Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
377 weanlings by 94 different stallions will make their way through Magic Millions' Gold Coast sale ring on Sunday, May 26 and Monday, May 27.
The numbers are down (as are, according to current Stud Book returns foal numbers overall) from last year’s 478 which included the Edinburgh Park dispersal but down only slightly on 2022 which saw 399 entered.
Last year’s sale saw an average of $81,842 reached, a little lower than the previous year’s $89,178 which was down further from 2021’s $104,446. The medians have however been steady over those three years - between $50,000 and $54,500.
This is a sale which always sees a number of elite-level weanlings fetch big prices, last year’s sale topping Frankel (GB) colt of Upside (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) fetching $925,000, in 2022 a Zoustar filly out of Member’s Joy (Hussonet {USA}) selling for $750,000 (and for $1.1 million as a yearling) whilst in 2021 the recent Newcastle maiden winner Dagon (I Am Invincible) made $1 million.
Plenty of first-season sire action
Close attention will be paid to the progeny of fifteen first-season sires, the best represented by numbers being Coolmore Stud’s dual Group 1 winner Home Affairs with 20 whilst another three have 14 each - Newgate’s G1 Golden Slipper S. hero Stay Inside, Coolmore Stud’s European Horse Of The Year St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) and Newgate’s G1 Moir S. winner Wild Ruler.
Gallery: First-season sires who are well-represented in the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale
And others who breeders will be watching - Acrobat, Captivant, Extreme Warrior, Glenfiddich, Jonker, Palace Pier (GB), Pinatubo (Ire), Portland Sky, Profiteer, Tiger Of Malay and Victor Ludorum (GB).
Also nice are members of the second-crops of such well-credentialled horses as Anders, Bivouac, Farnan, Fierce Impact, Ghaiyyath (Ire), Hanseatic, King’s Legacy, Lucky Vega (Ire), North Pacific, Ole Kirk and Russian Camelot (Ire).
Stallions on the up with progeny on offer include Alabama Express, Brave Smash (Jpn), Castelvecchio, Cosmic Force, Harry Angel (Ire), I Am Immortal, Pierata, Tassort, Too Darn Hot (GB), The Autumn Sun, Written By, Yes Yes Yes and Zousain.
For those liking youngsters by those who already have their name in lights, there are also sons and daughters of several absolute high class stallions - namely Exceed And Excel, Fastnet Rock, Frankel (GB), I Am Invincible, Snitzel, So You Think (NZ), Written Tycoon and Zoustar.
Gallery: Some of the proven sires represented within the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale catalogue
As well as weanlings by such proven stallions as Better Than Ready, Capitalist, Dundeel (NZ), Extreme Choice, Maurice (Jpn), Nicconi, Night Of Thunder (Ire), Pierro, Pride Of Dubai, Russian Revolution, Shalaa (Ire), Shamus Award, Spirit Of Boom, Star Turn, Street Boss (USA), Toronado (Ire), Trapeze Artist and Wootton Bassett (GB).
All sections of the market
Quite the selection there with Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch noting that, “there are more horses across more levels than any sale of its type. All buyers will be able to participate on exceptional prospects across all sections of the market.”
“There are more horses across more levels than any sale of its type. All buyers will be able to participate on exceptional prospects across all sections of the market.” - Barry Bowditch
As well as sire strength, these youngsters hail from strong families with Bowditch reporting that, “more than 25 per cent of Book One offerings are out of black type mares.”
Recent Group 1 winners Tropical Squall (Prized Icon) and Veight (Grunt {NZ}) are recent graduates of this sale, the former purchased by Gooree for just $16,000, the latter a pin-hooker secured for $100,000 and sold on for $220,000.
Gallery: Recent Group 1-winning graduates of the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale
“We are incredibly proud of the success of graduates of the sale,” Bowditch said, pointing out other topliners of recent times... such as Stay Inside ($60,000, as a yearling fetching $200,000), Pierro ($115,000 - onsold for $230,000) and Zoustar ($85,000 - $120,000).
