‘If he can run that is priceless from a stud farm’s point-of-view’
‘If he can run that is priceless from a stud farm’s point-of-view’
Having sold one son of Snitzel, Newgate found themselves on the other side of the gangway when they, alongside China Horse Club and partners, added a colt by the same sire from one of the best families in the Stud Book to their growing portfolio, striking for an Arrowfield-consigned youngster for $1 million during Wednesday’s second session.
The colt is out of the placed Starcraft (Soviet Star) mare Dream Date, herself a half-sister to Listed winner and Arrowfield’s successful sire Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice).
“He was a Snitzel colt we liked very much,” said Newgate owner Henry Field. “He’s from a great Not A Single Doubt family, he had so much of both in them. If he can run that is priceless from a stud farm’s point-of-view.
If he can run that is priceless from a stud farm’s point-of-view
“Physically he has the best of Snitzel and Not A Single Doubt. Hopefully he can do the job. We bought Invader off Arrowfield a few years ago. Hopefully this horse can be the next.”
Arrowfield’s Paul Messara told ANZ Bloodstock News that the colt was one of the top to come off the farm this year and was delighted he was well received by the buying bench.
“We thought he was one of the top colts in the sale and he fetched that type of money. He’s an outstanding prospect,” said Messara.
“He’s that colonial-style of sprinting horse. Looks a fast, early type. He was well liked and certainly one of the standouts of the complex.”
Over the first two days of the sale, Snitzel has had 13 yearlings sell for an aggregate $9,600,000 and finished the second day with an average of $738,462.
Messara said he was happy to see Snitzel’s performances on the track translating into successful results in the sales ring.
“He’s having as good a year as he has ever had as far as stakes performers and that has obviously been reflected in the sales ring. Sons of his are going to stud successfully,” he said.
“When you’ve got a good sort by a good stallion and out of a good family, it doesn’t matter where you sell them, they’ll find the money.”
Bowditch happy with day’s trade
After two days of trade, Magic Millions reported $97,555,000 had been spent on 352 lots at an increased clearance rate of 81 per cent, which is down 4.7 per cent from the same point 12 months earlier, which finished with an aggregate of $101,833,000 .
The average also dropped 4.7 per cent to $277,145, while the median took a hit, finishing at $200,000, a nine per cent decrease from the $220,000 recorded after day two last year.
“Day two I thought it built upon the foundation set on day one,” Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said.
“You could see by the start of the sale – I think we went 25 lots before we passed one in – so there was a good confident start and that built off yesterday and then momentum during the day was really, really sound.
“I thought, all in all, to increase the clearance from under 75 per cent to above 81 was a great effort and that was attributed to a better ring rate today and also deals being done outside the ring.
“It’s great that equilibrium is being found between buyer and vendor and I think it’s a good healthy genuine market.”
Day three of the sale kicks off at 10am (AEST) on Thursday.
SALE SNIPPETS
Lot 248: The Autumn Sun ex Carry On Alice by Captain Al, filly
Price: $900,000
Buyer: Michael Hickmott Bloodstock
Vendor: Arrowfield Stud
“I thought she was one of the most beautiful fillies in the sale,” Michael Hickmott said. A great family and born on a great farm. I thought she would be a million-dollar filly. Out of a multiple Group 1-winning mare who has proven that she can throw a runner to the Redoute’s Choice line. She was just a queen who is not only going to be very well looked after as a racehorse but she’s got a huge future as a broodmare. The sire has a huge record with his fillies and [she] has been purchased as a target for her three-year-old career. I’ve got a really good backer to underpin purchasing the horse and we’ll probably invite other investors in as well. I think anyone who is purchasing a The Autumn Sun filly is looking to late two-year-old, early three-year-old racing.”
Lot 272: Frankel ex Cleanup by Dehere, colt
Price: $900,000
Buyer: First Light Racing Pty Ltd/Neasham & Archibald Racing
Vendor: Vinery Stud
“The price was around the top end of what we were hoping for,” the colt’s breeder Chris Pearce said. “He was a quality colt and probably one of the better colts we have bred for some time. We’re delighted First Light have bought him and he will get every chance with Rob [Archibald] and Annabel [Neasham]. I thought from people that I had spoken to that the general consensus was that he was in the top ten in the sale. He was probably a more precocious Frankel than what you would see overseas and that certainly appealed to the Australian buyers.
