A sea change for bloodstock agent Shane McGrath and his friendship with Victorian trainer Clinton McDonald has sparked a rewarding association with a growing track record of success in the highly competitive world of bloodstock and racing. Irish born McGrath came to Australia in 1997 and has worked for some of our leading farms including Coolmore and the old Eliza Park before a fruitful stint in management at Aquis during a period in which they enjoyed much success. Outstanding gallopers such as Golden Slipper winner Farnan, Mounga, Anders, Prague, Bruckner, Dubious, Global Quest and Ellsberg were all bought during that time under the watch of Shane McGrath. &ldquo;We bought some terrific horses and it was a very successful period, but time moves on and I made the decision to go off and do my own thing and have relocated with my family to Lennox Head, swapping the summer heat of Scone for a coastal lifestyle that suits my family better,&rdquo; said McGrath. Since striking out on his own, McGrath has forged a great working relationship with Clinton McDonald, a third generation horse trainer that has had his share of stakes success through horses such as Regal Roller, Angel Capital, Second Effort and Mugen, who was a very successful trade horse to Hong Kong where he is a Group winning sprinter after winning a maiden for McDonald by four lengths at Moonee Valley. Neither McGrath or McDonald are natural self-promoters, preferring to quietly go about their respective businesses to the benefit of their clients, however a recent run of success has put the pair in the spotlight. &ldquo;Star Patrol was one of the early success stories and of course Hayasugi was a game changer last season,&rdquo; said McGrath, who was involved in her purchase along with James Bester as a weanling for $47,500 on behalf of Cara Mok, Annette Ma and his wife Julie. &ldquo;She won the Blue Diamond and has earned over $1.7million, so just a fantastic result and we also had another good 2YO in Stanley Express, who won the $1million Showdown on debut.&rdquo; In recent weeks, Clinton McDonald has produced a trio of ultra promising three year-olds all sourced with input from Shane McGrath in Jasmin Rouge, winner of the Group III MRC Thoroughbred Club Stakes, Vestas, second in the Group III VRC Red Roses Stakes and Refusetobeenglish (NZ), who bolted in on debut at the big Cranbourne standalone meeting. "I just love training and being with the horses,&rdquo; said Clinton McDonald. "I don&rsquo;t want a big stable as I am very much hands on, prefer a phone call to a text and forget an email! Shane and I have been friends for 20 years, we both know our strengths and we compliment each other. &ldquo;I love when we are looking at horses together because he doesn&rsquo;t overcomplicate the process. He has brought several new owners into the stable and we are working really hard to ensure the quality is up and my core group of owners are all part of the journey." None of the trio were expensive with Refusetobeenglish sourced from the NZB Ready to Run Sale for $120,000, Vestas from Inglis Premier for $140,000 and Jasmin Rouge for just $70,000 at Inglis Premier. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re looking for value and we&rsquo;re looking for athletes and we are also open to trading horses we purchase through the ready to run sales and that has proven to be a profitable exercise this year with the youngsters we sold educated through the McDonald training system,&rdquo; McGrath revealed. A colt by Toronado (IRE) from Pussycat Dream (GB) was sourced from Magic Millions for $90,000 and sold at Inglis Ready 2 Race for $500,000, while a Deep Field colt from Sheer Pleasure (USA) was bought from Inglis Easter for $260,000 and sold at Inglis Ready 2 Race for $750,000. The New Zealand Ready to Run Sale also delivered further success with a Snitzel colt from Hard As sourced for $60,000 at Magic Millions selling for $480,000 at Karaka and even better was a Toronado (IRE) colt from Attractive that was plucked from Inglis Premier for $97,500 and sold in New Zealand for $625,000. McGrath and McDonald were strong at the 2024 yearling sales and have a promising new group of babies in the stable, but are already planning ahead for next year. &ldquo;We are always happy to work with new investors and have a realistic view of where we can find value to suit the individual, whether that be high end colts, quality fillies, trade prospects or a mix of all three,&rdquo; said McGrath. &ldquo;Spreading risk is a key strategy and having the services of an outstanding horseman such as Clinton McDonald has streamlined the whole process from sale ring to racetrack.&rdquo; For more information contact Shane McGrath on 0407 126 056
by Tara Madgwick - Wednesday December 4

