Magic Millions market heats up with three million dollar lots on day one
The market has shown remarkable resilience with a deep buying bench demonstrating the demand for new horses with three million dollar lots and 23 lots exceeding $500,000 to usurp the year-on-year day one figure of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Yesterday’s season-opening session was highlighted by a late flurry of action, with Coolmore showing its commitment to the local industry by securing the day’s top lot, a $1.1 million Exceed And Excel (Danehill) colt, eight lots before the close.
I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), Australia’s most expensive stallion, also had two colts make $1.05 million and $1 million respectively, which included the sale of Rosemont Stud’s first seven-figure yearling.
Tom Magnier targeted the top-priced Exceed And Excel colt, who was bred by Nick Wakim and offered by Milburn Creek, as part of Coolmore’s bid to land a stallion prospect at the yearling stage, rather than off the track when they are considerably more expensive.
“He was an exceptional physical, a very nice type out of a Frankel mare. All the judges were on him, so we’ll take him home, break him in and see where we go from there,” Magnier said.
“Things are very positive in this country, prize-money is very high, so it is a great place to race horses. We are out there now to find colts and hopefully we get a bit of luck along the way. For the top colts this week you’re going to have to pay for them.”
Magnier continued: “John and Trish Muir (of Milburn Creek) have got a really good farm and are very good breeders, so when they put in a quality colt in their draft everyone takes them very seriously.”
Catalogued as Lot 255, hthe colt is the first foal out of the unraced Frankel (Galileo) mare Dream In Colour, who was purchased for Wakim by Peter Ford Thoroughbreds for $750,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale. The mare is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Chamarel (Exceed And Excel) and a daughter of the South Australian Group 3 winner Colour (More Than Ready).
Wakim said: “He has been a cracking colt from day one at home and it’s a fantastic result. We obviously moved to be Milburn Creek this year and they have done a fantastic job with him and he has been the best of our colts this year.
“He had over 30 hits on the x-rays and about 165 views. He was very popular and we knew he was going to be a nice colt. We have the mare and the sister at home and she will race with me.”
Coolmore was also in action supporting the offspring of its own high-profile first season sire American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) with a colt added to the racing operation for $850,000.
The colt is the sixth foal out of the unraced mare Derelique (Danehill Dancer) who is the dam of the Group 2 winner Man From Uncle (Uncle Mo) and the Sydney winner Napoleon Solo (Uncle Mo). He was catalogued as Lot 237.
“He’s got loads of quality and since we arrived at the complex everybody’s been talking about the American Pharoahs,” Magnier said.
“We are delighted to have a Triple Crown horse down here. He got a great book of mares and obviously the results are being seen here today – it’s very exciting.
“We are going to be needing a little bit of luck going forward, but he was a very nice physical … and hopefully it will eventuate on the track. Obviously the shuttle sires had a great year and I think you will be seeing their influence in Australia for years to come.”
The colt was offered by Lime Country Thoroughbreds.
“That is a new record for us and for the owner Brad Crismale and I think his previous record had been $380,000,” Lime Country Thoroughbreds’ Jo Griffin said.
“This is the first time we have sold for him so it is a great result all round. He has a sister in the paddock back at the farm and she is a beautiful foal.
“He was the most inspected and had the most x-ray hits we’ve ever had. After the Crismales sent us the Pharoah foals, we actually sent more mares to the stallion as a result of the quality of the foals we had on the farm.”
Two million dollar colts for I Am Invincible
I Am Invincible, already Australia’s highest-priced stallion by service fee, was responsible for eight horses to sell for $400,000 or more yesterday, including two of the three million dollar banner lots.
The first and most expensive of the I Am Invincible colts sold was the Segenhoe Stud-consigned son of Group 2-winning mare Adrift (Zabeel) who was purchased by Chris Waller’s long-time agent Guy Mulcaster for $1.05 million.
The colt had been much admired in the lead-up to the sale, with many believing he could be the week’s most expensive yearling but Segenhoe Stud’s Peter O’Brien admitted he thought the prized lot may have fetched a higher price.
