The star mare, a stakes winner in her own right, is now best known as the dam of outstanding racehorses and exciting young stallions Shooting to Win and Deep Field.
The mare, presented in foal to Vancouver’s sire Medaglia d’Oro, attracted an opening bid of $2 million and was the subject of bids from three different parties after reaching $3 million before selling for $3.4 million.
When auctioneer Grant Burns dropped his gavel it was New Zealand based bloodstock agents Michael Wallace and Bruce Perry who held the bid and wrote their names into the Magic Millions history books.
The price is the most paid at a Magic Millions auction – beating the previous $3 million record held by star racemare Princess Coup.
“She offered the whole package,” Michael Wallace said of Listen Here. “We’ve never seen a mare like this come to the market.”
“Her first two foals were sold to stud for massive money off the track – both highly talented and good looking.”
“She’s still a young mare and it was a unique opportunity.”
“The beauty with her is that with her breeding we can go anywhere. We’re lucky in that regard and that was half the attraction as well.”
Edinglassie Stud’s Mick Talty, who presented the mare on behalf of the family of the late Bob Oatley, was delighted with the price.
“It’s great to get a price like that,” Talty said. “It was way over what we thought.”
“She’s such a beautiful mare so hopefully she will be good for the new owners.”
“It’s always sad to see good mares go off the farm because they’ve got the chance to produce a champion, but hopefully she will do it for the new owners,” Talty added.
Beautifully bred mare Cafe Scientific was the second top seller on the day when she was purchased for $775,000 from the draft of Newgate Farm by Dermot Farrington on behalf of Gilgai Farm.
“We believe the foal is good, we’d had it checked out, so we’re happy with that,” Farrington said.
“We wanted this family and it’s very hard to get into. We’re really happy and she was reasonably good value.”
“This is what we strive for. We try to get these pedigrees and she’s one of the best pieces of paper in the book so we’re delighted.”
Another highlight mare on Day Three was Makybe Diva’s stakes winning three quarter sister La Amistad who went under the hammer in foal for the first time to I Am Invincible.
Offered by Tony Santic’s Makybe nursery in Victoria, La Amistad sold to the $675,000 bid of Queensland based bloodstock agent Josh Hutchins and will join the broodmare band at Element Hill.
“At this point she could go to New Zealand to be served by Tavistock or she could stay here and possibly go to So You Think,” Hutchins said.
“She has a lovely pedigree and she’s a lovely mare and she will stay at Element Hill for life.”
“Redoute’s (Choice) as a broodmare sire is doing a great job. She’s about 16 hands and she’s a lovely, good walking mare,” Hutchins added.
The third and final day of the select component to the National Broodmare Sale helped push the overall sale gross to over $74.6 million – up well over $12 million on last year’s great auction.
The clearance rate grew from 79 per cent last year to 82 per cent in 2016 and the average price leapt 14 per cent from $118,205 to $134,309. Over the past three days some 556 lots were sold.
“It was incredible,” Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox said of the fireworks late in the session with Listen Here’s sale.
“The three individual bidders above $3 million in our market is quite unheard of – it is a Magic Millions record $3.4 million. Congratulations to Mick Talty from Edinglassie and the Oatley family.”
“It’s regrettable that we had to offer the mare on behalf of the Estate of the late Mr Bob Oatley, but I think it was a fitting result for a life time of commitment to the thoroughbred industry for Mr Oatley.”
“We’re obliterated all the records. A gross of almost $74.7 million is just out of this world. We dream of this sort of result. It was only four years ago this sale was grossing $20 million.”
“Were we are getting now is comparable to anywhere in the world now and we’re very proud of that – a lot of hard work has gone into it and to sit at that sort of number is very satisfying.”
“What we have proven this year is that we have put something like $38 million extra into the system – over both the January sale and the National Sale which is an extraordinary amount of money.”
“When we are getting the support that we are getting and we are attracting the buyers we are it really sets up us well for the future,” Cox summed up.
To view a video review of Day Three of the sale click here and to view the sale results and to make an offer on a passed in lot click here.
A general session of race fillies and broodmares will be held on Sunday before attention turns to the National Yearling Sale on Tuesday and Wednesday and the National Racehorse Sale on Thursday.
SALE STATISTICS
(2015 in brackets)
Lots Catalogued: 769 (766)
Lots Sold: 556 (527)
Lots Passed In: 118 (142)
Lots Withdrawn: 95 (97)
Sale Gross: $74,676,000 ($62,294,000)
Top Price: $3,400,000 ($1,600,000)
Average Price: $134,309 ($118,205)
Sold %: 82 (79)
DAY THREE TOP SELLERS
$3,400,000 – Listen Here (Lot 1375)
Vendor: Edinglassie Stud (As Agent) / Buyer: China Horse Club/Bruce Perry B’stock (Singapore)
$775,000 – Cafe Scientific (Lot 1010)
Newgate Farm (As Agent) / Dermot Farrington B’stock (UK)
$675,000 – La Amistad (Lot 1194)
Makybe / Josh Hutchins B’stock (Qld)
$500,000 – She’s a Fox (Lot 1360)
Luskin Park (As Agent) / James Harron B’stock (NSW)
$470,000 – Star of Sydney (Lot 1363)
Newgate Farm (As Agent) / Makybe Racing & Breeding (Vic)
LEADING BUYERS
(ranked by total spend)
$5,945,000 – China Horse Club (Singapore) – 13 lots
$3,400,000 – China Horse Club / Bruce Perry B’stock (Singapore) – 1 lot
$2,985,000 – James Harron B’stock (NSW) – 15 lots
$2,968,500 – Belmont B’stock Agency (Vic) – 18 lots
$2,633,500 – Aquis Farm (Qld) – 28 lots
$2,154,500 – Widden Stud (NSW) – 12 lots
$1,940,000 – Mongolian Khan at Windsor Park (NZ) – 14 lots
$1,900,000 – Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (USA) – 1 lot
$1,794,000 – Makybe Racing & Breeding (Vic) – 10 lots
$1,700,000 – Emirates Park (NSW) – 5 lots
LEADING VENDORS
(ranked by total gross)
$7,907,000 – Willow Park Stud – 35 sold
$6,632,000 – Newgate Farm – 31 sold
$6,480,500 – Godolphin – 42 sold
$5,249,000 – Edinglassie Stud – 11 sold
$4,170,500 – Bhima T’breds – 27 sold
LEADING VENDORS
(ranked by average – 5 or more sold)
$477,182 – Edinglassie Stud – 11 sold
$326,000 – Segenhoe Stud – 5 sold
$225,914 – Willow Park Stud – 35 sold
$213,935 – Newgate Farm – 31 sold
$199,700 – Amarina Farm – 10 sold
