FIVE yearlings fetched the magical million-dollar mark at this year’s record breaking Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Book One which concluded last Saturday night.
With the help of an international buying bench, the book one sale saw 649 lots sell at a record average of $206,922, and record gross receipts of more than $134 million, with an 87 per cent clearance.
Two youngsters shared top honours at $1.3 million each including the full-brother to Widden stud’s outstanding sire Sebring (by More Than Ready), being bred and sold via George’s Altomonte’s Corumbene Stud, Dunedoo. The colt, also a brother to group 1 placed Falkenberg and a half-brother to group 2 winner Pureness, was sold to major Sydney players Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing together with Aquis Farm, Blue Sky Bloodstock and Dermot Farrington NSW.
Sydney bloodstock agent James Harron also outlaid $1.3m for Arrowfield Stud’s colt by its champion sire Redoute’s Choice, from the unraced Stravinsky mare Ballet Blue, a half-sister to six stakes winners.
Two colts by Snitzel and Medaglia d’Oro, and a filly by Fastnet Rock, fetched seven figures. The filly, a half-sister to dual group 1 winning filly Miracles Of Life, was sold via Coolmore Stud, as agent, and who shelled out $1.2m for her to make the second top sale price.
A colt by glamour first crop sire Dundeel proved all the rage on day one of the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale last week, topping the session with a price ticket of $900,000. Selling from the sire’s home base of Arrowfield Stud, the colt was produced from the Scone property’s Golden Slipper winner Miss Finland, a champion two- and three-year-old filly and dam of group 1 winner Stay With Me. The colt was knocked down to Queensland bloodstock agent Craig Rounsefell of Boomer Bloodstock. By deceased High Chaparral, Dundeel – a New Zealand Horse Of The Year and champion Australian middle distance male – had 10 youngsters sell for a $272,500 average. Widden Stud’s part-time first crop sire Zoustar had 32 lots sell for a $265,156 average.
Long-time Warwick Farm conditioner Gary Nickson made the news when securing the only filly by champion US sire Tapit in the sale for $700,000. Sold via Newhaven Park, Boorowa, the grey filly will be raced by the stable’s 94 year-old client Rick Pisaturo of Mandalong Stud on the Central Coast.
Arrowfield Stud’s hot sire Snitzel had the most number of lots sold at 41 yearlings, with the bunch averaging $337,439, the second top for the sales’ sire averages. Snitzel’s top price was $1.1m for the colt from Encosta de Lago mare Sabanci.
Yarraman Park stud has success with I Am Invincible progeny
YARRAMAN Park, Scone, consolidated its place within the Australian Thoroughbred industry by figuring prominently in results of the $10 million Magic Millions race program at the Gold Coast last Saturday.
Last year the stud sold three of the top fancies of the $2 million Jeep Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic – From Within, Invincible Star and Houtzen – the latter filly showing a clean pair of heels in blitzing speed to win.
Invincible Star and Houtzen are by Yarraman Park’s sire I Am Invincible, with Houtzen giving her local trainer as well as her sire their first wins in the prestigious event.
I Am Invincible’s younger stable companion Hinchinbrook also had success as the sire of Flying Jess, winner of the other $2m race, the Gold Coast Millions Guineas.
Flying Jess was bred by John Muir’s Milburn Creek, Wildes Meadow, also breeder of young Snitzel sire Sizzling.
Southern Highlands stud Yarraman Park also sold a $900,000 colt, to be trained by Tony McEvoy, by I Am Invincible.