Cowboy travels anywhere... anytime

Originally based at Miles on the western Darling Downs, the Johnson family moved their training base with an initial team of 30 horses to Bouldercombe near Rockhampton in central Queensland in late 2019 to provide easier access to provincial TAB and country race meetings in north, central and south Queensland.

Indeed, in the past five weeks from May 30 to July 4, the Johnsons have started horses at Rockhampton, Emerald, Yeppoon, Charters Towers, Home Hill, Mackay, Townsville, Longreach, Barcaldine, Bundaberg, Roma and Charleville.

Undoubted stable star has been rising 9YO gelding Fab's Cowboy - winner of his last two starts at Roma and Bundaberg - who has now raced 86 times over five seasons for 37 wins and 17 placings. During this time he's won at 13 of the 32 tracks he's attended travelling as far north to the 2016 Cairns Amateurs and as far south to Birdsville in 2019 - almost 1200km (1682km by road) apart. His affinity for sand tracks is shown with nine wins at Roma, seven at Charleville and six at Gladstone. In addition, there have been 34 jockeys used with 15 gaining success including Adin Thompson (eight), Dakota Graham (seven) and Minonette Kennedy (seven).

While winning success has eluded him, Fab's Cowboy has the unique distinction of being allocated top weight in 2018 for both Racing Queensland's inaugural flagship country racing series finals - the Battle of the Bush and Country Cups - and again for both finals in 2019.

IT doesn't rain often at Mount Isa in north-west Queensland - annual average rainfall around 424mm. However 6YO gelding Tango Rain trained by Jay Morris has more than compensated with five consecutive wins at Mount Isa since April 11 - all ridden by Dan Ballard.

By Manhattan Rain - a Group 1 winning half-brother to champion sire Redoute's Choice - from the winning Anabaa (USA) mare Tango Fire, Tango Rain was bred and originally raced by Teeley Assets (also breeders of Redoute's Choice and Manhattan Rain). Placed with Rosehill trainer Gerald Ryan, Tango Rain showed early potential with two wins from two starts as a late 2YO and then followed up immediately at his next start by running second to Star Turn in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes at Rosehill.

All up, Tango Rain started 24 times for Ryan as a 2,3 4 and 5YO for three wins and seven placings before he was on-sold privately in August last year by Teeley Assets to prominent Mount Isa owner Andrew Saunders who placed him with trainer Jay Morris. Andrew's father is long-term bookmaker Graeme Saunders while his mother, Lenore, previously owned 2015 Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Le Chef trained by Sunshine Coast trainer Darryl Hansen.

Beginning with a third in a Class 3 race at last year's Birdsville races, Tango Rain then won consecutive races at Richmond and Cloncurry. After a four months spell, he was then sent south to Darryl Hansen for two unplaced runs in Brisbane before returning to Mount Isa to begin his five-race winning streak. "We brought him back to Mount Isa with this year's Battle of the Bush series in mind however Racing Queensland scrapped it because of the COVID-19 restrictions," Andrew Saunders said.

Although Tango Rain is Group 3 placed, his half-sister Tango's Daughter (Redoute's Choice) was even more accomplished winning the Group 2 Queen of the South Stakes in Adelaide. Tango's Daughter was sold as a maiden mare by Arrowfield (as agent) at the 2015 Inglis broodmare and weanling sale for $325,000. Alas, she died in November 2015 having been served by Deep Field in late September.

Her dam Tango Fire was sold a year earlier at the 2014 Teeley dispersal sale at the Gold Coast for $120,000 to Vinery and is currently in foal to More Than Ready (USA).

JAMI Lady - a first crop daughter of Group 1 winning sire Spirit Of Boom - has become his 12th stakes winner when winning the 1200m Listed Bright Shadow Quality for fillies and mares at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

A 4YO mare, Jami Lady is from the Easy Rocking mare Bevico Girl who won four races for Brisbane insolvency dealers Michael and Janice Paris who amassed $155,000 in earnings - a big step-up from their initial outlay of $18,000 when she was sold as a yearling by Wattle Brae stud. When it came to retirement from racing, they then decided debut sire Spirit Of Boom should be her first mating. The resultant foal was Jami Lady born and reared at Tamara and Kerry Rickerts' Roona Lodge, Warwick. Subsequently offered through Roona Lodge at the 2017 Magic Millions March yearling sale, Jami Lady was passed in at $45,000 with a $60,000 reserve and then sent to Eagle Farm trainer Steven O'Dea.

