Singaporean and Filipino owners combine for top-priced daughter of Zoustar
Iskander-bred $260,000 filly closes out Magic Millions Gold Coast National Sale
The popularity of Zoustar (Northern Meteor) continued on the final day of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale with a filly by Widden’s banner sire selling for a session-high $260,000 on the Gold Coast on Wednesday, helping trade across seven days on the Gold Coast break $125 million.
Zoustar was also the sire of the $400,000 half-brother to this season’s Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winning colt Move To Strike (I Am Invincible) while a filly by the same sire also sold on Tuesday for $350,000.
Riverstone Lodge’s Nick Taylor, who consigned Wednesday’s session-topping filly, also sold a colt by Zoustar to Australian Bloodstock on day one for $200,000.
Hunter Valley-based Zoustar has sired 16 individual stakes winners in Australasia this season – Group 1 winners Ozzmosis, Zougotcha, Joliestar and Climbing Star among them – and as a result his fee has been increased to an equal Australian-high fee of $275,000 (inc GST), the same 2024 fee as twice reigning champion sire I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit).
Wednesday’s most expensive yearling, which was consigned by Riverstone Lodge, was bought by Omen Bloodstock and Filipino owner Wilbert Tan who was visiting the Gold Coast for the first time.
Singaporean Jayven See, who signed the docket for the session-topper, said Gold Coast hinterland horse educator Ashley Glencross would break the filly in before further plans and a trainer are mapped out for the well-bred filly.
The partnership between See and Tan was facilitated by Magic Millions’ David Chester.
“Wilbert is new to this [industry in Australia]. He races quite a lot of horses in America, but it’s his first time in Australia,” See told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“I looked at all the Zoustars and I was looking for a filly, in particular, and it came down to her. I couldn’t fault her conformation and so I was happy with her. I was prepared to go higher for her if needed.”
Bred by Sheriff Iskander, the Zoustar filly is the fourth foal out of the stakes winner Hell Or Highwater (Not A Single Doubt) whose three foals to race so far have all been successful. She was passed in at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in April.
Earlier, retired South East Queensland stock and station agent Roy Bartholomew, who made his presence felt at the Magic Millions QTIS Yearling Sale in March with the purchase of a $100,000 Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo) filly, added to his 2024 haul by signing for a $150,000 daughter of Pierata (Pierro).
Bred and sold by Canning Downs Stud, the Pierata filly is out of the six-time winner and stakes-placed mare Token Of Love (Al Maher) whose sole foal to race, Token Capitalist (Capitalist), is a Sydney metropolitan winner.
In March, Bartholomew revealed to ANZ Bloodstock News that, at the age of 75, he had decided to buy his first racehorse. He was being advised by Kenmore Lodge’s Cameron and Kellie Bond and that he’d entrusted premier Brisbane-based trainer Tony Gollan with the Spirit Of Boom filly.
Te Akau principal David Ellis was the leading buyer, spending $665,000 on four National yearlings, including the sibling to the stable’s Move To Strike, while Australian Bloodstock purchased six yearlings. Filipino owner Bing Tecson was also busy over the two days, purchasing eight yearlings while Singaporean Eric Koh signed for five lots on day one.
Bargain hunters Peter and Peta Gray bought 21 yearlings, all for no more than $2,000 each, across Books 1 and 2.
The Book 1 yearling sale saw $8.36 million traded, which was down 12 per cent year-on-year, while the average fell five per cent to $42,869. The clearance rate was 71 per cent.
In all, there was $125,368 million traded at the National sale across weanlings, broodmares and yearlings this year, which was down on the $140 million worth of bloodstock sold on the Gold Coast in 2023. It is also well short of the 2021 National Sale record when more than $191 million changed hands.
“There were 1,007 horses sold at a clearance rate of 81.2 per cent. For any horse sale, when you walk into it with a sense of trepidation wondering how the mares’ market is going to hold up, for it to clear nearly 85 per cent of them and at the end of the yearling sale to get nearly 72 per cent, I think the gross number is a great outcome,” Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said.
“We thank our vendors for sticking with us, supporting the sale and making the trip to the Gold Coast and being genuine about the product they bring to the market.”
Magic Millions National Yearling Sale results – Book 1
2024 2023
Catalogued 328 357
Offered 273 306
Sold 195 (71%) 209 (68%)
Aggregate $8,359,500 (-12%) $9,474,000
Average $42,869 (-5%) $45,330
Median $28,000 (-6.6%) $30,000
Top Lot $400,000 $750,000