By Kelsey Riley
Magic Millions's marathon National Sale series begins on Thursday on Australia's Gold Coast with the two-day National Weanling Sale. With scratchings accounted for, 497 weanlings are slated to go under the hammer, with leading sires like Fastnet Rock (Aus), I Am Invincible (Aus), More Than Ready, Not A Single Doubt (Aus), Sebring (Aus), Snitzel (Aus) and Written Tycoon (Aus) well represented.
While the catalogue has grown in size from last year, when 406 youngsters were offered, the quality has also increased. There are 58 total weanlings out of stakes mares or siblings to stakes horses, compared to 41 last year, including 49 progeny of stakes winners, compared to 40 last year.
“Once upon a time weanling sales in this part of the world were seen as a cull sale,” said Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox. “That dynamic has changed dramatically. It is now seen as a legitimate sale and a legitimate trade market. To that end we have a number of breeders who are selling their entire crop of weanlings, which really speaks of the evolution of that sale over that period of time. The quality has jumped up dramatically this year. It's the coming of age of the weanling market here in the Southern Hemisphere.”
The weanling sale will also offer first-season sires a chance to start shaping their reputations, and 19 such horses are represented. Those include Adelaide (Ire), Brazen Beau (Aus), Deep Field (Aus), Dissident (Aus), Eurozone (Aus), Hallowed Crown (Aus), Olympic Glory (Ire), Puissance de Lune (Ire), Rubick (Aus), Shooting To Win (Aus), The Wow Signal (Ire), Toronado (Ire), Unencumbered (Aus), Verrazano and Wandjina (Aus).
Click here for an extended preview of the Magic Millions National Sale Series, which runs through June 8 and also comprises the National Broodmare, Yearling and Racehorse Sales.
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