Negotiations under way as international buyers attempt to land Spinning Memories
High-class European Group-winning mare Spinning Memories (Arcano), who was on the verge of becoming the highest-priced thoroughbred to be sold at a digital auction, was last night passed in for $1.135 million at the Magic Millions Online Sale.
Negotiations had begun between two international parties who helped see the potential Royal Ascot contender surge past the million dollar mark, and Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch is confident of being able to clinch a deal to sell the Goldin Farms-owned mare.
“There’s some good negotiations going on and you would suspect that there will be a deal done in the coming days,” Bowditch told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“There was very good interest in the mare in the days leading into it. These two parties settled down to try and win her out but they thought best to negotiate with us and see what they can do.
“Considering Magic Millions Online is only in its infancy, and the team have worked incredibly hard to get it to the stage that it’s at, it’s a massive coup to have a mare of her quality from the other side of the world to be offered on our online platform.”
The reserve for Spinning Memories was listed at $1.14 million which would smash the previous online sale record held by rival operator Gavelhouse.com who sold New Zealand 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Hasahalo (Savabeel) for NZ$670,000 to China Horse Club earlier this year.
The Pascal Bary-trained Spinning Memories, who was the prized lot among owner Mr Pan Sutong’s draft of 33 offered at the Magic Millions Online Sale under his Goldin Farms banner, added to her record last week when taking out the Prix du Palais-Royal (Gr 3, 1400m) at Clairefontaine in France.
She has now won six of her 12 starts, five of those victories at stakes level, and the five-year-old potentially has the Royal Ascot meeting later this month in the offing, with Bary considering the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) as well as the Prix Maurice De Gheest (Gr 1, 1300m) at Deauville in August for the mare.
Spinning Memories is out of the unraced mare Hanalei Memories (Hard Spun) who is a grand-daughter of Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (Gr 1, 9f) and Beverley D Stakes (Gr 1, 9.5f) winner Memories Of Silver (Silver Hawk), the dam of dual Grade 1-winning mare Winter Memories (El Prado). She was acquired by Mr Pan after she won her first start in Ireland for trainer Andrew Oliver and her Qatar-based owner-breeder Mubarak Al Naemi.
Spinning Memories was the star attraction of this week’s Magic Millions Online event, the first open auction held by the company after conducting two single vendor sales last month to mark its entry into the rapidly growing sphere.
Spendthrift Australia was responsible for buying the highest-priced lot, the Angus Armanasco Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m)-placed Lunar Light (Akeed Mofeed), for $160,000.
Trained by Will Clarken to win three of her ten starts for Goldin Farms, the rising four-year-old mare last raced in Adelaide in mid-May.
She is a daughter of US Listed winner Lunar Mist (Malibu Moon) who in turn is a sister to the stakes-placed Misty In Malibu and a half-sister to the US Listed scorer South Andros (Sky Mesa).
“It was a pedigree that resonated with Spendthrift, being out of a Malibu Moon mare, and she is a stakes class mare who has a little bit of racing upside in her,” Bowditch said.
“It’s fantastic to see Spendthrift buying mares of her quality to support their stallions which are so well credentialed coming down here to Australia for the season.”
Spendthrift Australia general manager Garry Cuddy was yet to decide whether Lunar Light would race on next season or be retired to stud where she would be covered by one of the operation’s first season shuttle sires, Omaha Beach (War Front) or Vino Rosso (Curlin).
“She’s a lovely filly. Her ratings on the track are quite good and it was a good opportunity to grab a nice pedigree,” Cuddy said.
Bowditch was pleased with the way the 131-lot sale played out yesterday.
“Having the likes of Raffles Racing and the support of Goldin Farms and, in particular, JJ Gordon supporting our first public online auction, we’re very thankful for that,” he said.
The next Magic Millions Online sale will be the Perth Winter Thoroughbred Sale, to be staged from June 24 to 26, while the catalogue for the Gold Coast National Weanling, Broodmare and Yearling Sale is expected to be released in the coming weeks.