Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale set to close with a bang
Strong day two trade as Quilista heads to Cressfield with $1 million price tag
Barry Bowditch is predicting a big finish to the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale after a relative calm came over the Gold Coast auction ring yesterday in a strong but steady session in which one mare hit seven figures, the 19th of the sale.
The race fillies and mares session on Tuesday, bolstered by the unreserved dispersal of the Shadwell Stud Australia draft, helped create an unprecedented day of trade but there was more even competition between buyer and vendor on day two.
After 18 million-dollar lots on day one, Quilista (Scandal Keeper) was the sole mare to hit the mark yesterday and there promises to be more with the likes of Group 1 winner Volpe Veloce (Foxwedge), who is in foal to I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), Tsaritsa (Dane Shadow), Hell Or Highwater (Not A Single Doubt), Serenade (Star Witness), Taste Of Heaven (Encosta De Lago) and Oregon’s Day (Domesday) also set to be sold today.
As expected, the average dropped from a record of $328,038 to $250,190, which is still up 78 per cent on last year, after the second day, while the $100 million barrier will be broken early today after 394 mares have so far changed hands for $98.575 million.
The median of $120,000 was almost double last year’s figure of $65,000, a massive rise even accounting for the impact of Covid-19.
After day two of the 2019 sale the average was $158,646 and the median was $70,000.
“We set a huge benchmark (on Tuesday), but today it was just good, solid trade with good momentum throughout the day which flowed right to the last lot,” said Bowditch, Magic Millions’ managing director.
“To hold a $250,000 average and a clearance rate of an exceptional 88 per cent and a gross ticking towards $100 million is sensational. I couldn’t be happier.”
The spread of buyers, in numbers and locations, has been a key feature of this year’s breeding stock market with most participants reinvesting their profits from the 2021 yearling sales or other players stepping up their involvement.
“As I said last night, I thought everyone will get a turn from here on in and that was evident today,” Bowditch said.
“There was value to be found if people kept their lists long and did their work. Most vendors would walk away happy with how their horses sold today and we’re delighted with how the sale’s travelling with one really strong day to go tomorrow.”
Bowditch added: “There’s some real stars (today) from really early in the day through to the supplementaries, so I am sure there will be people going home tonight and growing their lists.”
Neill adds Quilista to high-class Quilista to Cressfield’s quality broodmare band
Yesterday, Bruce Neill’s quest for quality over quantity was again on show yesterday with the Cressfield Stud principal buying his second seven-figure sprinting mare of the sales series at the Gold Coast.
With New Zealand agent Bruce Perry bidding on Neill’s behalf from a table to the right of the auctioneers’ box, the prominent breeder went to $1 million for Group 2-winning sprinter Quilista (Scandal Keeper) who was sold in foal to Pierata (Pierro).
Sold by Segenhoe Stud on behalf of Aquis Farm as Lot 978, Quilista was the only mare in foal to hit the seven-figure mark yesterday. She was a $950,000 purchase by Tony Fung at the 2019 National Sale and sent to I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit). That weanling, a filly, sold for $340,000 last week on the Gold Coast.
“She was the pick of the ones I wanted at the sale,” Neill said.
“I was interested in her weanling, and she was a good type, but she had some x-ray issues, and that’s why she probably only made $340,000.
“She was a very fast mare and my strategy is to buy fast mares, clear of Danehill, and she fits the bill perfectly.”
Neill employed the same strategy at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale where he bought dual Group 1-winning sprinter Pippie (Written Tycoon) for $1.8 million.
Pippie will visit Exceed And Excel (Danehill) this year while Quilista is likely to be mated to Arrowfield’s champion stallion Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice).
Neill said: “I only have to top up my broodmare band, I’ve got nearly 25 mares and probably 20 of them are Easter or Magic Millions quality, so I just need to top them up and keep it fresh.”
The overall level of investment across the board at the Australian bloodstock sales so far this year has been remarkable with Victoria’s breeders coming to the fore in a market normally dominated by the big Hunter Valley players.
Largely driven by the Written Tycoon Syndicate, which has bought 36 mares for $15.215 million, and the dramatic upscaling of investment by Rosemont Stud, which has spent $10.655 million, Victorian buyers have bought 136 mares sold so far, accounting for almost $45 million of the total aggregate.
This year’s spend is not a complete shock as Victorian-owned mares accounted for 23 per cent of Australia’s broodmares in 2016, 24 per cent in 2017 and 2018 and 27 per cent in the past two breeding seasons.
Given Yulong’s and Rosemont Stud’s propensity to increase their numbers, along with the emergence of Leneva Park and others, that percentage could rise again in 2021 and was one of the reasons for the increased competition on the buying bench in the past few weeks.
