miRunners owners got a glimpse into the excitement and access of raceday this week as they accompanied Saganaki as the gelding made his return to the track: an impressive run in a Gosford trial.
As the sun rose on Tuesday the 10th of April with the Gosford Entertainment grounds glistening from the morning rain, miRunners owners gathered together to watch the long-awaited return of their horse, Saganaki.
NOTE: Saganaki is trialing again on Tuesday 24 April in Newcastle at 9:20am. Click here to follow.
Whilst not his first rodeo: in fact he it would be his third trial since being purchased at the 2017 Gold Coast Magic Millons for $165,000, there were still nerves surrounding the Saganaki camp as this was the horse’s return after a decent spell.
All involved from trainer Kris Lees to jockey Aaron Bullock was looking forward to seeing how he went.
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The best thing about miRunners is that you get the full ownership experience for only a fraction of the price. For example, Saganaki owners bought into the horse at only $165 a unit (plus $15 a month to cover training and extras).
Before Saganaki’s heat, the miRunners owners had the opportunity to not only meet one another – some for the first time – but to head to the holding pens and say hello to their beloved horse and wish him all the best before his heat at 10:18am.
Looking nothing less than an imposing figure in his batman-esque blinkers, Saganaki was looking relaxed and lived up to his billing as an ever-playful horse as his owners had the opportunity to take some pictures alongside him.
As with all miRunners events, the backstage access the owners had on the day was second to none. Following the opportunity to see their gelding get dressed before the heat, they were able to take in his warm up and then converse with Saganaki’s stable hand to chat about the horse’s progress.
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With Heat 10 fast approaching, the owners were blown away when jockey Aaron Bullock mounted the colt wearing the new, miRunners racing silks: a wonderful surprise that no-one was expecting! First time being work, they were an impressive sight indeed and with that, Saganaki was led onto the track.
The owners went to settle into the owners’ pavilion, eager to see their boy perform in his trial.
Slow out of the gates, Saganaki had some ground to cover early on but that did not throw Aaron Bullock as he picked up a lot of ground around the bend in what shaped out to be an extremely encouraging performance.
Up against million dollar colt, King, Saganaki ran an impressive third place without really being pushed.
Working the line well, Saganaki held a tight curve in the first two-thirds of the race after his slow start, making up time and covering the ground well. As it straightened out, Saganaki was on a very loose reign and was able to go for it and work on with the leaders with Aaron easing up towards the end.
With excitement, the owners gathered around the jockey as he expressed his satisfaction with the run: barely able to hold back his encouragement.
“Saganaki is going to be a great mile horse, he was lovely and relaxed the whole way,” explained Aaron.
Touted as being a potential sprinter, this firsthand news came as quite a surprise to owners: showing both how important trials are in really finding the strengths of the thoroughbreds involved while also showing how you are first to get the inside information as a miRunners owner.
With their final goodbyes to Saganaki, the owners called it a day at the Gosford Entertainment Grounds. The word from Kris Lees is that Saganaki will look to trial once more in two weeks’ time before looking to get him into his first race.
While Saganaki’s journey is very exciting for his owners, you can also feel the excitement of premium thoroughbred ownership. Saganaki is sold out but there are four very good horses currently for sale with some of Australia’s best trainers.
All bought for $275,000 at the 2018 Gold Coast Magic Millions, you can choose a horse with Gai Waterhouse / Adrian Bott, David Hayes, Bjorn Baker or Tony Gollan for only $275 per unit.
Monthly fees are $15 for you first unit and $5 for any additional units. This covers training, insurance, vet fees, admin, legal, regular nominations etc. Literally everything except for major nominations such as the Melbourne Cup.
To view the horses and trainers head to Our Stable page or click below to purchase.
