| A regally bred colt by Shalaa has topped Day One of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale at the Gold Coast. |
Leading bloodstock agent Andrew Williams teamed up with Bahen Bloodstock and Victorian trainer Matt Laurie to secure the colt, the last lot offered this evening, for $360,000. A half brother to Golden Rose winner Hallowed Crown and group winner Needs Further, the colt was offered in the yearling section of the catalogue for the Estate of the late Eduardo Cojuangco Sale. Catalogued as Lot 1493, the brown colt is a member of the first Australian crop for Invincible Spirit’s champion son Shalaa and he was offered having been recently broken in from his former Gooree Park Stud home. “He’s got a stallion’s pedigree,” Williams said. “He’s a horse who is a half brother to a Golden Rose-Randwick Guineas horse who is also from the family of Zabeel and we thought he might be a three-year-old style of horse.” “However, given he’s a Shalaa, he has a bit of Invincible Spirit blood there and, first and foremost, I thought he was a ripping sort with lovely size and scope and comes from one of the great nurseries in Australia.” “We’ve been beaten on a lot (of Shalaas) but this is a pretty unique horse with his pedigree and the fact that the Cojuangco family and Gooree’s history with good horses.” “This is the first horse (I’ve bought for Laurie) but because of COVID reasons he was stuck and couldn’t get up here, so he relied on my fantastic videoing and pictures. Matty’s over the moon!” “He’s going to go straight down to (Laurie’s) and go through orientation and learn a bit more in new surroundings and go from there,” Williams added. Earlier in the afternoon well known Hong Kong based owner Bon Ho secured the second and third highest sellers – the Snitzel-National Colour filly and Dundeel-Aspen Summit colt from the Arrowfield Stud draft. Buying under his Legend Racing banner, Ho went to $300,000 to buy the Snitzel half sister to Group One winners Rafeef and Mustaaqeem. The filly is from the Group One winner National Colour. Later in the day he went to $270,000 to secure Lot 1402 – a cracking Dundeel colt who is from a sister to Irish Lights, the dam of Omei Sword. Sydney’s newest trainer Annabel Neasham will have two nice prospects joining her stable including the I Am Invincible-Serious Speed colt who cost $260,000 from the Baramul Stud draft. Arrowfield Stud led the way from a selling point of view. They sold all 15 members of their draft for a sale high draft average of $114,667 and gross of $1.72 million. Across the day over $10.28 million was traded on 191 lots sold at an average price of $53,866 and clearance rate of 75 per cent. Both the average price and clearance rates are remarkably higher than last year’s successful auction which included an $850,000 record breaker. “We are seriously pleased with how today went, given what is going on in the world,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. “It’s the last yearling sale of the season and obviously not being able to have any internationals here on the ground or Victorians or Sydney people, it was mission impossible going into it.” “So to pull it off and the fact it statistically matches up with last year and a clearance rate that is higher and an average that is comparable and a higher median – it is a fantastic result.” “Full credit to the agents and the Magic Millions team, who have gone out and done their work on the catalogue and called a lot of people and engaged with a lot of people who were not able to attend.” “You could see today they were participating on a lot of horses, which was fantastic to see. You’ve only got to look at the results, there was a huge spread of buyers, no one dominated the market.” “Vendors have held onto these horses for a long time now and it has been a very long wait for this sale and we worked really hard to create a market for them and I think looking back on today there is no doubt we did so.” “This is an important sale for the industry as it is the last shot to sell these horses as yearlings and for the buyers it is the last chance they have to buy horses that are eligible to compete on Magic Millions day.” “But for the vendors that have stuck by us and to come out the other side with a healthy market, kudos to them for meeting the market – they have been realistic and I am pleased to have found home for a lot of these horses.” To view the sale results and to make an offer on a passed in lot click here. Day Two of the National Yearling Sale, comprising Book Two youngsters, will commence at 10am (AEST) tomorrow and will be followed by the National Racehorse Sale featuring drafts from the Estate of the late Eduardo Cojuangco and Godolphin. To view the National Racehorse Sale catalogue click here. SALE STATISTICS (2019 in brackets) Lots Catalogued: 293 (384) Lots Sold: 191 (239) Lots Withdrawn: 38 (39) Lots Passed In: 63 (106) Top Price: $360,000 ($850,000) Average Price: $53,866 ($52,556) Median Price: $36,000 ($30,000) Sale Gross: $10,288,500 ($12,561,000) Sold %: 75 (69) TOP SELLERS $360,000 – Shalaa-Crowned Glory colt (Lot 1493) Vendor: The Estate of the late Eduardo Cojuangco / Buyer: Matt Laurie Racing/Bahen B’stock/Andrew Williams B’stock (Vic) $300,000 – Snitzel-National Colour filly (Lot 1276) Arrowfield Stud (As Agent) / Legend Racing (Vic) $270,000 – Dundeel-Aspen Summit colt (Lot 1402) Arrowfield Stud (As Agent) / Legend Racing (Vic) $260,000 – I Am Invincible-Serious Speed colt (Lot 1330) Baramul Stud / Annabel Neasham Racing (NSW) $240,000 – Shalaa-Lonoree colt (Lot 1239) Valiant Stud (As Agent) / Kelly Schweida Racing (Qld) LEADING SIRES (ranked by average – 2 or more sold) $156,000 – Snitzel – 5 sold $134,688 – Shalaa – 8 sold $109,000 – Not a Single Doubt – 3 sold $106,667 – Dundeel – 6 sold LEADING BUYERS (ranked by total spend) $570,000 – Legend Racing – 2 lots $437,500 – Bevan Smith B’stock – 4 lots $412,500 – Kelly Schweida Racing – 4 lots $410,000 – Annabel Neasham Racing – 2 lots LEADING VENDORS (ranked by gross) $1,720,000 – Arrowfield Stud – 15 sold $1,239,500 – Baramul Stud – 20 sold $795,000 – Estate of the late Eduardo Cojuangco – 11 sold $517,500 – Westbury Stud – 9 sold LEADING VENDORS (ranked by average – 2 or more sold) $114,667 – Arrowfield Stud – 15 sold $85,000 – Doran Park – 2 sold $81,500 – KBL T’breds – 5 sold $72,500 – Attunga Stud – 6 sold |