“I honestly thought he would make a bit more than that, but at the end of the day if you get seven figures you’ve got to be happy,” O’Brien said.
“He is going to a great home where he will get every chance. To have a horse go to a trainer with the quality of Chris Waller is everything you want.”
Catalogued as Lot 69, the colt is the first living foal out of 2015 Light Fingers Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) winner Adrift (Zabeel), who is a half-sister to Karaka Million (RL, 1200m) winner Xiong Feng (Iffraaj) and from the family of multiple Group 1 winner Maldivian (Zabeel).
Zabeel (Sir Tristram) is the damsire of 39 Group 1 winners in total including Samantha Miss (Redoute’s Choice) and Dundeel (High Chaparral).
The colt was sold by Segenhoe Stud on behalf of Fairway Thoroughbreds’ John Camilleri who raced Adrift after buying her as a yearling for NZ$370,000 in 2013.
“She is a young mare who James Harron purchased for John at Karaka and she has been very unfortunate with this being her first live foal out of four – all due to bad luck – but now she is back in foal to Merchant Navy,” O’Brien revealed.
“She is not a straightforward mare breeding wise, but she won a Group 2 and not many Zabeel mares win over six furlongs and beat Winx at the same time. I thought there would be more bidders involved but it looked like there were only two bidders and I honestly thought there would be five or six.
“Initially I am a bit deflated as I thought he would make a lot more, but at the end of the day you have to be happy and John is delighted.”
Despite the significant price the colt brought, Mulcaster believes he would have made more had he been sold later in the auction.
“We liked him on the farm and we liked him all week. He was the target horse and we were lucky enough to be able to get him,” Mulcaster said.
“(Segenhoe) has done a great job with him and he has just kept improving and takes it all in his stride. He was just a lovely horse so we are very happy.”
Milestone moment for Rosemont
The second seven-figure colt sold on day one heralded a new era and helped justify the enormous investment made by Anthony Mithen and his brother-in-law Nigel Austin in Rosemont Stud over the past ten years.
The I Am Invincible colt was purchased for $1 million by Adrian Bott and Gai Waterhouse who prepared his dam Amanpour (Northern Meteor) to win the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m). He was catalogued as Lot 80.
The significance of the result was not lost on Mithen.
“It’s a bit of a realisation that if you do the planning and you’re patient with your program and you keep working away at it and upping your quality each year, It’s not a dream to sell one for a million,” Mithen said.
“I’ve watched from afar for more than a decade seeing smiles on faces after horses have made a million dollars and I’ve wondered if we’d ever get the opportunity. It’s a momentous day for the farm and all the team who are absolutely tickled pink. It’s validation for the investment that we have made.”
Rosemont Stud, in conjunction with Blue Sky Bloodstock, paid $1.5 million for Amanpour at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale in 2015 as the Victorian operation grew the quality of its breeding stock.
She is a sister to Listed winner Sports Edition and a half-sister to fellow Listed scorer Turf Express (Danehill Dancer). Amanpour is also a half-sister to Swing Dance (Danehill Dancer), who in turn produced Group 2 winner and Australian Group 1 runner-up Rapper Dragon (Street Boss).
“He was a lovely colt who was very popular as evidenced by the price. I am thrilled that Gai has been able to buy the son of the mare that she took to Group 1 glory,” Mithen said.
“There’s a bit of talk now about who gets to stay in and who is in and who’s not because it sounds like she might have him oversubscribed but I’ve said to her that if we can we’d like to stay involved because he might make a stallion.”
The sales ring result could prompt Mithen to retain a Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) filly at foot out of Amanpour, while Rosemont also has an unraced three-year-old trained by Danny O’Brien named Bleachers (Snitzel).
Waterhouse was her usual exuberant self when assessing the credentials of her high-priced purchase.
“He was the gun colt of the sale. He was big and strong. I trained his mother and I knew the background. I saw him down the farm in October and I said to our owners, ‘He is just so special’,” Waterhouse said.
