O’Gorman colts set Magic Millions benchmark at Warwick Farm
The attention has this week turned to the Australasian two-year-old sale market with key breeze-up sessions for next month’s Magic Millions and New Zealand Bloodstock auctions taking place at Warwick Farm and Te Rapa yesterday as buyers prepare for next Tuesday’s Inglis offering.
Tamworth consignor Mel O’Gorman breezed up eight two-year-olds, including the five fastest of the morning headed by a colt from the first crop of Arrowfield Stud’s Japanese shuttler Mikki Isle (Deep Impact) who stopped the clock at 10.26 seconds.
“I was really happy with them all. I felt that I had a strong bunch of colts coming into the morning, so I thought they would run good times and they all ran accordingly,”O’Gorman told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“I’ve really liked this (Mikki Isle) horse from day one and every time I stepped up his work he has handled the whole preparation so well.
“He’s such a professional and he’s a tough, mature horse for a two-year-old and, given Mikki Isle was a champion sprinter-miler, I think this makes him a really attractive horse to a lot of people because, as you can see, he can run time but on type he gives you the impression that he would run a mile or further.”
The Mikki Isle colt, who is a half-brother to recent winner Azaly (Dundeel), is the third foal out of the unraced mare In The Clear (Redoute’s Choice) while O’Gorman also showcased a Starspangledbanner (Choisir) colt who ran 10.45 seconds, a son of Hinchinbrook (Fastnet Rock) who ran 10.49 seconds and a Shalaa (Invincible Spirit) colt who stopped the clock at 10.58 seconds.
“The Hinchinbrook is a readymade two-year-old, tough as nails and a very sound horse and he is by a proven stallion who is also proven in Hong Kong. I think he should be very attractive to the Hong Kong market,” O’Gorman said.
“The Starspangledbanner is a horse with a bit more scope and size on him and he can certainly gallop and run time but he actually, if you look at the mare’s pedigree, is out of a European mare who was running over two miles.
“He should be an attractive option for people looking for something that may develop into a nice three and four-year-old over a mile and 2000 metres.”
O’Gorman believes buyers, particularly those from Asia, will still need to source stock and will look to the two-year-old sales to do that despite not being able to travel to the sales themselves.
“Racing’s obviously continued (for the most part) all around the world, and we’re lucky that it’s kept going in Hong Kong and I feel that there is still a need for these horses,” she said.
“We’re going into a bit of an unknown but if you are presenting the right stock I think they will still sell well.”
O’Gorman returned to her Tamworth base late yesterday where she will now focus on her draft of five two-year-olds entered for the Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale at Riverside Stables. She had a colt by Zoustar (Northern Meteor) last month run the fastest time of her team, setting 10.77 seconds.
“It will be nice to get the Magic Millions colts back home to the farm and given them a couple of weeks before they head to the Gold Coast and I am back down on Friday for another group of horses for clients at the Inglis sale,” she said.
“I am looking forward to the Inglis sale to get a feel for how the market is going to play.”
A colt by Woodside Park Stud shuttler Cable Bay (Invincible Spirit), who is being offered by Nolen Racing, ran the fastest time of the Seymour session in Victoria last week.
Top six fastest Warwick Farm breeze-ups
10.26 – Lot 181 – Mikki Isle-In The Clear colt (O’Gorman Racing Stables)
10.45 – Lot 137 – Starspangledbanner-Doncella colt (O’Gorman Racing Stables)
10.49 – Lot 64 – Hinchinbrook-Silent Eyes colt (O’Gorman Racing Stables)
10.58 – Lot 43 – Shalaa-River Romance colt (O’Gorman Racing Stables)
10.59 – Lot 65 – Super One-Simply Fantastic colt (O’Gorman Racing Stables)
10.59 – Lot 203 – Nicconi-Life’s Zerprise colt (KBL Thoroughbreds)
Charm Spirit gelding sets fastest NZB breeze up on day one
Meanwhile, the first of two breeze-up sessions for the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale was held at Te Rapa yesterday, with a Woburn Farm-consigned gelding by Charm Spirit (Invincible Spirit) stopping the clock at 10.16 seconds. The second session will be held today.
New Zealand Bloodstock sales manager Danny Rolston acknowledged the high standard of quality and presentation of the two-year-olds on show yesterday and it was an opinion shared by a number of local agents.
“The results of the sale speak for themselves and after seeing today’s group of horses parade and breeze up, it’s clear that it is set to continue long into the future,” Rolston said.
“In addition to our experienced bloodstock team, there were a large number of astute buyers and agents on the ground today assessing the horses going through their paces.”
As well Woburn Farm’s Lot 135, a Highly Recommended (Fastnet Rock)-Wilma Rudolf (Stravinsky) colt (Lot 113) breezed up by himself in a time of 10.30 seconds and Lot 48, a Per Incanto (Street Cry) colt out of Royal Access (Exceed And Excel), clocked 10.31 seconds.
Heat 48 saw Lot 2 and Lot 130 both breeze up in a smart 10.49 seconds. By Not a Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice) out of stakes-performed O’Reilly (Last Tycoon) mare O’Naturelle, Lot 2 is offered on account of Jamieson Park while Lot 130, the Contributer (High Chaparral) colt out of stakes-performed mare Ali Spur (More Than Ready) is from the draft of Lilywhites Lodge.
With Covid-19 preventing international buyers from attending, the workload for several New Zealand-based agents has increased, many of whom were on course yesterday to start their inspections.
“I’m really impressed with the quality of the horses presented so far and the track is beautiful here today,” said Phill Cataldo, who has sourced multiple Group 1 winners from the NZB Ready to Run Sales in the past.
Fellow agent Bruce Perry was also pleased with the performance of the two-year-olds on day one.
“It’s a great opportunity to have a look at them all and get an idea of their conformation and physique,” Perry said.
“There are some really nice horses, there will be some great buying and it’s a good opportunity for people to get involved.”
Day two of the breeze-up session will continue today at Te Rapa from 10am (NZT).