The two-day Magic Millions Gold Coast 2-Year-Olds In Training sale drew to a close on Wednesday with year-on-year growth in average and median, but a decreased clearance rate. A total of 170 (70.3%) juveniles were sold for A$10,086,500, compared to 212 (73%) sold last year for A$10,369,000. The average was up 21.3% to A$59,332, while the median climbed 14.3% to A$40,000.
“The sale didn't quite end as strong as we had hoped,” Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox said in reference to the clearance rate. “In all it's been a relatively solid sale. Going on leading buyers by jurisdiction Hong Kong was on top with 24 horses at A$2.6-million, while Queensland was next at 35 lots for A$1.6-million, which is a fantastic result for the Queensland Thoroughbred industry. Singapore were again very strong with 19 horses for $1.25-million, and Thailand came in with eight horses at $1.1-million; those [Thailand purchases] will ultimately race in Singapore.”
“We're very happy with the buying bench we had here at the Gold Coast,” Cox added. “There was a good cross-section of buyers and it's been a very reasonable sale all round.”
A pair of colts shared top billing on day two at A$280,000, and both provided excellent pinhooking returns from sales earlier this year. First through the ring was lot 232, a Love Conquers All (Aus) colt bought by Andrew Williams Bloodstock on behalf of David Bourne's Network Bloodstock for A$26,000 at the Magic Millions March Yearling Sale. Lucky Owners Pty signed the ticket on Wednesday.
“It was an outstanding result,” said Bourne. “When you get here and realise there is a lot of interest in the horse your expectations rise a little but probably not to that extent. Andrew was up here at the March sale and did a shortlist for me and I then told him the ones that I fancied and went from there.”
Also hitting the A$280,000 mark was Woodpark Stud's Smart Missile (Aus) colt (lot 245) who had clocked the fastest breeze time of the Warwick Farm session when clocking 200 metres in :10.31. The A$75,000 Inglis Classic sale purchase in February was picked up by Hong Kong owner Pato Leung.
Another who went through the ring at the Classic sale was Widden Stud's Sebring (Aus) colt out of American stakes winner Moon de French (Malibu Moon), but he was rerouted here after failing to find a home at A$140,000. Widden at last parted ways with him on Wednesday, with Kendrick Racing lodging a successful bid of A$160,000 for (lot 179).
Magic Millions owner Gerry Harvey bred, and consigned through his Baramul Stud, two colts to crack the top five on Wednesday.
All Too Hard (Aus) has gotten off to a fast start this season and is leading second-season sire, and Harvey's colt from his second crop (lot 198) made A$160,000 on Wednesday from Tony Sears/Pinhook Bloodstock. The colt is out of the unraced Perfect Stranger (Aus) (Red Ransom), a full-sister to the G1 Blue Diamond S. second Halibery (Aus).
Harvey also sold a More Than Ready colt (lot 170) out of the G2 Reisling S. winner Military Rose (Aus) (General Nediym {Aus}) to Gollan Racing for A$150,000. Military Rose has produced two winners from three to race.
The small Spring Racehorse Sale was conducted immediately following the 2-year-olds in training sale, with 26 of the 27 lots offered sold for a total of A$444,000. Godolphin culls accounted for the top three prices, including the sale-topping 4-year-old gelding Trenchant (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) (lot 317), bought by Shane Morrissy for A$85,000.
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