Stewart’s relentless spending on horses across both hemispheres was evident in December when he bought five lots at the Tattersalls December Mares’ Sale, including Group 1-winning two-year-old filly Vertical Blue for 3.2 million guineas (A$6.8 million) and Group 3 winners Village Voice and A Lilac Rolla for 1.3 million guineas (A$2.76 million) and 1 million guineas (A$2.12 million) respectively. He was also active at the following week’s Arqana mares’ sale in Deauville, France.
Stewart’s six Inglis Easter-purchased two-year-olds remain unraced, with four of them - Lady Cowan (I Am Invincible-Faith In Hand filly) (Maher), Lord Snow (Dundeel-Game Of Thorns colt) (Baker), Pink Vegas (Lope De Vega-Pink Vegas filly) and Bossy Shiela (Street Boss-This Time Bridie filly) (Maher) - so far named.
The Wootton Bassett-Tulip colt and I Am Invincible-Booker filly, who are both being trained by Waller, are yet to be named.
Stewart also has a share in the Group 2-winning and Group 1-placed colt Storm Boy, a son of Justify who was recently sent into the care of trainer Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle in Ireland after racing ten times for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott as a two- and early three-year-old.
