Yarraman Park's I Am Invincible delivered the knockout blow on the final session of Book 1 of the 2019 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, securing the sale topper for the second year in a row and smashing the record for aggregate sales for a stallion.
With 61 lots catalogued, it was always going to be a big Book 1, but Saturday's final session provided the highlight as Victorian trainer Lloyd Kennewell, backed by a syndicate which included Ossie Kheir, went to $1.7m for Lot 869 out of Group winning mare Oakleigh Miss (Snitzel).
Vinny, as he is commonly known in the industry, already had the aggregate battle won before the much anticipated colt stepped into the ring on Saturday night.
The $1.7million sale topper, Lot 869
The bidding war between Kennewell and Godolphin on his penultimate lot of the sale surpassed the $1.6m paid for Aquis and Phoenix for a Redoute's Choice colt back on Day 1. It adds to his sale topper at this sale last year when the colt out of Tai Tai Tess went for $2m.
Four of the 11 yearlings that went for over $1 million were by I Am Invincible propelling his total aggregate to a monstrous $24,645,000 with 56 sales at an average of $440,089.
That average was achieved off a stud fee of $50,000 and Yarraman Park Director Arthur Mitchell told TDN AusNZ that the results had been life-changing for many of the vendors.
"I think this stallion has changed the life of more small breeders than any other stallion before." - Arthur Mitchell
"I think this stallion has changed the life of more small breeders than any other stallion before. The people who own breeding rights, and some of them who stuck with him, have made quite a lot of money. He's made some people very happy," he said.
"They were people who knew us and people who came and looked at the horse and saw how good looking he was and took a punt that he'd be successful and obviously he's exceeded everyone's hopes."
I Am Invincible started his career as a $10,000 stallion, but as more and more of his progeny have hit the track, it has become clear that he is a sire of the highest quality, building his fee to $175,000 this year.
Mitchell said his crops from here will only get better, reflecting the quality of mare which has been upgraded with every year.
I Am Invincible
"These yearlings are only off $50,000 service fees, next year will be $100,000. That's when the likes of a lot of multiple stakes winners were bred to him. This year that's multiplied again. His book has got better and better as the years have gone on. I think it couldn’t get much better than it has this year, but it will certainly continue," he said.
"His book has got better and better as the years have gone on." - Arthur Mitchell
"They are getting better every year. You won't see many next year out of mares that weren't stakes fillies or stakes producers."
The other satisfying aspect for Yarraman Park is where these yearlings are going, which Mitchell feels will give them maximum chance of racetrack success.
"The yearlings that we are selling, in all price ranges by I Am Invincible, all seem to be going to good stables. All the big boys want to buy them. The majority will end up in the better stables in the land and that always gives us hope that they will be well looked after and well trained," he said.
Yarraman will celebrate the success of I Am Invincible knowing how fickle the business can be. They were devastated by the loss of Hinchinbrook ahead of last season and the late sire sold 17 lots at an average of $148,235 this week.
"Losing Hinchinbrook was heartbreaking for the farm. He's probably one of the most promising young sires in Australia. Accidents do happen and horses are horses. We do the very best we can on farms. We can't wrap them up on cotton wool all the time and we were very sad to lose him. But you've got to be strong, you have to move on and you have to keep moving forward," he said.
Winstar/Newgate/CHC get their Vinny colt
It is stallions like I Am Invincible which excite Winstar Farm's chief Elliott Walden about the Australian thoroughbred scene.
Winstar combined with usual partners Newgate and China Horse Club to pay $900,000 for Lot 799 an I Am Invincible colt out of Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Mimi Lebrock (Show A Heart).
Lot 799 I Am Invincible x Mimi Lebrock
"It's a very nice colt, well balanced, and obviously comes from a good draft. We're excited about getting him," Walden said.
"It's a very nice colt, well balanced, and obviously comes from a good draft." - Winstar Farm's chief, Elliott Walden
"He is doing really well (as a stallion). We’ve got two mares in foal to him with Henry (Field) and are looking forward to getting them into the draft in the future."
The colt, described as a 'fast, precocious 2-year-old type' by vendor Segenhoe Stud's Peter O'Brien surprised Field with his development over the couple of weeks ahead of the sale.
"Henry looked at him on the farm and I didn't have that luxury, but he said he's changed in the three weeks since he saw him," Walden said.
"For me, he looked like a horse that was extremely athletic, well balanced, but also a late foal that could really turn inside out as he got older."
Field and his Newgate team were arguably the busiest people on the Gold Coast this week. Newgate bought 18 horses at a total of $8.9m across their various partnerships, five of them with Winstar.
It was also one of the leading vendors selling 42 lots for a combined total of $10,120,000 at an average of just over $240,000.
Winstar is one of Newgate's key supporters and partners and Walden said the relationship was as strong as ever.
"I know we are in good hands with Henry at Newgate." - Elliott Walden
"Henry has put together a great team. We've done a lot with SF Bloodstock in America, going back to Super Saver (USA), who was the first horse they ever owned," he said.
"We have had a really good run, with Justify (USA) and Audible (USA) and Yoshida (JPN) and Creator (USA), so it’s been a really good relationship. That's what spurred that relationship with Henry in the south. I know we are in good hands with Henry at Newgate."
"It’s a very hands on business and you can’t do it from 6000 miles away. You've got to have somebody that knows what they are doing and that you can trust and Henry is that guy."
