Magic Millions unveils quality National Broodmare Sale catalogue
More than a quarter of the breeding stock set to go under the hammer at the Gold Coast next month is either stakes-performed or producing, underlining Magic Millions’ managing director Barry Bowditch’s opinion that the National Broodmare Sale catalogue has immense depth to it.
The auction house on Sunday released a 622-lot catalogue for its 2024 edition of the three-day broodmare sale, which includes shares in I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), Capitalist (Written Tycoon) and Stay Inside (Extreme Choice).
The race fillies and mares session, which last year saw Forbidden Love (All Too Hard) fetch $4.1 million and Sunshine In Paris (Invader) make $3.9 million, has so far attracted 184 entries.
“A lot of these catalogues now, you don’t have a bottom end in them,” Bowditch told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“When you look at the percentage of stakes-performed mares in the catalogue, I think it’s 27 per cent, that’s a really high number.
“The beauty of having a smaller catalogue is it’s got fewer holes in it, so to speak. We’re really pleased with the race fillies’ session on what is a great day each and every year with the likes of Atishu, Chain Of Lightning and Platinum Jubilee.
“There’s some really exciting mares in foal as well. There are mares in foal to Frankel and what I believe to be a rare gem is having a Group 1 winner in foal to I Am Invincible and that’s Mariamia.
“There’s a huge number of nice young mares on their first or second cover, which is really exciting. That will give our market a lot of confidence.”
Using the template set out in recent years by Ciaron Maher Racing, which has a draft of eight for the 2024 sale including Listed-winning juvenile Zoukerette (I Am Invincible), premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller will also consign a draft of nine mares under his own banner at the Gold Coast, headed by Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Madame Pommery (No Nay Never) and Atishu (Savabeel), who was narrowly denied her third elite-level win when finishing a 0.l length runner-up in the Queen Of The Turf (Gr 1, 1600m) on April 13.
Along with the previously announced Group 1 winners to be sold off the track in Belclare (Per Incanto) and T J Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Chain Of Lightning (Fighting Sun), who could race on to Royal Ascot in June, Magic Millions’ day one session will also feature New Zealand Group 1-winning two-year-old Ulanova (Santos), Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) winner Platinum Jubilee (Zoustar), last-start P J Bell Handicap (Gr 3, 1200m) winner Facile (Trapeze Artist), Group 2 winners Life Lessons (Tavistock) and Deny Knowledge (Pride Of Dubai) and Group 3 winners Wollombi (Extreme Choice) and Bound For Home (Rubick).
Day one, scheduled for Tuesday, May 28, also features New Zealand Group winners Star Of Justice (Justify), Sakura Girl (Iffraaj), Best Seller (Wrote) and Carolina Reaper (Vespa), Adelaide Group 3 winner Mimi’s Award (Shamus Award), Yonce (Proisir), Po Kare Kare (Savabeel) and I’mlovin’ya (Capitalist).
In the two-day pregnant mares’ session, Newhaven Park will offer 2023 The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m) winner Mariamia (Toronado) in foal to Yarraman Park’s champion sire I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) on an early September cover.
Victoria’s Morningside will consign a draft of nine mares including the high-class Group 2 winner Rubisaki (Rubick), who is in foal to Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) on a second cover, and Group 2-winning filly Glistening (Zoustar) who is carrying a foal by I Am Invincible. The Rowsthorn family paid $1.2 million and $775,000 for Rubisaki and Glistening respectively at the 2022 Magic Millions National sale.
Fellow Victoria-based operation Rosemont Stud will also offer a batch of quality mares including Listed-winning juvenile Legacies (Justify), a winner of two of her past three starts, and Canadian Grade 2 winner La Dragontea (Lope De Vega), who is in foal to Darley’s boom shuttler Too Darn Hot (Dubawi). The sire of Saturday’s ATC Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Broadsiding, Too Darn Hot is certain to receive a significant fee increase for his 2024 southern hemisphere duties.
Other in-foal Group-winning winners to go under the hammer at the Gold Coast include Miss Wilson (Stratum) (in foal to Ole Kirk), Samara Dancer (Hinchinbrook) (in foal to I Am Invincible), Annavisto (Reliable Man) (in foal to Toronado), Biscayne Bay (Sebring) (in foal to I Am Invincible), Have A Good Day (Adaay) (in foal to Frankel), Lubiton (Snitzel) (in foal to Zoustar), Ready Set Sail (More Than Ready) (in foal to Justify), Rezoned (Zabeel) (in foal to Home Affairs) and Shazee Lee (Ready’s Image) (in foal to Stay Inside).
Bowditch believes the catalogue will attract “the usual suspects” to the buying bench while he expects international interest in the broodmare sale, which follows on from the two-day weanling sale.
He also hopes to add to the supplementary catalogue by the time the mares are paraded at the Gold Coast complex from May 24.
“We have already opened the supplementary catalogue and we’ve got some really nice fillies in there and it’s always a sale where entries keep coming,” he said.
“And, look, there’s some mares out there that we would love to offer on behalf of their owners if the chance arises.
“We’ll be working hard to ensure we give ourselves the best opportunity to take those horses to market and that they’re on the Gold Coast in late May.”
Related links
Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale catalogue