$150,000 Sebring filly tops day one of Magic Millions March Yearling Sale
Group 1-winning trainer David Vandyke did not want to miss out on an eye-catching daughter of Sebring (More Than Ready) on day one of the Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, purchasing the filly for $150,000 after she was initially passed in.
In a tough day for vendors, in which the buying bench was limited and the public banned from attending the Gold Coast sales complex in order to comply with government-imposed restrictions caused by the coronavirus outbreak, the Sunshine Coast-based Vandyke signed for the top-priced filly.
The trainer was on site for the QTIS sale yesterday and admitted the Covid-19 pandemic had played a significant role in day one being a “buyers’ market”.
“It’s not ideal that this has happened right on the eve of the sale, but we’re all getting through it OK,” Vandyke said after buying the session-topping filly.
“It’s a buyers’ market at the moment because of the uncertainty and risk.”
Vandyke approached vendor Dale Anderson of Bahrinna after the Sebring filly failed to reach the $150,000 reserve and the trainer is confident his purchase has the credentials to provide a significant return.
“I was waiting for the filly to hit the reserve and she never got there, so I went and saw the owners (and bought her privately),” he said.
“If she went through a January sale, she would have brought a lot more. She’s a quality filly and you have got to love the Sebrings.
“The possibilities for the return on a Magic Millions QTIS filly is greater than almost any other sale because QTIS is an amazing scheme…especially for a filly.
“On top of that, we have got the Magic MIllions races (that she is eligible for). She is a beautiful filly out of a stakes-performed mare and I think she’s good buying at that price.
“I haven’t syndicated her yet, so there’s shares available.”
Catalogued as Lot 63, https://catalogue.magicmillions.com.au/lot/20GQR/63 the filly is the first foal out of the Tony Gollan-trained Nudgee Stakes (Listed, 1200m)-winning mare Tina Melina (Jet Spur) who was successful six times in 17 race starts.
His stable star Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) had also been passed in at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
“And so was Yankee Rose, my other best horse,” Vandyke added.
The QTIS sale, operating under remarkable circumstances, reverted back to similar figures achieved in 2017 where the average was $28,412 and the median was $20,500 at the completion of the auction.
The 2018 sale experienced an extraordinary surge, averaging $44,832 with a median price of $25,000, which was triggered by incredible demand for the progeny of Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo) after his first crop two-year-olds came out flying.
Last year’s sale, after 300 lots were sold, averaged $33,187 at a median of $24,000, while yesterday’s session averaged $29,034, down 12 per cent year on year, with a median price of $20,000 achieved. The clearance rate was sitting at 68 per cent last night.
“Under the circumstances and in the current climate with a lack of confidence about, for the results to hold up reasonably well, I think it was a satisfactory day at the least,” Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“I think the vendors have come here to meet the market and do their best to sell their horses in most cases. At times during the day they were getting well rewarded for their sales and other times the buyers were finding plenty of value out there.”
“From a Queensland trainers and owners’ perspective, the quality of horse we had to sell and what these horses race for through the QTIS scheme, it’s a huge opportunity to get in under the odds and have a lot of fun for the next few years racing these animals.”
Magic Millions implemented procedures and strategies to ensure the company complied with a government edict not to have more than 500 people on the complex. The general public was also banned from attending.
“The day went very smoothly from our perspective. We took a lot of guidance (from governing bodies) and we put a lot of measures in place to create the right environment to hold a horse sale under the current guidelines,” he said.
“The cooperation from the buyers and the vendors was obviously sought after but it was greatly appreciated.”
Spirit Of Boom colts a highlight for Eureka
Eureka Stud, the home of Queensland’s leading stallion Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo), sold the next two highest-priced lots yesterday, both colts by the McAlpine family’s resident sire who sold for $130,000 and $120,000 respectively.
Leading Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan, who trained Group 1 winner Spirit Of Boom, bought Lot 199 late in the day for the $130,000 figure, with the colt carrying the same cross as his talented stakes-winning mare Outback Barbie.
The fourth living foal for the winning mare Eureka Moment (General Nediym), the colt is a grandson of the Group 2 winner Kapsdan (Kaapstad) who was the joint top New Zealand filly of 2003-04. Eureka Moment’s two foals to race, by Smart Missile (Fastnet Rock) and Onemorenomore (Red Ransom) are both winners.
Fellow Brisbane trainer Kelly Schweida also struck yesterday, landing the Eureka Stud-offered half-brother to exciting stakes-placed three-year-old Gem Of Scotland (Rothesay) for $120,000.
The Spirit Of Boom colt’s Rex Lipp-trained half-sister has won six of her ten starts and $415,000 in prize-money.
“I really like Spirit Of Boom as a stallion and I liked that he is a half-brother to a Listed-placed filly, who I think is a very good horse,” Schweida said.
“He is just a lovely horse, very athletic and I thought that was about the right price for him.”
Catalogued as Lot 39, the colt is the fifth living foal out of the unraced mare Star Of Kristle (General Nediym).
As well as Gem Of Scotland, she is also the dam of three other winners, two of whom have won at two. Further back, the colt is from the same family as champion Victorian stallion Written Tycoon (Iglesia) and Group 1 winner Microphone (Exceed And Excel) who both hail from the branch of his fourth dam Miss Entertainer (Vain).
Schweida said the atmosphere at yesterday’s QTIS sale was like one he had never experienced before.
“It’s been a struggle today, given the circumstances – there was no public allowed and it is the weirdest sale I have ever been to,” he said.
Eureka Stud’s Harry McAlpine said buyers at the complex were willing to put their hand up but remained circumspect given the general economic conditions that have seen billions of dollars wiped off the share market in recent weeks.
“There were buyers here and obviously (Magic Millions) were restricted with how many people they could have on the complex,” he said.
“But everyone I spoke to wanted to buy because it was good buying. However, at the same time they were a bit apprehensive about the economics of selling them on to other people.”
On Eureka’s two six-figure colts, McAlpine said: “I think the Gem Of Scotland factor certainly helped as she looks quite a handy horse and he was a lovely colt and there was plenty of competition for him.
“There was plenty of money for him (and the one Tony Gollan bought) but some by Spirit Of Boom from the older pedigrees were a bit tough and I think that was probably the theme of the sale.”
There were two other yearlings sold yesterday to reach the $100,000 mark, with a Rothesay (Fastnet Rock) colt from the Lyndhurst Stud draft selling to Eagle Farm trainer Desleigh Forster.
By the same sire as this season’s boom Queensland two-year-old Rothfire, the colt is the second living foal out of the winner Ultimate Rush (Sequalo) who is a sister to Group 2 winner Burdekin Blues. He was catalogued as Lot 75.
Hong Kong-owned, Victoria-based A List Stud’s Chris Lee purchased the other $100,000 lot, a son of the Darley stallion Epaulette (Commands) offered by Kenmore Lodge.
Catalogued as Lot 186, he is the second living foal out of the three-time winner Dolphus (Dylan Thomas) who ran fourth in the Gold Coast Bracelet (Listed, 1800m) as a three-year-old.