Magic Millions winner Karuta Queen looks certain to be retired and will be sent to the National Broodmare sale in May.

Karuta Queen

Magic Millions winner Karuta Queen is set to be retired from racing - photo (c) Taron Clarke

Karuta Queen’s owners will put her through the Magic Millions sale but if she fails to reach her reserve will be sent back to trainer Neville Layt to be prepared for the Spring.

“She is going to go to the sales but if she’s not sold she’ll come back into work with me,” Layt said.

“That’s what the owners want to do with her at the moment.”

“If she gets the price they want then she’s probably had her swansong.”

Karuta Queen, a winner of over $1.7m in prize money, hit the headlines when she went into the 2011 $2m Magic Millions 2yo Classic at the Gold Coast undefeated and came away with the major prize.

She then went onto win the Listed $100,000 Schweppes Heritage Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on September 17 and the Group 3 $150,000 1300 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on October 11.

Possibly one of her most memorable days, besides the Magic Millions win, was when she ran second to the mighty mare Black Caviar in the Group 2 $200,000 Schweppes Schillaci Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on October 8 last year.

Things started to go wrong at the start of her current campaign when Layt took her to Melbourne after a Warwick Farm meeting was washed out and started her in the Group 3 $125,000 Schweppes Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on February 11, finishing fourth.

Barrier rogue Here De Angels was drawn along of Karuta Queen and played up badly in the stalls spooking her, causing her to miss the start and from that point on she has been struggling to regain her old form.

She has failed to produce anywhere near her best in two runs in Sydney, the latest when a struggling ninth to Title in the Listed $100,000 Bacardi Together Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on March 24.

“What happened in the Rubiton with the other horse playing up beside her made her wary and quite timid which she has never been in her life,” Layt said.

“Things just went haywire.”

Jockey Tommy Berry will certainly miss the speedy filly after having been associated with her all through her career.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.