O’Brien secures Star colt during Book 2 opener
The breeder of powerhouse sprinter Star Turn (Star Witness) came away with the top-priced lot on day one of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale’s Book 2 sale yesterday.
Melbourne trainer Danny O’Brien, who trained Group 1-winning sire Star Witness (Starcraft) and bred his Schillaci Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) winning son Star Turn, paid $230,000 for a replica son of the Vinery Stud stallion, who was offered by Toolooganvale Farm on behalf of Roona Lodge.
The highest-priced of 15 yearlings to make $100,000 or more yesterday and they included a Bowness Stud-sold colt by resident sire D’Argento (So You Think), who made $220,000.
The colt by Star Turn is the third foal out of the stakes-placed, ten-time winning mare Highly Geared (Ad Valorem).
“I bred Star Turn and sold him at Magic Millions and obviously got to know him very well,” O’Brien said.
“This horse is an absolute spitting image at the same time of his career.
“Star Turn was an outstanding yearling and this colt is as well – he was a horse who was hard not to buy once you had a look at him.
“Of all the Star Turn colts I’ve looked at over the years, this guy was the one who most looked like his old man.
“On type he was the equal of any of the nice colts during Book 1.”
O’Brien sold Star Turn himself through the draft of his co-breeders Widden Stud for $400,000 at the 2015 edition of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Networking pays off for Butch
Earlier, Network Bloodstock’s David “Butch” Bourne, who doubles as a boutique Seymour-based trainer, entered the Book 2 fray early yesterday, buying back-to-back lots for a combined $240,000.
Bourne signed first for a $170,000 first crop colt by Vinery Stud’s dual Group 1 winner Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) before adding a colt by Coolmore shuttler Churchill (Galileo) for $70,000 two minutes later for syndicator Mailbag Bloodstock.
Golden Rose (Gr 1, 1400m) and Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Ole Kirk had well-bred filly sell for $1 million in Book 1, while Churchill is the sire of this season’s Mitch Freedman-trained Toorak Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Attrition.
The Ole Kirk colt was purchased with the intention of re-trading him as a two-year-old at a breeze-up sale.
“To me, Ole Kirk was the stand-out first-season sire, and I should add Wootton Bassett, so when I saw this horse in the second session I thought, ‘yep, he’s a bloody nice colt’,” Bourne said.
“He’s a very good headed horse, so when he comes out all of a sudden you see a lovely horse and, while you hope the prices come down a peg [in Book 2], you knew he was going to cost something.
“He’ll suit domestic and international buyers.”
Bred by Baramul Stud’s Gerry Harvey, the $170,000 Lot 1040-catalogued Ole Kirk colt is the second foal out of the placed mare Antonia (Lope De Vega). Her first foal Matriarch Rose (Epaulette) has won twice from six starts.
Goodwood Farm-consigned the following lot through the ring, a colt, who is the second foal out of the winning mare Araucaria (Hinchinbrook), a half-sister to Listed winner Calachris (Commands), the dam of fellow stakes winner Calcatta (Tale Of The Cat), who in turn produced stakes-winning pair Tanker (Pride Of Dubai) and Lady Naturaliste (Choisir).
“He looks like a really good racehorse, really. He’s an early foal from a Hinchinbrook mare and it’s a great family.”
Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle is likely to train the Churchill colt for Mailbag Bloodstock, which also races tried horse stakes winner Just Folk (Magnus) and Werribee Cup (1600m) winner Keats (Galileo) with Cranbourne trainer Gavin Bedggood.
Headed up by Jack Dickens, Mailbag Bloodstock approached Bourne about assisting them in their yearling selection and the affable Victorian was happy to take on the challenge.
“Not too many people find me,” Bourne said. “They’re a good mob and they approached me about doing some work, which sounded like a good idea to me.”
Bowditch: “A pleasing start”
At the close of trade, Magic Millions reported 149 sold at a clearance rate of 73 per cent, while the aggregate closed at $7,322,500 and the average was $49,144.
Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said he was by and large pleased with the overall results.
“I think it’s close to being in line with my expectations,” said Bowditch. “I thought the clearance rate could be a little bit better, the average is in line with where I thought. To sell two quality horses above $200,000 and some dozen horses make six-figures, that’s a pleasing start to the sale. If a good quality horse walked in, I think it sold accordingly.
“There are a lot of new faces that are playing in the market, and taking on some of the buyers that obviously didn’t get all the horses they needed last week. At times there it looked a bit sticky, it’s not getting any easier out there at this end of town, but as a whole, it was pretty pleasing how the day ended up.
“With any luck, generally clearance rates keep creeping up over a period and we will be motivated to sell quite a few passed in lots between now and this time tomorrow. With any luck, the clearance rate is in a better position than it is right now.”