Racing: Tragedy puts dampener on Magic Millions

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Cowboys are undoubtedly some of the toughest men on earth but former rodeo rider turned horse trainer Norm Hilton was reduced to tears at the Gold Coast yesterday.

Hilton scored the biggest win of his career when Bold Glance won the $400,000 Magic Millions Cup (1400m) but the Toowoomba trainer was overcome with emotion as his favourite horse returned to the enclosure.

Hilton's eyes filled with tears as he pondered the floodwaters which have wreaked havoc across southeast Queensland in the past week.

"It's a bit embarrassing to be happy and celebrating after all the lives were lost during the floods during the week," Hilton said.

"All those children who are lost and the families who have been devastated puts horse racing into perspective.

"This is a great thrill for me - it's easily the best thrill I have had in racing."

Bold Glance ($16) gave former Sydney jockey Bob El-Issa his second victory in the MM Cup when he clung on for a long neck victory over Zero Rock ($4.60).

Captain Sonador ($3.50 fav) loomed as the likely winner halfway up the straight but he was anchored under his big weight of 60kg and tired to finish a long head back third.

El-Issa won the 2007 MM Cup on outsider Warrior Trader and the lightweight hoop gave Bold Glance a sweet run in transit to notch his second win in the feature.

Fifteen Carat gave the big crowd a scare when he stumbled and dislodged Craig Williams about 75m after the winning post but both horse and rider escaped uninjured.

Hilton said Bold Glance's win was not unexpected and said there were definite excuses for the horse's last-start flop on the Toowoomba cushion track.

"He dropped from 60.5kg at Toowoomba to 53kg today and that was a big bonus."

The Neville Layt trained filly Karuta Queen blitzed a capacity field of 16 in the rich $2 million BMW Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) to take her record to a perfect picket fence of four races and four wins.

Sydney apprentice Tommy Berry had ridden Karuta Queen in all her races and did an excellent job once again, driving the filly out of barrier seven and taking her straight to the lead. Making sure he was three off the rails on the better ground Berry kept the pressure on the rest of the field, leading Schiffer by 1 length at the 1000m, and only letting that ease at the 600m.

Once into the straight Berry applied the blow torch and away Karuta Queen went, opening up the lead all the way to the line. Combat Kitty was second and Schiffer third.

The margins were 2 lengths and a short head. Karuta Queen paid $3.30 on NSW TAB as favourite.

Smart Oratorio gelding Torio's Quest took out the 2011 Magic Millions 3YO Guineas, storming home in a brilliant finish.

Torio's Quest was coming off a victory in the Wyong Magic Millions 3YO Guineas.

Still, the bookies had the gelding at a generous price, Luxbet paying $6. Finishing off the trifecta were Startsmeup ($5.50) and the $4 favourite Top Drop.

Temple Of Boom, the red hot favourite, scored a narrow victory in the Myer Magic Millions Sprint.

The 4-year-old Toowoomba galloper pinned his ears back to take the prize from Huckleberry Dane and Atomic Force in third.