It’s Go Go on the Gold Coast
Bowditch adamant all is on track to welcome interstate participants for a big season-opening January yearling sale
Magic Millions has given the biggest indication yet that it is full steam ahead towards the Gold Coast in January, moving to allay fears that the vital Australasian season-opening yearling sale in early 2022 could be without key interstate and international participants present.
Barry Bowditch, Magic Millions’ managing director, yesterday revealed he was confident that Queensland would be open for business by the time the New Year is ushered in, citing the state government’s recent support of the NRL Grand Final and other major activities for his optimism.
The Queensland government, through its visitor arm Tourism and Events Queensland, is a strategic partner of The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Carnival and is well aware of the economic upswing the two-week extravaganza has on the Gold Coast region.
“We have got confidence that we will be in a great place, that we will definitely be able to welcome our interstate buyers to the sale and that we will be able to host a successful Covid safe event,” Gold Coast-based Bowditch told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“You only have to look at what has occurred up here in recent times, whether it be the NRL or other events that have gone on. They have been held successfully in compliance with Queensland government requirements and we foresee that as (interstate and even international) borders do open that the Magic Millions sale won’t be any different.
“We have got great confidence in our relationships with the Queensland government and the way things are heading that we will be ready to go come January.”
So far, despite NSW and Victorian counterparts outlining road maps towards “Covid normal” as the population’s vaccination rate skyrockets, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is yet to confirm when the Queensland border will reopen to those states.
Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has also thus far been steadfast in his approach to border closures.
Bowditch pointed to Magic Millions’ ability to operate in a Covid-safe environment throughout the pandemic, starting with last year’s March yearling sale and continuing throughout a bumper 2021 sales season.
“That is obviously a huge tick when it comes to moving forward with these events, whether it be the raceday across the road or at the sale and next year will be managed in line with whatever restrictions are in place to operate in a Covid-safe environment,” he said.
“Magic Millions goes above and beyond to make sure that is in place and it gives the participants not only every opportunity to attend, but also to do so in a safe environment.
“Our January yearling sale is obviously the largest in the southern hemisphere when you take into account the numbers sold and the gross achieved and it sets the tone for the rest of the year and vendors and buyers alike swarm to get here.
“Buyers want to get here and buy the next Group 1-winning two-year-old; the next Golden Slipper winner or their next Winx, and it is a sale vendors have also done extremely well out of.
“The trajectory of the sale over the past decade is unprecedented. Ten years ago we would never have imagined a $200 million gross. The sale has become an economic barometer for what’s ahead of us as an industry for the selling season.”
The company is also planning for an expanded return of its popular pre-sale Sunday Pacific Fair Magic Millions Polo event to encompass an exhibition of showjumping following a one-year hiatus, while it is expected to maintain an afternoon opening Book 1 session on Tuesday, January 11, the first of seven consecutive days of selling.
The Magic Millions barrier draw at Surfers Paradise, which captures the wide attention of the mainstream media, will again take place that morning before the gavel is brought down for the first day of the sale.
“I am looking forward to getting everyone here to the Gold Coast and creating a huge event. Not only is it a horse sale, this could be the first big racing event that people will be able to get to and enjoy since Magic Millions in June, really,” Bowditch said.
“We are looking forward to playing host and showing everyone a good time and to ensure that we will have an events calendar around the sale for people, whether they are here to buy a horse or if they are coming up here with their families to have a great time on the Gold Coast.”
Importantly for stakeholders, the catalogue for next year’s Gold Coast sale is currently being shaped after months of pedigree and on-farm assessments and, as expected, Bowditch is delighted with the depth Magic Millions will offer. It is expected the catalogue will be released in mid-November.
He said: “If the quality of entries is anything to go by, I think our buyers will be excited about the catalogue.”
This year’s sale has already provided five of the six two-year-old winners in Australia, led by the scintillating ATC Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) winner Coolangatta (Written Tycoon) and Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (Listed, 1000m) winner Get In The Spirit (Spirit Of Boom).
The New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, which was also hamstrung this year in being unable to host international buyers, starts on January 23, six days after the Magic Millions sale ends.
However, it remains unclear whether the travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand will be back in operation in time for Karaka. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has hit pause on the quarantine-free travel bubble until at least later next month.
Inglis will start its sales season with the Classic yearling sale offering in Sydney on February 6.