Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
At A Glance
The aggregate Sale total fell only just short of $200 million, at $197,240,000, over $17 million greater than 2020.
While Book 1 had a larger catalogue by 74 horses, the average actually increased year-on-year, at $253,148, compared to $250,221 in 2020.
The Sale clearance rate stands at 88 per cent, an improvement on the 87 per cent at the conclusion of Book 1 in 2020.
The consistency of the Sale was evident in the median, which finished where it stood for most of the week, in $180,000, the same as last year.
Neasham and Brian McGuire secured the highest lot for the shorter evening session, paying $1 million for an I Am Invincible colt offered by Kia Ora Stud.
A Sale beyond expectations
After what has been an extraordinary build-up to the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, with COVID-19 border closures causing difficulties for buyers and vendors, the strength of the market has emerged triumphant in a terrific vindication of the hard work put in by Magic Millions to ensure the Sale progressed as normally as possible.
It was an emotional and proud Managing Director Barry Bowditch that reflected on five incredible days, in what he hopes will be a statement for the optimism the thoroughbred industry holds in 2021.
"It’s overwhelming. It's special what we’ve achieved. To work as we’ve done in the last six months to put this catalogue together, and then to have the restrictions and the roadblocks put in place over the last month, has put this team under immense pressure. To pull this off to the level we have is something we didn't expect. It was very special," he said.
"It’s overwhelming. It's special what we’ve achieved. To work as we’ve done in the last six months to put this catalogue together." - Barry Bowditch
"This has been crazy, so to do it and to almost gross $200 million, we aimed to do that for Book 1 and Book 2, and to get there in Book 1 is amazing. To average a quarter of a million when we have increased our numbers and to clear the same number.
"We've got a job to do and our job is to sell our vendors' horses for the most money and give our buyers a great experience. Fundamentally, that is what is important to us. We’ll continue to do that and if the results come our way, that's great.
"At the moment, we look to be in a very strong place. It’s well deserved. Our team works so hard, they are an outstanding group of people. I get emotional, because I know how hard they work, they make me look good."
Neasham strikes for Vinnie colt
Emerging Sydney trainer Annabel Neasham made a splash in the final session of Book 1 of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, combining with racing manager Brian McGuire to pay $1 million for a colt by I Am Invincible out of Villa Verde (Not A Single Doubt), which was offered by Kia Ora Stud.
Neasham is set to receive a massive boost to her stable numbers after the investments of Tony Fung and his family at this Sale, with the lion's share of the 19 purchases he made with Phoenix Thoroughbreds set to head to her Warwick Farm base.
However in this instance, it was Neasham buying a colt in her own name with the backing of the Fung family.
Lot 934 - I Am Invincible x Villa Verde (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
"I loved him. I saw him twice on the farm at Kia Ora and I loved him the first time and when I went back for my second looks, I loved him even more," she said.
“His action is great, he’s got a deep girth and he has got a great attitude. He’s got more than one great attitude."
Neasham only attended the Sale after getting Queensland Government approval to travel from Sydney.
“I didn’t think I was going to get up here (to the Gold Coast), so I had worked pretty hard on trying to get a couple of people together to try and secure him, so it is a bonus to get up here and when I saw him again I loved him even more," he said.
“I didn’t think I was going to get up here (to the Gold Coast), so I had worked pretty hard on trying to get a couple of people together to try and secure him." - Annabel Neasham
“It has been a long week waiting for him to come through on the final night, so I am delighted to get him, especially being from a great farm in Kia Ora. Ananda Krishnan has a couple of horses with me and has really supported me, so it is great to get a really exciting colt and hopefully we can come back here next year with him."
Brian McGuire and Shane Wright | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Neasham, who together with McGuire and a couple of other clients has purchased 10 yearlings this week, said the whole Sale had been nothing like she has experienced before.
“It is pretty surreal. This is the first sale that I have been at as a trainer in my own right and to be given that support, I am just so grateful to the Fung family and to Phoenix as well and I can’t wait to get some of those nice big colts into the stable," she said.
“There’s a little bit of pressure but we can try and cope with that. We’ve got a good team, we’ve started off well, so we will try to continue that.”
Double joy for Kia Ora
It was the second million-dollar lot of the week for Kia Ora, who sold Lot 500, the I Am Invincible filly out of Maastricht (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), for $1.2 million on Thursday to Ciaron Maher Racing.