Tasmanian Neill said of the market: “There is a lot of new investment and a lot of it is coming from Victoria, which is quite amazing, but it’s good to see them punching above their weight.
“There’s a lot of reinvestment going on around the world with asset classes. Obviously, we are in that category with the horse industry and it’s very encouraging.”
Separately, Bowditch welcomed buyers from outside the power states of NSW and Victoria choosing to reinvest in the industry.
“We obviously hold significant sales in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania and there’s great representation from all of those states,” Bowditch said.
“They’re getting in off the back of strong yearling sales in those regions this year and reinvesting their money that they’ve reaped reward from at the recent yearling sales.”
Kia Ora get behind Slipper winner Farnan
Kia Ora Stud yesterday also demonstrated its commitment to first season sire Farnan (Not A Single Doubt) by adding two high-priced mares in quick succession to its broodmare band to be covered by the Golden Slipper Stakes- (Gr 1, 1200m) winning stallion later this year.
The Hunter Valley nursery paid $750,000 for Listed winner Moqueen (Uncle Mo), who is in foal to Exceed And Excel (Danehill), before increasing the budget to $900,000 for Group 3 winner Moss Trip (Mossman), who is in foal to Trapeze Artist (Snitzel).
Earlier in the session, Kia Ora paid $400,000 for Lucky Can Be (Canny Lad), a half-sister to Group 3 winner Ofcourseican (Mossman) and South African Grade 1 winner Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready). The mare, sold by Woodside Park Stud as Lot 860, is in foal to Written Tycoon (Iglesia).
On day one, Kia Ora paid $1.7 million for Ektifaa (More Than Ready), a Grade 2 winner with a deep stakes-winning family, who is in foal to I Am Invincible.
The sale of Moss Trip, who was consigned by Yarraman Park Stud as Lot 926, brought to an end a great ride experienced by her Triple Crown Syndications owners.
“It’s a fairytale result, really,” Triple Crown’s Chris Ward said.
“Moss Trip was a filly we bought for $32,000 from memory and she went on to win $500,000 in prize-money and now, to cap it all off, with all the owners here at Magic Millions enjoying the other side of the industry … is outstanding.”
Many syndicators choose to sell their mares directly off the track but Triple Crown have successfully held some mares back with the aim of enhancing their value.
“We take it case by case with each horse we retire off the track and discuss all the options with the owners and we thought Trapeze Artist – he was an outstanding racehorse and we think he’s got all the credentials to be a great stallion – physically was a great match for her as well,” Ward said.
“I think Kia Ora will end up with a great foal who hopefully sells well for them in the future.”
He added: “We had Peggy Jean, she sold for a million in foal (to I Am Invincible), and we had Secret Trail a couple of years ago (in foal to Russian Revolution) and she sold through the ring here at Magic Millions for $700,000.
“So, it’s been a recipe that’s working really well for the team and, as I was saying earlier, it’s a great way to wrap things up for all the owners.”
Kia Ora Stud’s Shane Wright confirmed Moss Trip would be a high-profile member of Farnan’s first book of mares.
“I love the mare, she’s absolutely beautiful, and she’ll go straight to Farnan this year. I think they will really suit each other this year,” Wright said.
“There was good competition for her, but it always gives you great confidence when good people are bidding on these horses because you know you are on the right ones.”
Kia Ora Stud, in its return to the stallion ranks, will have Prague (Redoute’s Choice) joining Farnan on the roster and out-cross mares were part of the criteria of the farm’s short-list.
“There’s many aspects to it, and who they are in foal with is one of them. We obviously sell our yearlings, so there is a commercial aspect to it,” Wright said.
“Then also the stallions they suit and the pedigrees we like, so there’s a lot of boxes to tick. These mares are very multi-dimensional.
“Our two new boys both have that Danehill line in there, so with the outcross, it’s good to pick them up and they are harder to get. You do tend to pay a premium for them.”
Late in the day, Kia Ora made its presence felt again but this time for a well-bred Snitzel mare, who is a sibling to Group 1 winner Sweet Idea and Group 2 winner Showtime, and $650,000 on Group 3 winner Think Bleue (So You Think), who is in foal to Deep Field (Northern Meteor).
Sweet Sister, who made $750,000, is already the dam of Listed-winning two-year-old Supreme Idea (I Am Invincible) while she has a yearling brother to that horse and a Zoustar (Northern Meteor) weanling colt, who was withdrawn from last week’s National Sale.
She is in foal to Arrowfield Stud sire Dundeel (High Chaparral).
