By Kelsey Riley
The Magic Millions National Weanling Sale came to a close on the Gold Coast on Friday, with the larger catalogue returning figures slightly down on 2016. A total of 378 youngsters changed hands over the two days for A$19,692,500 at a clearance rate of 81%, compared to 292 (88%) sold last year for A$17,348,150. The average dipped 12.3% to A$52,097, while the median was down 23.5% at A$26,000.
“Overall it's been quite a good sale,” summarized Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox. “We had a much bigger catalogue than we've had in previous years and when you get bigger numbers it's hard to keep the market engaged as long or as high.”
“I think the most pleasing thing is the continued sophistication of the weanling market and it's great to see,” he added. “The market aren't fools and they will judge the horses accordingly and pay for them, and when they do find the horse they really do like they'll step in.”
This year's sale-topping Fastnet Rock (Aus) filly at A$525,000 outperformed last year's top price of A$400,000. While that one was bought by Australia's Segenhoe Stud, action at the top end was also seen from U.S. and Dubai interests.
“There was very strong competition on those very good horses and one of the other pleasing aspects was that a lot of the higher-end money and the bigger spenders were largely domiciled overseas,” Cox added. “It's great to see that we're getting investors into the Australian industry and the fact they are investing in weanlings suggests they have a lot of confidence in the Australian domestic market.”
Friday's top-priced lot was Rothwell Park's Exceed and Excel (Aus) colt out of the unraced Artie Schiller mare Doctrine (Aus) (lot 293), who was purchased by Julian Blaxland of Blue Sky Bloodstock for A$320,000. The colt's full-brother topped this session last year at a price of A$350,000, and they are the first two foals out of Doctrine, a half-sister to five-time group winner Rain Affair (Aus) (Commands {Aus}).
“I thought he was a lovely horse,” Blaxland said. “He's by one of the world's great sires in Exceed and Excel–he's done the job obviously here in Australia but also up in the Northern Hemisphere. He's out of an Artie Schiller half to Rain Affair, and I thought he was one of the better colts of the sale. Rothwell Park sell their best stock as weanlings as a rule. He's a really nice horse–a horse we could bring back in January [to the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale] to re-sell or just to race.”
Blaxland was the sale's leading buyer, with 11 bought for A$1,594,000. He also purchased's Friday's top-priced filly, a A$250,000 daughter of So You Think (NZ) (lot 466), who currently sits second on Australia's second-crop sire table with two Group 1 winners this season.
Agent Peter Ford and Hilldene were also busy throughout the two-day sale and were the sale's third-leading buyer with seven purchased for A$1,180,000. Among those on day two was a A$300,000 colt by Darley's first-season sire Brazen Beau (Aus), who ended the sale as the leading first-season sire by average (four sold from four offered for an average of A$201,250). The colt was offered by Cornerstone Stud as lot 335 and is a half-brother to the stakes-winning Shigeru Sendan (Aus) (Denman {Aus}). Hilldene's Nicholas Wakim said he would likely be pinhooked as a yearling.
“We love the stallion,” Wakim said. “We love the look of them and we bought the other one yesterday for A$270,000. We thought he was a very nice type and we'll probably send him back here to Magic Millions for the yearling sale. He met our matrix–everything from pedigree to conformation. We're very happy with him and I think he'll make a lovely colt.”
A son of I Am Invincible (Aus) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Brazen Beau was Australia's champion 3-year-old sprinter and won the G1 Coolmore Stud S. and the G1 Newmarket H. before being just touched off when second in Royal Ascot's G1 Diamond Jubilee S. He stands at Darley's Kelvinside Stud in the Hunter Valley and shuttles to Dalham Hall Stud in Britain.
Sales action now breaks until Tuesday, when the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale begins its four-day run.
“We're looking forward to the Broodmare Sale next week with over 1100 lots catalogued,” Cox said. “Obviously the quality lots have been well documented, however with the significant numbers catalogued those that cast their net wide will be surprised with what they take home, whether they are a mare buyer at the high six-figure level or the low four-figures.”
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