TrainerID 6553

Just Rewards for Quiet Achievers

Clinton McDonald

Three-year-old colt Angel Capital stamped himself as a Group 1 contender with his victory in the Listed McKenzie Stakes (1200m), but the pleasant problem for his trainer Clinton McDonald is which one. McDonald said his immediate thought was to head to the Caulfield Guineas but added Angel Capital might be too brilliant for 1600 metres. &ldquo;If that&rsquo;s the case, then we can head back to the Coolmore Stakes as his main option,&rdquo; McDonald said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s still learning what it&rsquo;s about and we&rsquo;re still working out whether he&rsquo;s going to be a sprinter or a middle-distance horse. &ldquo;I do have concerns, is he too brilliant to be a miler? He&rsquo;s just got that electric turn of foot and for him to do that today against good opposition, it&rsquo;s encouraging and he&rsquo;s only going to get better. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big horse and on this tight track we were a little bit worried about that, but Benny assured me he would get the job done, and he did. McDonald has always had a big opinion of Angel Capital and after he won his debut at Cranbourne, he campaigned him in Brisbane where he contested two Group 2 races for a fifth in the Champagne Classic and a ninth in the BTC Sires Produce Stakes. Angel Capital was first-up in the McKenzie Stakes and only had one trial, according to McDonald. The win gave Ben Melham a winner with his only ride at the meeting. Melham said Angel Capital is a very good colt. &ldquo;He obviously won very impressively at his first start. He didn&rsquo;t run to the best of his ability in Queensland as he wasn&rsquo;t suited by the tracks. &ldquo;He&rsquo;d been flying at home and it was good to see him come out and win in the fashion that he did today.&rdquo; Melham said the race worked out for perfectly for him and he had the race in his keeping a long way from home. Angel Capital ($5) defeated Bosustow ($13) by three quarters of a length, with Sergeant Major ($12) a length and a half away third.

McDonald capitalises at The Valley

Clinton McDonald has a problem he&rsquo;s more than happy to have as he can&rsquo;t work out who is the best of his three gifted three-year-old sprinters. McDonald walked away from The Valley ecstatic after the first-up win of three-year-old colt Angel Capital in the McKenzie Stakes and three-year-old filly Hayasugi&rsquo;s second in the Moir Stakes, which he equated to a win. That third member of his trio being aimed at the feature three-year-old races is the VOBIS Showdown winner Stanley Express, who will return to racing in the VOBIS Silver Quality Handicap (1200m) at The Valley on September 27. McDonald regards Stanley Express as being potentially as talented as the other pair. He said it was a possibility the three of them could all contest the Coolmore Stud Stakes. &ldquo;Who is the best of them? We don&rsquo;t know yet, but it&rsquo;s a very pleasant problem to have.&rdquo; McDonald said Angel Capital would have his next start in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude, and then he would work out whether he would contest the Caulfield Guineas or the Coolmore Stud Stakes. As for Hayasugi, he said her next start would be in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes at The Valley on September 27. McDonald couldn&rsquo;t have been happier with Hayasugi&rsquo;s second to Mornington Glory, which was her first run since she finished last in the Golden Slipper Stakes. &ldquo;We're walking away like we've won the race, and we can't wait to get to Manikato and 1200m at the end of the month back here,&rdquo; McDonald said. The 2024 Blue Diamond Stakes winner settled off the speed and flew home to finish second, a half a length from the winner. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m over the moon with her. She was fantastic and Jamie Kah could hardly pull her up.&rdquo; McDonald said Hayasugi would contest the Manikato Stakes and if she was to win, then The Everest could enter the equation for her. But he said he had to balance that it was still early days in her career. &ldquo;It's something we'll talk about but we&rsquo;re not in any hurry. To be honest, I want to protect her a little bit as she's a three-year old filly,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll go to the Manikato and if she were to win and then all the ducks lined up, you&rsquo;d look and consider The Everest but I wouldn&rsquo;t want to go there and run fifth or sixth.&rdquo; Otherwise, McDonald said after the Manikato Stakes, Hayasugi would most likely be set for the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on Saturday, November 2.

Who is McDonald's best sprinter?

Saturday's Guineas Prelude at Caulfield is a telling day for Clint McDonald and could decide the immediate racing future of an emerging star colt. Angel Capital will contest the Group 3 event over 1400m after a superb win over 1200m in the McKenzie Stakes at Moonee Valley and his trainer hopes to have a clearer picture of what lies ahead this spring after the race. "It's probably the fork in the road for him to see whether we go up to the Guineas or freshen him and go back to a race like the Coolmore," McDonald said. "It's a nice problem to have, my gut's telling me that he will run a mile. Family suggests he will, how he looks suggests he will, so we just need to see it happen on Saturday." McDonald said his colt will gallop on Tuesday ahead of his second go at 1400m. "The horse has come through that race (McKenzie) in great order," McDonald said. "He's a high-class colt &hellip; the feedback I get from Ben (Melham) and Jamie (Kah) is that he's very, very good. "He's exactly where we need him to be, he's an athletic colt and his fitness is where it needs to be at this stage." Angel Capital is a $15 Caulfield Guineas chance in early markets and a $26 Coolmore hope.