Unraced as a 2YO, Jami Lady had 13 starts as a 3YO winning three times including her first two starts while her six placings included running second in the Listed Mode Stakes at Doomben to another Spirit Of Boom filly Outback Barbie. Her six starts as a 4YO have resulted in a further four wins culminating in the Listed Bright Shadow Quality. All up, her total earnings have now reached $455,550 which includes $64,700 in QTIS bonuses - more than $400,000 ahead of her passed-in price of $45,000.

Still residing at Roona Lodge, Bevico Girl's next foal was a Statue of Liberty (USA) filly named Little River sold for $80,000 at last year's Magic Millions March yearling sale to Proven Thoroughbreds and Jami Lady's trainer Steven O'Dea. She now has a weanling filly by Pride of Dubai but has just slipped a foal by Sidestep - sire of last year's Golden Slipper winner Kiamichi.

MAGIC Millions has announced the online catalogues for its National Broodmare, Weanling and Yearling sales are now available at www.magicmillions.com.au

The broodmare auction begins on Monday, July 20 with Day One of the National Broodmare Sale featuring a line-up of 147 race fillies and maiden mares including champion sprinter Sunlight, Australian Oaks heroine Unforgotten and Group 1 star Invincibella. The National Broodmare Sale - which follows on July 21 and 22 - will present its youngest catalogue ever with more than 54 per cent either a maiden mare or at first cover.

Several outstanding supplementary lots - the majority from Aquis Farm - have also been received for the broodmare sale and are now online. Likely to attract international attention is Japanese-bred Or Fin. A young Stay Gold mare, she is a full-sister to Japanese Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year Orfevre, and their younger multiple Group 1-winning sibling and Champion 2YO of Japan, Dream Journey. Better still, Or Fin is in-foal to Japan's Horse of the Year and Champion Sprinter Lord Kanaloa, sire of 2020 Group1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Tagaloa.

Another feature supplementary lot will be dual Group 3 winner Teleplay. A member of the Dynamic Syndications team, Teleplay proved to be one of the finest sprinting mares of last year's Melbourne Spring Carnival with back to back Group 3 wins at Flemington and Sandown. A daughter of leading sire Written Tycoon, Teleplay boasts five wins and earnings of more than $440,000 while her dam Special Episode, a Redoute's Choice daughter of dual Adelaide Group 1 winner Episode, is a winning half- sister to Group 1 Flight Stakes winning filly First Seal.

THE National Weanling Sale - comprising 309 lots to be sold on July 23 and 24 - has been a premier source of pin-hook success stories and racetrack stars alike.

Recent Australian Derby winner Quick Thinker is the latest Group 1 winner to emerge from the sale. Some 19 exciting young stallions will be represented by members of their first crop at the sale.

"We must thank our vendors for their faith and patience over the last few months. We have an outstanding line up of stock to offer the market. Whether it be maiden mares, mares in foal, weanlings and yearlings, all catalogues provide opportunity and quality," Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said.

YEARLINGS by some of the world's most successful sires will converge on the Gold Coast on July 27 and 28 taking their place in a quality catalogue for the 2020 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale.

The 447 lot catalogue, providing the last opportunity to buy a yearling eligible to be paid up for the $12.69 million Magic Millions Race Series, is now online.

The list of represented sires reads like a who's who of world breeding - Galileo, Redoute's Choice, I Am Invincible, Fastnet Rock, Snitzel, Savabeel, Not a Single Doubt, Written Tycoon, Siyouni, Zoustar and Pierro. Also represented are young stallions like American Pharoah, Capitalist, Dundeel, Deep Field, Spill the Beans, Vancouver, Rubick and former sale graduate Tarzino.

The National Yearling Sale is a proven source for trainers and owners as well as 2YO sale pin-hookers. Last year's Gold Coast 2YOs in Training Sale topper - a No Nay Never colt from El Shahar at $525,000 - was bought for $90,000 at the equivalent sale 12 months ago.

"This sale has produced stars all around the world. The highest rated horses to have ever raced in Singapore, a New Zealand Horse of the Year and winners of races like the Golden Slipper, Australian Oaks and Victoria Derby have all been bought from the National Yearling Sale," Bowditch said.