Massive Magic Millions spent at record yearling sale

Some 649 lots in the prestigious Book 1 catalogue were sold over the four day sale from January 11 – 14 at a record average price of $206,922 and record gross of more than $134 million.

The statistics are impressive with the average ($206,922) and median ($160,000) prices rising by $10,000 (6.7 percent) on last year’s figures which in turn were both up 15 percent on the 2015 sale.

The buying bench was truly international with 12 countries represented plus every state of Australia: Hong Kong spent $11 million, China $3.8 million, USA $2.2 million and the United Kingdom nearly $2 million.

Praising the depth and diversity of the market, Magic Millions managing director Vin Cox said: “If we had got somewhere near last year we would have been very happy as it was a great sale last year.

"But we have gone above that by quite a margin. We had more horses in Book One. The clearance rate was pretty much the same. Our average has increased while the turnover has gone up massively.

“The sale has grown exponentially over the past five years. It wasn’t that long ago that the sale was averaging around that $60,000,000 mark, so in a short space of time it’s more than doubled,” he said.

Cox said a lot of hard work had gone into increasing the appeal of the sale for breeders and yearling buyers. “We’ve worked hard to get the buyers here, but that is as a result of having the support from the breeders who have given us good horses to take to the market and attract the best buying bench we possibly can,” he said.

Five yearlings achieved the million dollar mark. Top price honours at $1.3 million were shared by a More Than Ready/Purespeed colt sold by Corumbene Stud, Dunedoo, NSW, to champion trainer Gai Waterhouse and a Redoute’s Choice/Ballet Blue colt sold by Arrowfield Stud, Scone, NSW, to Sydney based bloodstock agent James Harron.

Waterhouse – who bought the More Than Ready colt in conjunction with co-trainer Adrian Bott, Aquis Farm, Blue Sky Bloodstock and Dermot Farrington – was thrilled to secure the full brother to her former Golden Slipper winner Sebring. The colt is the tenth foal of the Flying Spur mare Purespeed. As well as Sebring she is also the dam of Group 2 winner Pureness and Group 1 performed Falkenberg.

The Redoute's Choice colt is the third foal for the unraced Stravinsky mare Ballet Blue – a half sister to six stakes horses and from the family of Group 1 winner Imananabaa,

A close relation to former outstanding race filly Miracles of Life sold for $1.2 million at the final Book 1 session on Saturday night. Tom Magnier, bidding on behalf of Coolmore Stud, acquired the Fastnet Rock/Dazzling Gazelle filly after a spirited battle with Victorian trainer Robbie Laing.

The filly, presented by Coolmore, was bred by one of the farm's leading international clients Barbara Banke and will ultimately head to the Lindsay Park stables of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig.

Leading bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster – the man who selected Winx from the 2013 edition of the sale – bought a Snitzel/Sabanci colt for $1.1 million. Offered by Arrowfield Stud, the colt is the second foal of an Encosta de Lago blood sister to Tagus and half sister to Hong Kong star Green Birdie.

Queensland shared the million dollar spotlight when prominent international agent Justin Bahen went to $1 million to secure a Medaglia d'Oro colt for his Hong Kong client Little Kwok Hing Hung. The colt is from a city winning Lonhro three quarter sister to Denman and is from the first draft of homebreds from Aquis Farm, Canungra.

Queensland-based Boomer Bloodstock, operated by Craig Rounsefell, was active in the buying ranks spending $2,570,000 for five lots including the top priced lot at Session 1– a colt by multiple Group 1 winning first season sire Dundeel from Golden Slipper winner Miss Finland  – sold by Arrowfield Stud for $900,000.

(2016 in brackets)

Lots Catalogued: 816 (746)

Lots Sold: 649 (592)

Lots Passed In: 100 (76)

Lots Withdrawn: 67 (78)

Sale Gross: $134,292,500 ($115,806,000)

Top Price: $1,300,000 ($1,600,000)

Average Price: $206,922 ($195,618)

Median Price: $160,000 ($150,000)

Sold %: 87 (89)

(ranked by average - 3 or more sold)

$369,583 - Redoute's Choice - 12 sold

$337,439 - Snitzel - 41 sold

$335,417 - Exceed and Excel - 12 sold

$332,600 - Fastnet Rock - 25 sold

$318,205 - I Am Invincible - 39 sold

$307,500 - Written Tycoon - 8 sold

$292,593 - Not a Single Doubt - 27 sold

$279,400 - More Than Ready - 25 sold

$272,500 - Dundeel - 10 sold

$265,156 - Zoustar - 32 sold