Angel Capital's telling day

Clinton McDonald has no shortage of smart three-year-olds in his yard, and he may have another to add to the collection in Andrina, who won smartly on debut at Sandown on Wednesday. The $180,000 Noorilim Park (who retained a share in the ownership) product was a well-backed second favourite after some sharp jump outs, but had to overcome some pre-race drama when her bridle snapped as she was loading. She drifted from $3.90 to $4.20 in this time, but her attitude was faultless as the gear was fixed, and she maintained this manner throughout the 1300 metre contest. Settled in the one-out one-back spot by Jamie Kah, Andrina eased out professionally and looked all of a winner at the 300m mark, but favourite Romani Ite Domum ($3.50) was in for the fight. However, Andrina worked through her gears and got the upper hand in the final 100m, edging clear for an impressive debut victory. Though it&rsquo;s taken some time to get the big filly racing, McDonald was delighted with the win and envisages a big future for the daughter of Written Tycoon. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s a filly that&rsquo;s been a big work in progress, and Jamie&rsquo;s done a bit of work on her at home &ndash; she&rsquo;s 16&rsquo;3, she&rsquo;s a big filly,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s still learning what it&rsquo;s all about, she&rsquo;s growing into her action. She trialled up really well and we&rsquo;ve just been really pleased with her progress. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve just said, &lsquo;she needs to take time,&rsquo; so that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;ve done. I think the more time we give this filly, she&rsquo;ll grow into a beautiful august three-year-old or four-year-old. &ldquo;The staff have always sort of doubted me, but I could see that she would grow into something&hellip; she&rsquo;s got a bright future, and we&rsquo;re looking forward to seeing where she can go.&rdquo; McDonald also trains 2024 Blue Diamond winner Hayasugi, who was enormous in the G1 Moir Stakes first-up, as well as Angel Capital, who stunned from last in the Listed McKenzie Stakes. The latter will go to the 1400m G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude this weekend, where he is a $4 second-favourite, and McDonald was pleased with his barrier draw of three. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice, it gives Ben (Melham) options for however he wants to ride him,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Like he said, I&rsquo;m the trainer, he&rsquo;s the jockey, so he can work that out. The horse is fit, well and ready to go.&rdquo; Darcy Cosgriff

McDonald unveils latest sharp 3YO

It's been a season to remember for Clinton McDonald, particularly with his two-year olds, who he's hoping can measure up as three-year olds this spring. McDonald has Group 1 goals for Blue Diamond heroine Hayasugi, VOBIS Showdown victor Stanley Express and promising galloper Angel Capital, who have all had a getaway to Queensland over the cooler Victorian months. The Cranbourne-based trainer is eying off the major spring sprints at The Valley for Hayasugi, who is due to return to his stable later this month. "She's up on the Gold Coast, she's looking fantastic, doing really well up there," McDonald said. "She's just started doing some evens and I'm really happy with where she's at. She's getting ready for the Moir and the Manikato, gets in with no weight. They'll be two good options for her. "She ran very well at The Valley at her first start and those two races are races that three-year-old fillies have done well in." Angel Capital burst onto the scene in April with an impressive debut win at Cranbourne, before going on to finish out of the placings at his next two runs in Brisbane. Despite those losses, McDonald has maintained his faith in the Harry Angel colt, who will head towards one of the classic races this spring. "Angel Capital went to the paddock, he never handled the tracks up there, the Heavy tracks were just a disaster for him in hindsight, because he's such a big-actioned horse, he just never handled them," McDonald said. "I still think that he's a very, very good colt and he's up there in pre training, on the Gold Coast with Peter Robl. "He came back in late last week; he had three weeks in the paddock and he's done really well and he'll be on a Caulfield Guineas assignment." As for Stanley Express, who won the $1 million VOBIS Showdown at his only start to date, McDonald said that his ultimate goal is the Coolmore Stud Stakes on Victoria Derby Day. "He flew up to Queensland, he spelled up there, he's done really well, he came back late last week," McDonald said. "He's getting ready for a Coolmore, he's done extremely well that horse, he looks terrific and I'm really happy with him." McDonald believes that he's got the best crop of two-year old's he's ever had in his career, but best of all, he's still got more to look forward to. "We've got some bloody nice horses and we've still got some unraced stock, which is even more exciting," he said. Edward Salder: Jul 4 2024

