A Millions reason to love being in thoroughbreds

The southern hemisphere is about to open with the heralded Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale scheduled from Tuesday January 11 to Saturday 15 of Book 1. Book 2 (of its total 1230 catalogued lots) begin the following day after the massive Magic Millions race-day.

Profondo - winner of this year's ATC Spring Champion Stakes-G1 at Randwick, proved a great advertisement for the top end of the Magic Millions market, the three-year-old colt topping its 2020 prestigious edition when making $1.9 million.

The Arrowfield Stud bred and consigned colt is by champion Japanese star sire Deep Impact, and is likely to find his way to the Scone district property for future stud duties.

First season sires represented at the sale include Australian breds Encryption and Kementari (by Lonhro), Lean Mean Machine (Zoustar), Performer (Exceed And Excel), Santos (I Am Invincible), Showtime and Trapeze Artist (Snitzel), The Autumn Sun (Redoute's Choice), Written By (Written Tycoon), and New Zealand bred Grunt (O'Reilly),

The imports include US bred Bolt D'Oro; Japanese breds Brave Smash, Neorealism, Real Steel, Saxon Warrior; Irish breds Harry Angel, Jungle Cat, Justify, Sioux Nation; and GB bred National Defense.

Regular Magic Millions consigner and seller is Milburn Creek Thoroughbreds at Wildes Meadow in the Southern Highlands, owned by John Muir and managed by Scott Holcombe.

They will offer 11 yearlings including two colts produced by former Australian shuttler Bernardini, America's current hottest sensational broodmare sire of Group 1 winners and including in Australia Angel Of Truth.

Also read: Stud success of Street Cry seen in recent winners

One - from Belladini, is by champion Australian three-year-old The Autumn Sun, while the other - from Soft Kiss, is by Justify, the undefeated US Triple Crown champion racehorse by Scat Daddy.

CHOISIR - an Australian bred trailblazer that has been a celebrated stalwart stallion at Coolmore Stud, died recently at age 22.

Belonging to the third crop of another high profile Coolmore stallion Danehill Dancer (by Danehill), Choisir won five races in Australia including the Melbourne's heralded sprint VRC Lightning Stakes-G1, before his Newcastle conditioner Paul Perry decided to tackle world class in England in 2003.

Choisir became a successful modern-day trailblazer for Australian trainers to embark on such daring missions for top-class sprinters which also includes the memorable Miss Ardretti, Scenic Blast, Takeover Target, Brazen Beau, and Black Caviar.

Choisir swept all before him winning Royal Ascot's prestigious sprint double King Stand Stakes and Golden Jubilee Stakes-G1, before second in another celebrated England sprint July Cup-G1 at Newmarket (to the now outstanding European sire Oasis Dream).

Also having an outstanding stud record, the chestnut stallion sired over 1185 winners and 100 stakes winners from his northern and southern hemisphere stud duties.

Notably his Australian bred and preformed Group 1 winning son, Starspangledbanner, also won the Golden Jubilee Stakes-G1 in England, before his successful stud career.

Choisir legacy lives on via his broodmare daughters as well as other younger Australian bred sire sons including The Mission, Divine Prophet, Worthy Cause, Defcon, and Proisir (a brown stallion finding stud success in New Zealand).

FOLLOWING his withdrawal from stud service due to a foot abscess in October, 15-year-old horse Reward For Effort is another to go, and was reportedly to have been euthanised after complications from surgery.

Belonging to the third crop of foals by champion Australian sire Exceed And Excel, Reward For Effort had a long and successful stud career at Chatswood Stud, Seymour, before recently relocated to Larneuk Stud at Euroa.

"All of us at the farm and the shareholders in the horse are absolutely devastated," said Larneuk Stud owner/operator Neville Murdoch.

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