“She is a lovely young mare with a super pedigree who has already thrown a stakes winner. We haven’t decided on a stallion yet but young mares like her don’t come around very often,” Wright said.
“The bloodlines aren’t easy to get into.”
Offered by Milburn Creek as Lot 1072 on behalf of Nick Wakim’s Hilldene Farm, Sweet Sister was bought for $550,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions National Sale.
Wakim also sold another Snitzel mare, the stakes-winning Meuse, for $1.2 million at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale. She, too, is in foal to Dundeel.
On selling Sweet Sister yesterday, Wakim said: “She was a little bit close to my heart, but we are just restructuring our band and taking a position in terms of how we want our broodmare band to look going forward.
“It’s bittersweet to move mares like that, but it is what it is and I wish them all the best with her moving forward.”
The selling of Sweet Sister took some time, but the Kia Ora team then stuck their hand up to buy the mare.
“I thought it was excellent buying. It was right on our reserve and I thought they bought her very well,” Wakim said.
“She has bred a stakes winner by I Am invincible, there is a full by I Am Invincible, there’s a Zoustar colt on the ground, which is fantastic, and the mare has only got upside going forward.”
Wakim, who races a number of his homebreds, revealed the Hilldene Farm model would be focused on moving away from the dominant Danehill (Danzig) sire line.
“We were heavily into Danehill-line originally, so we are just trying to re-apportion our position,” he said.
“We have sold two well-bred Snitzel mares recently. We have mares by Azamour, we have mares by Frankel, we own mares like that. We want to diversify our broodmare band away from the pure Danehill-line mares.”
Despite offloading two prized mares, Wakim has been casting his eye over the Magic Millions catalogue searching for potential replacements, while also looking forward to racing the offspring of the mares he still has in his possession.
“We have been looking at some mares here but we have got some very nice fillies we are racing now,” he said.
“We own some very well-bred yearling fillies that are just being broken-in now. We have an Exceed And Excel-Dream In Colour, who is a Frankel mare, and we have a Written Tycoon filly out of three-quarter sister to Invader. We have four or five weanling fillies at home as well.
“We have a Snitzel weanling filly out of Aloisia, which we will retain and race. Hence that is why we are moving on these two Snitzel mares.”
Kia Ora Stud has spent $4.5 million on its five-mare haul.
Bangaloe Stud’s Ritchie invests in new blood
Julia Ritchie has used the Magic Millions sale to rejuvenate her Bangaloe Stud broodmare band with the acquisition of two race fillies on day one and Fastnet Rock’s (Danehill) stakes-winning mare Lady Sharapova for $750,000 yesterday.
The rising ten-year-old, who was offered by Yarraman Park Stud as Lot 849, is in foal to I Am Invincible with her fifth foal.
“I am in the throes of upgrading my breeding stock, so she totally fits the bill for what I was looking for, being in foal to I Am Invincible. She will be going back there because I have a breeding right. That actually makes her a very affordable mare.
“You can’t go wrong with her. Everything she breeds is successful and they say the (colt) foal on the ground by I Am Invincible is amazing, so when I go up there I will have a look at him.”
On day one, Ritchie bought Vegas Jewel (Shocking), who is out of a half-sister to Vegas Showgirl (Al Akbar), herself the dam of champion mare Winx (Street Cry), for $350,000 and Itz Lily (Snitzel) for $100,000.
Five-year-old Itz Lily, who ran fifth in the Pam O’Neill Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) at Doomben on Saturday, is in training on the Gold Coast with Kris Lees and she will keep racing during the winter carnival before going to stud later this year.
“I was under bidder on two or three and one of them I am having words about because they didn’t take the bid when I was bidding, but I figure … ‘it’s like a bus, another one arrives in a minute’ and this is the sale for it,” said Ritchie, who owns horse property Wild Oaks at Camden near Sydney.
“There were a couple I was hoping to get but they just kept sailing past my price range, but this one you could see there was merit in the value of Lady Sharapova and she’s in the right age group.”
Ritchie, vice-chair of the Australian Turf Club, has a band of 12 mares going to stud this year, while she is also a partner in the Coolmore-owned Invincibella (I Am Invincible) and Champagne Cuddles (Not A Single Doubt), and she is as passionate as ever about the industry.
“I’ve been involved since I was five, so it would take a major catastrophe for me to be ever put off (the industry),” she said.
“My family has been breeding horses since the ’60s and ’70s and, for me, I’d let my broodmare band get a little bit too non-commercial and, in this market, you have to be clear about being commercial and that’s where I am going with it now.”
Mating plans have not yet been mapped out for the majority of her broodmare band.
The third and final day of the National Broodmare Sale starts at 10am.