McDonald outlines spring goals

Clinton McDonald admits he is bouncing out of bed when it comes to planning the next steps with his smart juveniles Angel Capital and Stanley Express. Ultra-impressive debut winner Angel Capital has already arrived in Queensland for their carnival, while Showdown winner Stanley Express is set to join his stablemate in the sunshine state. Angel Capital, who is the $400,000 half-brother to Berkley Square, flew to Queensland this week and is set to run in the Group 2 Spirit of Boom Classic (1200m) on May 18 at Doomben. The Harry Angel colt will then progress to the G2 BRC Sires&rsquo; Produce Stakes (1400m) three weeks later before the G1 J.J Atkins Stakes (1600m) on June 15. &ldquo;He is potentially the best horse we have ever trained&hellip; he is a very, very good colt,&rdquo; McDonald said. &ldquo;He has shown us a lot at home and been an excitement machine. &ldquo;He has done it over 1000 metres but that&rsquo;s not his go and he will be very good over a mile and that&rsquo;s what we will set him up for. &ldquo;We feel Angel Capital can be a Caulfield Guineas horse.&rdquo; McDonald said Stanley Express, who won the $1 million Showdown on debut, is set to run the son of Starspangledbanner this Saturday in either the G3 David Coles AM Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville or the two-year-old handicap (1100m) at Caulfield. The Cranbourne trainer said the horse could be a dual acceptor before making his decision on the gelding who will then fly to Queensland for a spell. &ldquo;Stanley Express will make a magnificent sprinting three-year-old he is a big imposing horse,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He is not just a speedy horse; he has got a turn of foot and weighs 548 kilos so he is a big horse and is only doing it on raw ability. &ldquo;We are hoping we can get him to a race like the Coolmore.&rdquo; Both Angel Capital and Stanley Express are owned by separate Hong Kong interests. &ldquo;At this stage the horses are racing in Australia,&rdquo; McDonald said. &ldquo;We are very fortunate to be able to train them and whatever their wishes are is up to them. &ldquo;All we can do is the best for them and if they chose to leave them here fantastic and if they decided to take them to Hong Kong they are going to have very nice horses to race and top echelon.&rdquo; Acid Wash is also set to race over the Queensland carnival for the stable, while Blue Diamond winner Hayasugi will also be prepared in Brisbane ahead of her spring campaign, which is likely to be centred around the Golden Rose. Ben Sporle

McDonald aims up with gem 2YO pair

Stanley Express capitalised on the scratching of favourite Bold Bastille at the barriers to land the $1m VOBIS Showdown at Caulfield. Rule number one in a Showdown is: bring a gun. Cranbourne trainer Clinton McDonald did that and left Caulfield with the winner&rsquo;s prize in Saturday&rsquo;s $1 million VOBIS Platinum Showdown. The withdrawal at the barriers of the hot favourite Bold Bastille made life easier for her rivals but Stanley Express still needed to stand up when it mattered. Bold Bastille broke through the barriers before only cantering a short distance under jockey Luke Currie but Racing Victoria vets ruled her unfit to start. &ldquo;She just had a bit of blood in her mouth so they scratched her,&rdquo; Bold Bastille&rsquo;s disappointed co-trainer JD Hayes said. But a significant number of punters were keen to back Stanley Express to beat Bold Bastille. The gelding had firmed from $15 to $7 before Bold Bastille&rsquo;s shock scratching. Jockey Luke Nolen patiently rode Stanley Express back in the field before the son of Starspangledbanner lived up to his jumpouts with a strong surge in the last 200m to beat Terang debut winner Symphony Of Colour ($26). Stanley Express gave McDonald his second rich two-year-old triumph at Caulfield this season after Hayasugi won the $2m Blue Diamond Stakes in February. McDonald said Stanley Express was an impressive physical specimen with a great attitude for a youngster on debut. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a beautiful animal to look at with a big shoulder and big hindquarter and he&rsquo;s always been strong in his trials,&rdquo; McDonald said. &ldquo;We were pretty confident coming here today but we were a bit worried about his immaturity mentally. &ldquo;We knew that if he got clear air, he&rsquo;d be really strong late. &ldquo;He took runs where, for a young horse having his first start, it was pretty impressive.&rdquo; Nolen said he had his first sit on Stanley Express last Monday at trackwork. He said Stanley Express did a few things wrong in that gallop but showed he was one to follow for the future with his powerful finish on debut. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got the right temperament and the right physical make-up to make a quality animal,&rdquo; Nolen said. &ldquo;He did that on raw ability today but he&rsquo;s a nice horse going forward. &ldquo;I know it was a restricted race today but they don&rsquo;t often do that and win the way he did. &ldquo;I thought it was the win of a horse with a nice future in front of him.&rdquo; The $51 chance Stormbourg worked into third placing for trainer John Moloney. Brad Waters