“We do a bit of work with Matt Becker at Group 1 Bloodstock and we had a crack at buying some fillies and mares off the track and were unsuccessful, so we had a look at our own broodmare band and tried to select a mare that would suit him physically. She’s [Cleanup] quite a nice nuggety Dehere mare so we thought she would suit Frankel on type and having bred Nettoyer she was good enough quality to send up there and that’s how we arrived at the decision.”
Lot 421: I Am Invincible ex From Within by Not A Single Doubt, filly
Price: $900,000
Buyer: Kia Ora Stud/Michael Freedman Racing/Michael Wallace
Vendor: Rosemont Stud
“Beautiful filly by a great stallion who has done a great job with his fillies and it is a family I know a lot about,” Michael Freedman said. “I bred the mother and all the ones initially. I had Cruden Bay as a yearling when I was training in Singapore. I saw that and saw her as a physical and thought she was a filly I really wanted to get involved in. Kia Ora have been great supporters of mine so it was great to put a team together.”
Lot 435: I Am Invincible ex Giza Goddess by Cairo Prince, colt
Price: $800,000
Buyer: Bjorn Baker Racing/Clarke Bloodstock Pty Ltd (FBAA)
Vendor: Newgate Farm
“It was pretty nerve wracking towards the end as we were pretty much on our last legs,” Jim Clarke said. “I bought the mother a couple of years ago carrying this colt. She’s a gorgeous mare. An electric fast mare and a very well-bred mare. Since being, this colt has been very good. When Bjorn and I were looking at the draft on the farms, this one caught the eye and was very keen to go after. We thought this horse would be our big ticket item at the sale if we were able to get him. I wasn’t confident as we got closer but Bjorn was very keen to try and buy a flagship horse like him. He’s got the credentials to be up and going early. If he can run anywhere near his looks and remain an entire then he’ll be a well-sought after colt.”
Lot 451: Zoustar ex Graciousness by Street Cry, colt
Price: $775,000
Buyer: KPW Bloodstock
Vendor: Baramul Stud
“We just buy on type, normally, and this is one of the best colts that we consider to be at the sale,” agent Kevin Walls said. “A good moving horse. Strong head on him. Strong hocks, good pasterns, good girth. I asked what the reserve was and I said ‘oh yeah we’ll go there’. My man, when he likes one, he likes one. We were going to stop but he said we’ll go halves.”
Lot 397: Pinatubo ex Fiesta by I Am Invincible
Price: $700,000
Buyer: Lindsay Park Racing
Vendor: Rosemont Stud
“It is a fantastic result. We were able to get a really good group of owners together,” Ben Hayes said. “We loved him from the first time we saw him, His mum was very fast and he paraded so well through the day. Hopefully he can get some nice results. He’s just a lengthy, athletic type and did everything well the whole time. Rosemont are good supporters of ours.”
Sale statistics – Overall
2025 2024 Catalogued 480 450 Offered 433 411 Sold 352 (81%) 350 (85%) Aggregate $97,555,000 (-4.2%) $101,833,000
Average $277,145 (-4.7%) $290,951
Median $200,000 (-9%) $220,000
Top Lot $2.3 million $1.9 million
LOTS TO WATCH – DAY THREE
Lot Sire Dam Sex
Lot 489 Snitzel Humma Humma colt
Lot 492 Wootton Bassett Hussyanna colt
Lot 503 Snitzel In Good Health filly
Lot 520 Snitzel Ippodamia’s Girl colt
Lot 537 Home Affairs Jazz Song filly
Lot 569 Capitalist Knit ‘N’ Purl colt
Lot 571 I Am Invincible Krone colt
Lot 646 Too Darn Hot Maybe Discreet colt
Lot 648 Snitzel Medaglia Valore colt
Lot 654 Snitzel Members Joy colt
Lot 659 Zoustar Mildred colt
Lot 695 Extreme Choice Mrs Ramona G colt
Lot 700 Snitzel Museo colt
Lot 717 Maurice Never Been Kissed colt