“Magic Millions is a very special place to buy. All the horses are so well developed and so precocious so let’s hope we are back here in 12 months for the race.”
Moore shows clout as he pushes for Hong Kong extension
Leading trainer John Moore is hopeful of being able to remain in Hong Kong next season and in turn be able to prepare the Exceed And Excel (Danehill) brother to rising star Big Party who won at Group 3 level in the Asian jurisdiction in November.
Moore made the statement after fending off fellow Hong Kong trainer and Big Party’s handler Frankie Lor to secure Lot 226 for $900,000 on behalf of a Chinese client.
“It looks like I might not be training next season (in Hong Kong), but I’m sure we could prepare him in Australia if I start a stable here. We could prepare him here for the client in Hong Kong,” Moore revealed.
“It could be a very good chance of preparing here for Hong Kong.”
On where Moore would be based if he did return to Australia, he said the Gold Coast loomed as a real possibility if the Hong Kong Jockey Club did not reverse its current decision.
“Hong Kong is currently in a bit of turmoil with the protests going on. A lot of businesses have closed down in Hong Kong and I’m sure it will have a marked effect on the Hong Kong racing industry,” he said.
“Let’s wait and see in the next few months and see if the club might give me an extension taking into account the branding the Moore family does in Hong Kong. Let’s see what the future holds in Hong Kong before we make decisions about Australia.”
Moore is an unabashed fan of Big Party, and the Jonathan Munz-owned mare De Groove (Dehere), the mother of his latest purchase who was offered by Bhima Thoroughbreds. An unraced sister to Munz’s stakes winner Super Groove and dual Group 3 winner Taikun (Anabaa), De Groove is the dam of four foals to race, all of whom have won.
“She sure has been a great producer, especially to Exceed And Excel,” Moore said. “She has exceeded and excelled you might say. We all know about Big Party in Hong Kong. He’s really hit his straps this season, he looks a potential Group 1 horse in Hong Kong, so I had to follow it up.”
Astern shines early as other first season sires also find favour
Marie Yoshida believes Group 3 winner California Zimbol (I Am Invincible) could be destined for success at the highest level and yesterday she was not letting the three-year-old’s half-brother by new season sire Astern (Medaglia d’Oro) go.
The Asian Bloodstock Services agent fought off stiff competition to land the Yarraman Park Stud-consigned colt for $725,000 on behalf of Hong Kong client Howard Liang, who also races the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained sibling, in a session where other first season sires also fared well in the sales ring.
Yoshida, who confirmed the Snowdens would also train Liang’s new acquisition, paid $1 million for a colt by Astern’s own sire Medaglia d’Oro (El Prado) at last year’s Magic Millions sale.
“It was a little bit higher than we wanted (to pay), but we didn’t have much choice because we really wanted this horse,” Yoshida said.
“We have been really lucky with Yarraman Park and we purchased California Zimbol (from there). The mother is a good producer and California Zimbol is a very talented filly, who we believe could go to Group 1 level.
“If California Zimbol wins a Group 1 or maybe a few, then this colt will be a hot commodity and maybe he can do a lot too.”
Despite the natural bias towards the colt given California Zimbol, Yoshida was also impressed by his physical presence.
“He was a very good mover. We will give him some time, but he was a very correct horse. We just went through all the hoops and did everything correctly,” she said.
“The competition was very stiff – Coolmore and Chris Waller I think wanted to create a syndicate. I think we can trust Astern (as a sire). He was a very good racehorse.”
Catalogued as Lot 59, the colt is out of Zimaretto (Anabaa), who has become a grand-producing mare with five foals to race all winning headed by California Zimbol and Listed winners From Within (Not A Single Doubt) and Cruden Bay (Not A Single Doubt).
Fellow first season sires American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) and Capitalist (Written Tycoon) also had colts sell for $750,000 on day one with the highest-priced lot by the 2016 Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) winner going to James Harron, the man who selected the Newgate Farm stallion as a yearling from the same Gold Coast ring in 2015.