“Whether prospective buyers are seeking a future star of the sales ring as a yearling or a life-changing galloper on the track this is the sale that delivers more success,” Bowditch enthused.
“Whether prospective buyers are seeking a future star of the sales ring as a yearling or a life-changing galloper on the track this is the sale that delivers more success.” - Barry Bowditch
The progeny of high-class mares
Highlights of the catalogue include weanlings out of a number of high-class race mares such as the Group 1 winners Amicus (Fastnet Rock) - a colt by Frankel and Miss Mossman (NZ) (Mossman) - a colt by Shamus Award.
Other Group winners with foals on offer include Amelia’s Dream (Redoute’s Choice) - a So You Think filly, Atlantis Dream (NZ) (Elusive City {USA}) - a Russian Revolution colt, El Daana (Redoute’s Choice) - a Pinatubo colt, Fursa (Hard Spun {USA}) - a Dundeel filly, I’ll Have a Bit (Smart Missile) - a So You Think colt, Villa Verde (Not A Single Doubt) - a Pierro filly, Delectation Girl (GB) (Delegator {GB}) - a So You Think filly, Shared Reflections (Umatilla {NZ}) - a Stay Inside colt, Long Time Ago (Redoute’s Choice) - a So You Think colt, Shazee Lee (Ready’s Image {USA}) - a Stay Inside filly, Agent Pippa (Demerit) - an Ole Kirk colt, Te Akau Rose (NZ) (Thorn Park) - a Captivant filly, Wawail (Lonhro) - a Toronado colt, La Mexicana (I Am Invincible) - a Snitzel colt, Vergara (Snippetson) - a Zoustar filly, Vinicunca (I Am Invincible) - a So You Think colt and Vulpine (Snitzel) - a Zoustar colt.
As well as close relations to big race winners - a Written Tycoon half-brother to the four-time Group 1 winner Preferment (NZ), a Pinatubo half-brother to the South African-based dual Group 1 winner Al Muthana (Deep Field), a Fastnet Rock three-quarter brother to the G1 New Zealand Derby winner Sherwood Forest and a full sister to the G1 ATC Oaks winner El Patroness (Shamus Award).
Vendors from near and far
Vendors from around the country are supporting the sale, Coolmore Stud the biggest by numbers with 24 whilst Newgate have 18 - 14 of whom are the progeny of first season sires.
Barry Bowditch | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Newgate’s Bruce Slade is keen to show those youngsters off... “the proof is in the pudding in regards to the types stallions throw - and we are bringing the pudding to the sales!”
Selling weanlings at a high-profile sale is, he said, a great way to let people see what those at the farm are seeing at home.
“We are so very pleased with the sorts of foals our first season stallions are producing and taking some of them to market is a great way to promote them.”
“We are so very pleased with the sorts of foals our first season stallions are producing and taking some of them to market is a great way to promote them.” - Bruce Slade
“It is exciting times for us, the next step in the careers of Wild Ruler, Tiger Of Malay, Profiteer and Stay Inside.”
“They are all siring great looking foals, strong precocious types and we are looking forward to taking them to market.”
Warrandale Stud’s Di Hannel is excited by having her “biggest draft by a long way” - 18 and counting (more to come in the supplementary section) by “a really nice, broad range of stallions.”
Most of her draft are weanlings belong to clients but several are Warrandale bred, Hannel noting that the biggest factor when deciding to sell them at this stage rather than wait for the yearling sales is “the mitigation of risk.”
A selling extravaganza
To be followed by the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on May 28 and May 30 and by the yearlings on June 4 and 5, the Weanling sale is part of what the company describes as a “selling extravaganza.”
The new $1 million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic will be run over 1000 metres under the lights at the Gold Coast | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Buyers have ample opportunities to compete in a rich series of Magic Millions races including a new one - the $1 million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic to be run over 1000 metres under the new lights at the Gold Coast.
The catalogues for the National Broodmare and Yearling Sales will be released online over the coming days.
