 |
|
| Staff Writer |
 |
The Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale commences today with high expectations following an impressive catalogue featuring 374 yearlings, representing a significant increase from last year's 333 entries. The two-day auction will showcase offspring from 119 different sires, including some of the country's most sought-after stallions.
Zoustar, currently leading the general sires' table from Widden Stud, presents five yearlings including Lot 1229, a colt being the first foal of dual-listed winner Night Raid from KBL Thoroughbreds. Widden offers one of their most credentialed yearlings in Lot 1311, a son of listed winner So Far Sokool, while Fernrigg Farm presents Lot 1123, a filly from United States stakes-placed winner Gone Glimmering.
The catalogue features three yearlings by triple champion sire I Am Invincible, all consigned by Victoria's Longwood Thoroughbred Farm from group-winning mares. Notable among these is Lot 1468, a filly out of Gr.3 Cockram Stakes heroine Ellicazoom.
First season sires' table leader Ole Kirk has seven representatives, including Baramul's Lot 1181, a colt from eight-time stakes winner Lady Lynette, who captured the Gr.2 Blazer Stakes and finished second in the Gr.1 Myer Classic.
Six yearlings by Newgate Farm's sub-fertile super sire Extreme Choice appear in the catalogue, with four from the draft of Magic Millions boss Gerry Harvey's Baramul Stud. The potential sale topper emerges as Lot 1282, a half-brother to Group Two winner Prost. This December-born colt has been attracting considerable attention and could challenge the sale's record price of US$637,500 paid in 2019 for a Dundeel colt purchased by Team Hawkes.
Baramul also offers Lot 1334, an Extreme Choice filly out of ATC Cup winner Telepathic. Born on February 11, she represents one of three Extreme Choice yearlings at the sale bred to northern hemisphere time, resulting from extra bookings required to accommodate the stallion's low fertility.
Nineteen first-season sires feature in the catalogue, including Coolmore's Home Affairs, whose yearlings topped Magic Millions Gold Coast and Inglis Easter sales this year. The young Coolmore stallion presents four lots, including Lot 1276, a colt from Roulettes, who has already produced two stakes’ winners in Sun City and Parlophone.
Newgate's Gr.1 Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside offers three of his first crop, including Lot 1174, the first foal of an unraced mare from the same family as ten stakes’ winners, including Group One victors Casino Prince, Prince Fawaz, and Singapore Green Birdie.
Managing director Barry Bowditch expressed optimism about the sales prospects, noting the catalogue's improved quality compared to recent years.
"Off the back of some really solid sales both through weanlings and mares, and the yearling sales holding together pretty well this year, I'm optimistic without being completely buoyant," Bowditch told ANZ Bloodstock News.
"Overall, the quality of the catalogue has increased on what we've had over the past couple of years. At the top end, and in the middle to the top end, I suspect the horses in that level are better than they have been in previous years."
The catalogue includes yearlings from black type mares such as Ellicazoom, Night Raid, and Ticket To Ride. Last year's average reached US$31,913, up from US$29,687 in 2023, indicating growing market confidence.
Bowditch acknowledged the challenges of conducting the final yearling sale of the season but remains confident in the diverse international buying bench.
"It's always a tricky sale in that it's at the end of the year, and there's more opportunity than there is demand," he explained. "Buyers and syndicators have gone through five or six thousand yearlings. They've either bought enough or they're still selling what they've got. So there's always that little bit of cautiousness around this sale, because you don't know how much money's left.
"But I feel we've got a good representation from international markets, whether that be South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong or New Zealand."
The auction begins at 11am local time today, with buyers seeking to emulate the success of previous graduates including Rocket Man, Mornington Glory, and Tarzino.