2014 Magic Millions Classic winner Unencumbered has joined the growing list of entires that have been retired this season and will stand at Three Bridges Thoroughbreds for the upcoming breeding season.
Unencumbered has been retired to stand at stud in Victoria after being purchased by Three Bridges Thoroughbreds. Photo by: Daniel Costello
TVN revealed on their Thoroughbreds program last night that Unencumbered had been sold to Three Bridges Stud in Victoria and founder Peter Liston confirmed that the son of Testa Rossa would be immediately retired after having ten race starts as a juvenile.
Unencumbered made his racing debut with a win in the Sharp Plate (1000m) at Royal Randwick on October 12 last year and after finishing third in the Men Of League Plate (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on October 26 took out the Ascend Sale Trophies Plate (1000m), Wyong Magic Millions Classic (1100m) and Group 3 B.J. McLachlan Stakes (1200m) to stamp himself as a clear favourite for the Magic Millions Classic.
The two-year-old was well-backed in the lead-up to the Magic Millions Classic and justified the betting support to record a comfortable win and give trainer Bjorn Baker and jockey Nathan Berry the biggest wins of their careers.
Unencumbered did not score another race win when he returned to the races for a Golden Slipper campaign, highlighted by a second place finish in the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22, but Liston believes that the Magic Millions Classic victory is enough for the two-year-old to draw a quality book of broodmares at the reasonable fee of $13,200.
“We are delighted to have secured him and are happy retire him now as we believe he’s done enough and in winning the Magic Millions has put himself in some very good company as few colts have won it,” Liston said on TVN.
“It’s become a sire making race and even colts that were placed in it such as Snitzel and Not a Single Doubt have proven very successful at stud.
“We’re not Coolmore or Darley with big broodmare bands to make a stallion, so we need the support of individual broodmare owners.
“We found lifetime breeding rights very successful with our other young sire Stryker in securing ongoing support for him, so will be going down that path again with Unencumbered.”
Unencumbered finished his racing career with five wins and two placings from ten race starts and total prizemoney over $1.8 million after being purchased for just $70,000 at the 2013 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