Kia Ora's Breeding and Bloodstock Manager, Shane Wright, said it was great to get the best horses in their draft to such good homes.
"We're delighted to get two million-dollar horses in the week, it's amazing. This colt was top class, we loved him from the day he came in and he has just been perfect ever since," he said.
"We're delighted to get two million-dollar horses in the week, it's amazing." - Shane Wright
"He's really gone down well at the sales. He's behaved himself immaculately, and the very best to Annabel and the team going forward. She has started off amazingly, and it’s only going to continue if she buys quality like that."
The grey colt promised a lot on the pedigree page, being out of the Group 2 winner Villa Verde, who has already produced two winners from as many to the track. She is a three-quarter sister to recent G2 Danehill S. winner Doubtland (Not A Single Doubt) and Listed winner Pretty Fast (Not A Single Doubt).
Lot 934 - I Am Invincible x Villa Verde (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
"He is a lovely type, who's by I Am Invincible, who's a champion. He just gets winner after winner, black-type horse after black-type horse and Villa Verde is a mare that has always been loved. She had a lot of quality and she had speed. You put I Am Invincible over a mare like her, you are always hopeful of a good result," he said.
His full brother, Invencible, fetched $550,000 at last year's Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and is now in work with Team Hawkes.
Villa Verde, who cost Kia Ora $1.1 million off the racetrack at the 2015 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, has since produced a grey filly by More The Ready (USA) last spring before going to Pierro.
"There's a lot of luck that you have to have in this situation. Everything has to go your way, from conception until now. So it’s a huge congratulations to the whole team at Kia Ora. It’s a team effort and they all do an amazing job," he said.
Kia Ora ended up with the fourth highest average of all vendors on $420,000, selling 11 horses for $4.62 million.
"Magic Millions week has been amazing, so it has. Considering the circumstances, Barry, Katie and Gerry have all done an amazing job to pull off a week like this and the results have shown that," Wright said.
The partnership of Tony Fung Investments and Phoenix Thoroughbreds would end Book 1 as the biggest spenders, buying 19 yearlings for a total of $11.675 million.
Redoute's colt creates history
Among their purchases in the Saturday evening session was the final yearling by the legendary Redoute's Choice to go through the ring at this Sale. Lot 880 is a colt out of The Hamptons (Encosta De Lago) offered by Baramul Stud and went for $370,000.
He is the half-brother to stakes-winning Pearl Green (Fastnet Rock), out the family of G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Mrs Onassis (General Nediym).
Watch: Lot 880 parade
He became the 307th Redoute's Choice sold at the Gold Coast January Sale, with aggregate sales of a remarkable $109 million. Over the past 18 years, he has had a total of 16 seven-figure lots.
Nine of his final crop sold on the Gold Coast this week, for a total of $4.16 million, with the top-price of $750,000 achieved by Lot 576, who was offered, quite appropriately, by Arrowfield Stud.
"He's an icon of the industry. He's put the Australian bloodstock industry in a greater place. His sire sons and grandsire sons are performing, the legacy he has left is something that we must be proud of and reflect on it being something special," Bowditch said.
Lot 889 - Zoustar x Thrill (NZ) (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Ciaron Maher Bloodstock was the Sale's most prolific individual purchaser with 37 for the week, including Lot 889, a filly by Zoustar out of Thrill (NZ) (Flying Spur), which cost $625,000 from the draft of Widden Stud.
Thrill is a half-sister to Group 1 winner and Aquis stallion Spieth (NZ) and Group 3 winner Star Of The Seas (Ocean Park {NZ}).
Lot 895 also went for $625,000, picked up by Terry Snow's Willinga Park and Australian Bloodstock. The Snitzel filly out of the Arrowfield Stud draft is an influential family, with her dam, Time Check (USA) (Shamardal {USA}), out of the blue hen mare, Alizes (Rory's Jester).
Amongst her other progeny is Essaouira (Exceed And Excel), the dam of Group 1-winning Godolphin pair Astern and Alizee (Sepoy), as well as the Newgate stallion, Tassort.
Buyers stepped up
Bowditch paid tribute to a buying bench who had to overcome considerable obstacles to get to the Sale.
"It’s a huge list of buyers, when you look at the syndicators, you've got the individual owners, you've got a big, big group of trainers and you've got the funds and farms getting in behind these horses. It's a big deep list and everyone has played their part. I'm speechless," he said.
