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“My earliest racing memory is of going to the Toowoomba races as a young kid and betting on the colours of the jockey silks”, Harry McAlpine fondly still calls this as his most successful strategy till date. Eureka Stud was incepted in 1935 by Harry’s great grandfather Andrew McAlpine. This 1300 plus acre farm is home to a few of the most dazzling horses in the world. A total of 4 magic millions winners have come out of this farm. That must be enough for us to get excited about anything that the good folks at Eureka Stud do.
Eureka Stud is known to bring some of the biggest and best drafts at the Gold Coast Yearling sales. They realize that they have a reputation to maintain and they take that job very seriously. Harry looks after the stallion bookings and marketing for Eureka and also runs his own company Harry McAlpine Bloodstock. We had a few questions about this years’ draft from Eureka.
Like every year, once again Eureka Stud not only has a large draft but you also have a high-quality draft. Which of them would you consider your highlights?
It is a large draft but there are some great types amongst them particularly the Spirit of Booms as usual but also the progeny of our first season stallion Defcon. Highlights would be lots such at Lot 293 a full sister to stakes winner Champagne Boom. Also, 394 Spirit of Boom colt out of a half-sister to gun sprinter Native Soldier.
As Eureka Stud, how long have you been attending this sale? Which sale will you be attending next?
We have been attending this sale since its beginning and hopefully will be here for a lot longer yet!
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Please tell us about the most expensive and most successful racehorse Eureka has sold at this sale? (They could be the same horse or different ones). Do you have any half-brothers or sisters to those successful horses in this draft?
We have had a good record of offering successful horses for not a lot of money at this sale including dual Group 1 winner Spirit of Boom for $90,000, Group 1 QLD Oaks winner Tinto who was offered here and failed to meet her reserve of $15,000. Also, Boomsara, who was bought for $40,000 and won the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas being now an earner of over $1.6 Million. We also sold Champagne Boom at this sale 2 years ago for $90,000 and she won her first start in a 2yo stakes race and has earned over $222,000 now (She has a full sister for sale).
What is new at Eureka this year?
We are selling the first yearlings this year by Defcon who is an incredibly fast and good looking son of Choisir. They have been well received and purchased by trainers such as Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Chris Munce and Shane Nichols so far. We are looking forward to keeping an eye out for them hitting the track later in the year
Of the horses you've bred and sold at this sale, which one has had the most racetrack success?
Spirit of Boom was sold at this sale for just $90,000 and went on to win 2 x Group 1’s and earn $2.4 Million. And is now a successful sire Boomsara was sold more recently for just $40,000 and won last years Magic Millions 3yo Guineas. He is only 4 and now an earner of over $1.6 million
Has the outbreak of the Corona Virus or the Saudi Cup had any impact on your sales this year?
Not yet but I am sure it will have an impact on the Asian buyers who usually attend this sale.