I Am Invincible takes centre stage at 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale

Yarraman Park's champion sire, I Am Invincible, proved the biggest draw card, having nine of the record 20 youngsters who sold for $1 million or more.

Four horses reached $2 million or more, including a new Magic Millions yearling record at $2.7 million for an I Am Invincible colt from group winning Fastnet Rock winner Anaheed. Selling from Segenhoe Stud, Scone, the I Am Invincible colt sold to Coolmore Stud Australia principal Tom Magnier.

Across five days of book one, buyers spent a total $229 million on the 781 sold lots (from 877 offered) for an average of $293,311.

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Progeny by Zoustar, which stands at Widden Stud, Widden Valley, was another highly sought-after sire, the Northern Meteor horse scoring his most valuable sale yearling, as well as the sale's second top at $2.6 million. This was for the sister to Sunlight (by Zoustar from Solar Charged), which sold from Widden to Yu Long Investments.

It was I Am Invincible again at $2.5 million - the third highest - a colt by Written Tycoon group one winner Booker, which sold via Coolmore Stud to trainer Ciaron Maher.

While only two races ran following inclement weather, country conditioner Cody Morgan scored his biggest win of his training career when Ezekeil won the $500,000 Magic Millions Country Cup at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

Morgan is backed by the stable support of Australian Bloodstock's Jamie Lovett and Luke Murrell, who gave Ezekeil to Morgan to train at his Tamworth base.

Winning the feature Newmarket Sprint on Armidale Cup day last month, Ezekeil liked the wet conditions and dominated in the straight with Melbourne's ace hoop Jamie Kah in the saddle.

Belonging to the first crop of Aquis-based Divine Prophet (by Choisir), Ezekeil was knocked down for $220,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to Aquis, when sold from the North family's Bowness Stud, Young.

After placing twice from his first three starts with local conditioner Kacy Fogden, the gelding was re-sold at the Inglis early March Online auction, making $42,500. The bay galloper has now won five races, had two seconds and three thirds from 15 starts and $372,300 in earnings.

The postponed races from Saturday's Gold Coast program are rescheduled for Thursday.

Sir Patrick Hogan, a New Zealand industry visionary who received huge accolades during his reign over Cambridge Stud in the North Island over numerous stud seasons, died last week at age 83.

Together with his wife Justine, Sir Patrick founded Cambridge Stud in the Waikato Valley in 1976 and selected the Irish-bred Sir Tristram as its foundation horse, a sire which helped reshape the NZ industry and hugely influenced Australian racing and breeding through the 1980s, 1990s and into the 2000s.

While winning two minor stakes races in France, Sir Tristram (a son of US-bred Sir Ivor, by Sir Gaylord, a half-brother to the great Secretariat) rose to great heights as a stallion siring more than 126 stakes winners, including 45 group one winners, including three Melbourne Cup winners, several Derby, Oaks and Guineas winners, as well as a Golden Slipper winner - Marauding in 1987.

His great sire son Zabeel took Sir Tristram's place in 1991 and continued his dynasty, also becoming a multiple champion sire in NZ and Australia.

Zabeel also sired three Melbourne Cup winners and, importantly, champions Octagonal (sire of champion Lonhro, which is the sire of Pierro), and 2004 MVRC W S Cox Plate-G1 winner Savabeel, now a champion NZ sire, and a major Australian industry influence.

Sir Patrick's achievements earned him positions in the NZ and Australian Racing Hall of Fame, and likewise for Sir Tristram, Zabeel, Octagonal - and his GB-bred dam, the Cambridge Stud Book jewel broodmare, Eight Carat.

Such was Sir Patrick and the stud's global reputation, the family played host to numerous international visitors, including Queen Elizabeth II in 1990. In 2016 Cambridge Stud was sold to Brendan and Jo Lindsay, who now carry the mantel of this renowned breeding property into the future.