"These buyers have got a lot to race for, prizemoney is great, the race series is a fantastic fillip. They really got behind these horses and it really boosted the prices. This was the injection the industry needed to give the confidence that the market is in a great place. I'm proud that we have been able to prove a benchmark for the rest of the yearling sales series."
Barry Bowditch
Not A Single Doubt ended Book 1 as the leading sire on average at $597,647 across his 17 lots, clear of I Am Invincible on $544,2545 and Almanzor (Fr) ($506,667), who was the leading first-season sire on average.
Yarraman Park's I Am Invincible topped the Sale on aggregate, with $23.96 million spent across 44 lots, clear of his great rival Snitzel, who also had 44 sell for a combined $20.18 million. Snitzel did claim the honour of having the Sale topper, with the colt by Bonny O'Reilly (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) offered by Widden Stud, selling for $1.9 million to Tom Magnier on Day 1.
The top freshman sire on aggregate was Hellbent, with $5.4 million across 29 lots, providing a double success for Yarraman Park.
Arrowfield Stud ended the leading vendors on aggregate in Book 1, selling $14.665 million across its 45 sales, leading home Widden Stud, who had $12.5 million of sales across 38 yearlings.
Emirates Park's draft of six yearlings produced the highest average of $596,667, with Silverdale Farm second on that table with five sales at $535,000 apiece.
"I'm proud of our vendors. They have sent their very best yearlings that are ready for this Sale. The buyers have seen how we've picked it. We’ve had quality horses from Lot 1 to Lot 962," Bowditch said.
"We’ve got sales all over Australia coming up and it's going to be tricky going from one to the other. We are looking forward to the challenge of ensuring all our vendors get the best opportunity to sell their horses."
Top lots
| 115 | Snitzel | Bonny O'Reilly | C | Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW (As Agent) | Tom Magnier | NSW | $1,900,000 |
| 322 | Kingman | Florentina | C | Segenhoe Stud, Scone, NSW (As Agent for Fairway Thoroughbreds) | Tom Magnier | NSW | $1,800,000 |
| 612 | Not A Single Doubt | One More Honey | C | Emirates Park Pty Ltd, Murrurundi, NSW | Tony Fung Investments/Phoenix Thoroughbreds | QLD | $1,800,000 |
| 811 | Not A Single Doubt | Soleil Brulant | C | Sledmere Stud, Scone, NSW (As Agent) | Coolmore Australia | NSW | $1,500,000 |
| 500 | I Am Invincible | Maastricht | F | Kia Ora Stud, Scone, NSW | Ciaron Maher Bloodstock/Nxt Level Syndication | VIC | $1,200,000 |
| 869 | Written Tycoon | Taqaseem | C | Emirates Park Pty Ltd, Murrurundi, NSW | Spendthrift Australia Pty Ltd | VIC | $1,200,000 |
| 382 | Shalaa | Honesty Prevails | C | Arrowfield Stud, Scone, NSW (As Agent) | James Harron Bloodstock | NSW | $1,150,000 |
| 221 | Not A Single Doubt | Denmagic | C | Torryburn Stud, Torryburn, NSW | Tony Fung Investments/Phoenix Thoroughbreds | QLD | $1,100,000 |
| 852 | Snitzel | Supara | C | Newhaven Park, Boorowa, NSW (As Agent) | Kitchwin Hills | NSW | $1,050,000 |
| 332 | Zoustar | Fuddle Dee Duddle | C | Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW (As Agent) | Victorian Alliance/Suman Hedge B'Stock (FBAA)/David Redvers Bloodstock | VIC | $1,000,000 |
Top buyers
| Tony Fung Investments/Phoenix Thoroughbreds | 19 | $11,645,000 | $612,895 | $1,800,000 |
| Ciaron Maher Bloodstock | 37 | $11,270,000 | $304,595 | $800,000 |
