Russell Warwick will have a 22-strong draft to offer at the 2019 Gold Coast Yearling Sale under the Westbury Stud banner and he’s confident the right horses will be heading aross the Tasman for the January 9-15 auction.
“I’ve sold on and off at Magic Millions since 1990. I tended to do some for the other studs who wanted to sell in Australia and called me to put them in our draft and I’d market them on their behalf,” he said.
“We have 140 or 150 weanlings so we tend to try and pick a pedigree suited to the Australian market.” – Russell Warwick.
“Nowadays, you just have to have a really nice type with the right pedigree. We have 140 or 150 weanlings so we tend to try and pick a pedigree suited to the Australian market.
Westbury Stud
“First season sires I tend to take there to get exposure before Karaka and that’s proved very successful for us.
“I took three by Reliable Man and they averaged $157,000 and last year I took four or five El Rocas and they created a very impression with a top price of $210,000. It’s a very good platform for freshman sires.”
The time frame from entry to sale day can be another tricky consideration.
“There’s a lot of crystal ball gazing trying to make a decision in July based on what they may grow like in five or six months and how they furnish.” - Russell Warwick.
“There’s a lot of crystal ball gazing trying to make a decision in July based on what they may grow like in five or six months and how they furnish,” Warwick said.
Gallery: The El Roca x Paloma (NZ) colt who topped Westbury's 2018 MM draft with a price of $210,000
“Sometimes you get it right and sometimes you’re behind the eight ball.
“There are some stallions the Australian market want to buy and some you put in front of their noses and they don’t buy.
“We see that a lot with our staying sires at Magic Millions and they don’t capture the imagination. You just have to put the horses in their best environment.”
Quality on rise
Westbury is owned by Gerry Harvey, as is Magic Millions and leading vendor Baramul Stud, and Warwick said the quality of the sale had increased year on year.
“The calibre of Magic Millions has gone up and the average price will probably be somewhere around $250,000 to $300,000.
“Magic Millions do a great job and being at the Gold Coast in January it’s an attraction from a selling point of view and it gets bums on seats. It can be part holiday and part work.
“We can get stretched with people wanting to see horses on the farm and having staff in Australia – it’s pretty busy from the end of December on.” – Russell Warwick.
“It is a very busy time for us though. We can get stretched with people wanting to see horses on the farm and having staff in Australia – it’s pretty busy from the end of December on.”
The yearling parade ring as Westbury gets pretty busy from December onwards
Warwick said he was particularly delighted with his Magic Millions consignment with a couple of stand-out members – a son of Tavistock (NZ) (Montjeu {IRE}), Lot 569, and an Exosphere (Lonhro) colt, Lot 561.
“The Tavistock is a lovely horse out of the champion mare Fashions Afield. He’s got a stallion’s pedigree and is a colt that is going to turn a fair few heads, he’ll suit the sale.
“He may not have a ritzy pedigree, but as far as a physical specimen goes the Exosphere out of Excessively is outstanding.” – Russell Warwick.
“He may not have a ritzy pedigree, but as far as a physical specimen goes the Exosphere out of Excessively is outstanding.”
Fashions Afield (Redoute’s Choice) won the G1 AJC Sires’ Produce S. and the G1 Flight S. and was the top 2-year-old of her year while Excessively (Exceed And Excel) is a half-sister to the G2 Bill Stutt S. winner and Group 1 placegetter Barbaricus (Lion Hunter).
“We’ve got good stallion representation. It’s a really nice line-up and we’re very fortunate to have the physical types to go with their pedigrees,” Warwick said.
Gallery: Westbury Stud have excellent stallion representation in their 2019 MM draft.