Harron bought the Newgate Farm-consigned colt, who is the third living foal out of Adelaide Guineas (Listed, 1600m) winner Booklet (Tale Of The Cat), for his colts syndicate.
“He’s a really special colt. When we walked onto the sales ground I thought he was my favourite colt as a physical regardless of what he was by, but it is an added bonus to see such similarities to Capitalist,” Harron said.
“He is a great shape, very powerful and he looks a ready-made two-year-old which is what we like. He has been really impressive from day one – I saw him at the farm and had a really good look at him.
“But you want them to come here and thrive and enjoy the whole experience and soak up the good Queensland weather and hopefully be back here in a year’s time. A lot of good judges liked the horse and it’s great for Capitalist going forward.”
The colts syndicate’s powerful backers have trusted Harron’s strategy which has evolved in the second half of the past decade.
“Over the five years we have had a mixture of proven and first-season sires and it’s ebbed and flowed a lot. But certainly this year we are looking at a lot of first season sires,” he said.
“I think it is a really good bunch of horses, very elite horses, but regardless of us having a special interest in Capitalist – this colt would have been a standout.”
Newgate Farm’s Henry Field was happy with the way the progeny of the stud’s young stallions Capitalist, Flying Artie (Artie Schiller), Winning Rupert (Written Tycoon) and Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) were received.
“We put them on the market low but there was good competition for them and it’s a good, solid market,” Field said.
“They have all sold particularly well. They are running horses, they are Australian horses and they are being well received.”
Market gathers steam late on day one
The steady start to the opening session was not unexpected, with buyers and vendors shadow boxing early before finding a happy medium.
Lloyd Kennewell and Group 1 Bloodstock’s Mathew Becker set the early pace with a winning $400,000 bid for a Siyouni (Pivotal) colt from Yarraman Park Stud, catalogued as Lot 5, before being trumped by James Harron who went to $580,000 for a son of Zoustar (Northern Meteor) from the Widden Stud draft. He was catalogued as Lot 19.
The sentiment then picked up later in the day, which closed with 203 horses changing hands at an average of $239,236 and a median of $180,000.
The figures were despite the well-publicised absence of big-spending buyers Shadwell Stud, Phoenix Thoroughbreds, Damion Flower and American billionaire Jon Kelly from this year’s buying bench.
Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch was delighted with the way the day’s trade picked up.
“It started off a little rough around the edges, but as things went on, it got momentum. It got depth and it got a lot of strength. All in all, having an 83 per cent clearance rate, and a solid average and gross, I think the sale is in good shape for the next three days,” Bowditch said.
“A lot of horses made much more than their reserves. There was plenty of bidding going on, there was plenty of depth in that middle market here. To have more horses make over half a million than we had last year on day one is a great start to the week.
“That’s the bread and butter for the breeders and that’s where we need to make sure we have the market set. It was very deep and very strong.”
On yesterday’s market, James Harron’s prediction that the second half of the session would be strong was proven to be right.
“I think the market is very good but I thought it got off to a little bit of a slow start. As we saw the higher quality lots coming through we saw the prices acting accordingly. I think we will turn around at the end of the day and say it was a good day’s trade,” Harron said.
The Hawkes Racing operation threw its collective weight around on day one, landing two colts for a combined $1.6 million with Wayne Hawkes believing there was good competition for horses in the middle market.
“The nice ones are very, very strong and where this sale is really good is the middle is very strong – $200,000 to $500,000 – and it just shows the quality of horses that are here,” he said.
“I don’t think Barry Bowditch will mind me saying, he asked (on Tuesday), ‘how do you think we’re going to go?’ and I said ‘you’re going to have a great sale in the $200,000 to $500,000 range because there are so many lovely colts and fillies in that bracket’ and that is showing on the results board.”
Newgate principal Henry Field described the market as ‘fair’ for both buyers and vendors.
“The market’s been solid. It hasn’t been really strong, but we’ve sold nearly every horse in our consignment,” Field said.
“We’ve also bought a couple of nice horses and I think the world to sum it up is healthy.”