| Gai Waterhouse/Adrian Bott/Kestrel Thoroughbreds | 26 | $8,120,000 | $312,308 | $750,000 |
| James Harron Bloodstock | 7 | $5,275,000 | $753,571 | $1,150,000 |
| Tom Magnier | 5 | $4,905,000 | $981,000 | $1,900,000 |
| Hawkes Racing | 13 | $3,900,000 | $300,000 | $750,000 |
| Victorian Alliance/Suman Hedge B'Stock (FBAA)/David Redvers Bloodstock | 6 | $3,600,000 | $600,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Waller Racing/Mulcaster Bloodstock | 9 | $3,415,000 | $379,444 | $800,000 |
| Kelly Schweida Racing | 10 | $3,070,000 | $307,000 | $725,000 |
| Spendthrift Australia Pty Ltd | 5 | $3,050,000 | $610,000 | $1,200,000 |
Top vendors by aggregate
| Arrowfield Stud, Scone, NSW | 45 | $14,665,000 | $325,889 | $1,150,000 |
| Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 38 | $12,500,000 | $328,947 | $1,900,000 |
| Coolmore Stud, Jerry's Plains, NSW | 41 | $11,435,000 | $278,902 | $950,000 |
| Baramul Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 32 | $10,510,000 | $328,438 | $1,000,000 |
| Newgate Farm, Aberdeen, NSW | 37 | $8,945,000 | $241,757 | $975,000 |
| Segenhoe Stud, Scone, NSW | 23 | $8,895,000 | $386,739 | $1,800,000 |
| Yarraman Park Stud, Scone, NSW | 28 | $8,870,000 | $316,786 | $800,000 |
| Bhima Thoroughbreds, Scone, NSW | 20 | $6,460,000 | $323,000 | $800,000 |
| Sledmere Stud, Scone, NSW | 24 | $6,315,000 | $263,125 | $1,500,000 |
| Vinery Stud, Scone, NSW | 17 | $4,940,000 | $290,588 | $700,000 |
Top vendors by average (3 or more sold)
| Emirates Park Pty Ltd, Murrurundi, NSW | 6 | $596,667 | $3,580,000 | $1,800,000 |
| Silverdale Farm, Avoca, NSW | 5 | $535,000 | $2,675,000 | $750,000 |
| Strawberry Hill Stud, Mt White, NSW | 8 | $434,375 | $3,475,000 | $800,000 |
| Kia Ora Stud, Scone, NSW | 11 | $420,000 | $4,620,000 | $1,200,000 |
| Woodside Park Stud, Nagambie, Vic | 4 | $395,000 | $1,580,000 | $750,000 |
| Segenhoe Stud, Scone, NSW | 23 | $386,739 | $8,895,000 | $1,800,000 |
| Three Bridges Thoroughbreds, Eddington, Vic | 7 | $379,286 | $2,655,000 | $700,000 |
| Tyreel Stud, Agnes Banks, NSW | 10 | $379,000 | $3,790,000 | $650,000 |
| Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 38 | $328,947 | $12,500,000 | $1,900,000 |
| Baramul Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 32 | $328,438 | $10,510,000 | $1,000,000 |
Top sires by aggregate
| I Am Invincible | 44 | $23,960,000 | $544,545 | $1,200,000 |
| Snitzel | 44 | $20,180,000 | $458,636 | $1,900,000 |
| Zoustar | 51 | $14,735,000 | $288,922 | $1,000,000 |
| Written Tycoon | 32 | $10,630,000 | $332,188 | $1,200,000 |
| Not A Single Doubt | 17 | $10,160,000 | $597,647 | $1,800,000 |
| Capitalist | 34 | $8,570,000 | $252,059 | $975,000 |
| Pierro | 32 | $8,350,000 | $260,938 | $550,000 |
| Deep Field | 37 | $7,770,000 | $210,000 | $700,000 |
| Fastnet Rock | 17 | $6,815,000 | $400,882 | $825,000 |
| Hellbent | 29 | $5,410,000 | $186,552 | $500,000 |
Top sires by average (3 or more sold)
| Not A Single Doubt | 17 | $597,647 | $10,160,000 | $1,800,000 |
| I Am Invincible | 44 | $544,545 | $23,960,000 | $1,200,000 |
| Almanzor | 3 | $506,667 | $1,520,000 | $800,000 |
| Redoute's Choice | 9 | $462,222 | $4,160,000 | $750,000 |
| Snitzel | 44 | $458,636 | $20,180,000 | $1,900,000 |
| Fastnet Rock | 17 | $400,882 | $6,815,000 | $825,000 |
| Written Tycoon | 32 | $332,188 | $10,630,000 | $1,200,000 |
| Zoustar | 51 | $288,922 | $14,735,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Pierro | 32 | $260,938 | $8,350,000 | $550,000 |
| Invader | 7 | $257,143 | $1,800,000 | $550,000 |