Stanley Express wins VOBIS Showdown on debut after scratching of race favourite Bold Bastille

Cranbourne-based trainer Clinton Mcdonald pulled off a betting plunge as Stanley Express descended late on the line to win the $1 million VOBIS Showdown (1200m) at Caulfield. A right move was made to stay closer to home than making a trip to Adelaide for the Group 3 Breeders&rsquo; Stakes at Morphettville. &ldquo;We wanted to go to Bendigo (two weeks ago) but we missed that run and we had to come here first-up,&rdquo; McDonald said. &ldquo;He is a horse that we had a good line on, and he has shown us a lot at home.&rdquo; Well-backed from double figure quotes into $7 with betting apps, Stanley Express was a $110,000 purchase at the 2022 Magic Millions Weanling Sale and stamped a smart prizemoney one-hit boost for prime sire Starspangledbanner. This win also completed a rich juvenile feature double at Caulfield for the McDonald stable after Hayasugi took out the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) in February. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s an exciting horse,&rdquo; McDonald added. Ridden by Luke Nolen, Stanley Express scored by a half-length margin over the Mathew Ellerton-trained Symphony Of Colour ($26) and Stormbourg ($51) 1&frac14;-lengths away in third. It also added to a winning pair for McDonald after Angel Capital won at Cranbourne on Friday night, with stable intentions to point the colt towards the Queensland Racing Carnival two-year-old feature Group 1 JJ Atkins Stakes (1600m) at Eagle Farm. The Showdown pre-race favourite Bold Bastille was a late scratching after breaking through her barrier stall after loading. Vets withdrew the Hayes-trained filly finding upper teeth had been dislodged in the incident. RS NewsWire

Debutant Stanley Express lands $1m The Showdown

<h2 class="secondary_font">Jamie Kah and the filly Hayasugi secure a thrilling victory in the $2m Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield, highlighting skill, determination, and a legacy in Australian horse racing. </h2>
In a thrilling finish that had spectators on the edge of their seats,&nbsp;Jamie Kah&nbsp;and the promising filly&nbsp;Hayasugi&nbsp;clinched victory in the prestigious $2m Blue Diamond Stakes&nbsp;at Caulfield. This win not only showcases Kah's exceptional skill as a jockey but also marks her triumphant return to the top of Australian horse racing following a career-threatening fall last year. For Cranbourne trainer&nbsp;Clinton McDonald, this victory carries a sentimental value, bridging the past and the future of horse racing through the legacy of his late father Ross McDonald.
<h2>A Race Against the Odds</h2>
The odds seemed stacked against Kah and Hayasugi as they faced a challenging position in the early stages of the race. Yet, in a display of sheer determination and skill, Kah navigated the filly with precision, gradually overcoming rivals to secure a position at the forefront. The duo's victory was not just a testament to their individual talents but also to the meticulous preparation by McDonald and his team. As they overtook the favorite Coleman and Lady Of Camelot in the final moments, the win underscored the unpredictable nature of horse racing, where anything can happen until the very last second.
<h2>A Legacy Continues</h2>
For McDonald, this victory is more than just a career highlight; it's a continuation of a family legacy. His late father, Ross McDonald, had won the Blue Diamond with Courtza 35 years ago, and now, Clinton plans to enter Hayasugi in next month's Golden Slipper, hoping it will suit her strengths as well as it did for Courtza. This moment is a poignant reminder of the deep connections and narratives that run through the heart of horse racing, intertwining personal achievements with collective history.
<h2>Looking Ahead</h2>
The focus now shifts to the upcoming Golden Slipper, with McDonald and his team feeling optimistic about Hayasugi's prospects. Despite Coleman's unexpected performance, finishing 13th, the event highlighted the formidable combination of Kah and Hayasugi. Their victory in the Blue Diamond Stakes not only cements their status as a team to watch but also ignites excitement for what the future holds in horse racing. As the sport continues to evolve, stories like Kah and Hayasugi's offer a glimpse into the relentless pursuit of excellence and the enduring spirit of competition that defines it. Salman Khan

News

Debutant Stanley Express lands $1m The Showdown

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