European agents halted by restrictions but ‘positive vibe’ remains
Quarantine restrictions and logistical constraints will prevent the majority of European-based bloodstock agents from attending next week’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, but the auction house remains confident that the strength and depth of the 1273-lot catalogue can help compensate for the void.
A mandatory 14-day quarantine period for those entering Australia, cancelled flights and the impact on future travel were cited as the main reasons for absence when ANZ Bloodstock News spoke to a range of agents this week, but Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch remained upbeat in the face of the challenges presented by Covid-19.
“Given the fact we’ve got very few international buyers on the ground, and many of the Sydney buyers are locked out of Queensland, it makes our job a lot trickier,” Bowditch told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“Obviously there is a void, but I’ve got some confidence that the catalogue is strong enough and buyers have got a lot of confidence in the product we are selling. Our graduate success is outstanding and this is a huge part of the market in Australia, so if you aren’t participating here, you’re missing out.
“There is a positive vibe around and while there is some trepidation around the restrictions to being here, I believe that the catalogue is good enough so that people will make a plan to do their best at the auction.”
Among those absent are Hannah Wall, who has been a familiar face at the Gold Coast in recent years, working alongside her boss David Redvers in their successful Redwall Racing and Redwall Syndicates ventures.
“We’d ummed and arred about going, and David and I were keen to go down for the sale, but realistically it wasn’t going to be possible for us to both be away and quarantining for that period of time,” Wall told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“I said I was happy to go and do it and it wasn’t like Christmas was going to be like the Christmases we have known previously. I had my visa and travel documents approved and I was booked to fly down with Singapore Airlines on December 23. Check-in opened on the 21st and on the 22nd I received an email saying everything was cancelled.
“At that stage, there just weren’t any other flights and I couldn’t really fly much later because I needed to be out of quarantine in enough time to inspect the horses before the sale started.”
While a lack of presence on the ground will preclude Redwall’s involvement at this year’s sale, Wall and Redvers are still playing an active role in other ventures.
“The plan had been to join up with Rosemont Stud, through Anthony Mithen and Ryan McEvoy, and help them buy some colts for a new set-up called the Victorian Alliance,” Wall said.
“The venture will start from this sale and I am doing quite a lot of the background work for that before talking to the boys on the ground who have got round the horses physically. They’re very much steering the ship because they are down on the ground, but we are a bit more of a sounding board.”
Also missing will be Kerri Radcliffe, who made a splash at the 2019 sale when she purchased subsequent Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) winner Away Game (Snitzel) for $425,000. Radcliffe will instead be in Keeneland for the January Sale before travelling to France.
“I’ve got the catalogue and I’ve been studying the videos. Obviously I’d like to be there having bought the winner of last year’s Classic, but I am available for the sale if people wanted me,” she said.
“I had thought about doing the quarantine, and I might have gone had I been able to choose my own hotel where to spend it, but those that have gone are the hardcore.
“And for me, America is so important as well and it’s important I get to Ocala to see the two-year-olds, so going to Australia really would have wiped out all of January and God knows how much of February coming home.”
Radcliffe, who did not participate in a digital auction in 2020, was effusive in her praise for Magic Millions and the information that is provided for buyers online.
“Magic Millions have done such a fabulous job with videos and photographs,” she said. “I think a lot of the sales companies need to take a look at how Magic Millions do their website – it’s easy to get on there and see the horses properly.”
Shadwell was a notable absentee from the 2020 Australian sales season, with racing manager Angus Gold last April citing the move of lead trainer David Hayes to Hong Kong, and the increased number of homebred yearlings, as contributing factors. While Gold will not be in Queensland this week, he said a return to action for the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in April remains a possibility.
“Sadly, I won’t be there as it’s just too complicated with the situation in the world at the moment. Obviously some people can buy in absentia, so to speak, but Sheikh Hamdan likes to have people there that he knows doing it and unfortunately the gods conspired against us this year,” he said.
“Sheikh Hamdan has said that maybe we have got a bit too big in Australia for what he intended, so maybe he won’t buy this year, I’m not sure yet. Obviously without me being there it wasn’t going to happen, so we’ve had to bypass this sale and we’ll see when it comes to the Easter sale if he wants to buy then.”
Tom Pritchard-Gordon, who operates Badgers Badgers Bloodstock alongside his father, Gavin, and Newmarket-based agent Jamie Piggott, also said the need to quarantine prevented them from making the journey to the Gold Coast.
“We couldn’t make it down to Australia due to the quarantine, which just wasn’t viable, but we’ll be helping a number of clients with research from up here,” Pritchard-Gordon said.
Piggott added: “It’s a real shame not to make it as it’s a wonderful event, but with the quarantine – and the added quarantine to New Zealand – it’s just not been viable. However, it’s a quality catalogue as always and I’ll be watching with interest.
“Everyone has had to adapt this year, so I’m temporarily shifting focus onto other parts of the globe that are currently more accessible, but I look forward to being back in Australia next year.”