Magic Millions Sales closed on a high note yesterday when a Foxwedge, colt out of Ekleel, changed hands at $340,000, the purchaser being the powerful Hawkes Racing operation.

John Hawkes was up against strong opposition on the colt, but a sustained effort saw him win the day.

Foxwedge looks to be the shining light on the horizon; he has been kicking goals in the sale ring with the demand strong for his progeny.

The colt was well presented by Eliza Park for Heinrich Bloodstock, he was a real standout in the ring, there was a touch of class about him.

He was one of eight yearlings that sold for a six figure sum during a solid day’s selling.

Lot 2045, account of Ararina Farm, saw a good type of colt by High Chaparral from Di Falco, sold for $175,000 to a New South Wales client of Magic Millions.

He was the second foal of his dam unraced by Zabeel, she being a half sister to Valpolicella, the Group winning dam of Stakes winners, Vavasour and Vilanova .

A Singapore client purchased the third top seller, the Sepoy colt out of Candy Vale, half brother to Stakes performer Candy Stripes, for $170,000 from the Newhaven Park draft.

“Competition continued throughout the sale,” said Magic Millions Managing Director, Vin Cox.

A last minute quality draft of eight lots has joined the Magic Millions Broodmare catalogue and will go under the hammer at the conclusion of Friday’s auction.

Headlined by the last start Group1 Amanpour, the draft from Gooree Park, acting as agent for a deceased member of the family, includes two race mares, four brood mares and two weanlings.

Amanpour heads the list, a four year old mare by Northern Meteor, scored a brilliant win in winning the Queen of the Turf Stakes at Randwick during the Championship Series last month.

She is sure to be well sought after, a winner of four races and placed in a further eight, with stakes earnings of $892,740.

It is a sound pedigree being a full sister to stakes winning juvenile Sports Edition, and a half sister to Turf Express.

Amanpour is from the Marscay mare Newscaster, she will also go under the hammer after being served by Smart Missile last spring.

There were no surprises when Lot 331, a magnificent filly, entered the sale ring on the second day of the Magic Millions National Sale on the Gold Coast.

She claimed all the attention at ringside, a beautiful rich bay resembling her sire, the brilliant Snitzel, from Fashion Rocks by Dehere, from an excellent family with all the hallmarks of a complete racehorse, and a bright future as a brood mare when her racing days are completed.

After some spirited bidding she was knocked down to the call of bloodstock agent, John Hutchinson, for $310,000.

“She is a beautiful filly, “said Hutchison “probably the most admired filly in the sale, certainly for us she was “

The second top price of the day’s sale came from a supplementary offering, the Fastnet Rock –Sweet Sanette colt from Coolmore Stud, purchased by Magic Millions acting as an agent for a Victorian client for $300,000.

Day two kicked off strongly when the first lot offered, the Pierro – Walk Alone colt from Rothwell Park Stud, was purchased by James Harron for $280,000, acting on behalf of the Kolivos family that raced the sire, Pierro.

All up the sale to date has grossed $14.8 million, just short of last year’s auction when 96 more youngsters were catalogued.

“It continued on exactly the way it left off on Sunday,” Magic Millions Managing Director, Vin Cox, said, “We’re sitting on an average of just over $60,000, which is sensational.”

“There has been great competition from all parts of the world, investors from South Africa, Ireland, America, New Zealand and of course, domestically, we are all very happy with it.” Cox added.

Lots Catalogued 369 against last year’s figures in brackets (465)
Sales Gross $14,829,500 --- ($15.245,000
Top Price $500,000 --- $710,000
Lots Sold 247 --- (350) Lots withdrawn 62----(62)
Lots Passed In 64 --- (53)

Leading Sires (ranked by average –by 3 or more lots sold—Fastnet Rock 7 lots sold average $195,714---Pierro 11 lots sold average $190,909 --- Medaglia d’Oro 6 lots average $174,167 ---All Too Hard 8 sold lots average $173,125 --- Snitzel 3 Lots sold average $166,667 – Sepoy 4 sold lots average $118,750.

Records were broken, shattered in fact, at the Magic Millions National Sales on the Gold Coast yesterday.

Billed as the biggest thoroughbred horse sale in the southern hemisphere, money was flittered about as if it was going out of fashion.

Weanlings, no more than nine months of age, only weaned from their mothers a couple of months ago, commanding six figure sums.

James Harron, a young man with a keen eye for a horse, signed the purchase chit for $500,000 for lot 111, the bay colt by Medaglia D’Oro, from the dual winner Starfish by Redoute’s Choice, offered by Wood Nook Farm at Nagambie.

Wood Nook Farm offered 12 lots by various sires, realising $1,917,500, averaging $159,791, per lot.

Among the draft were two Pierro colts, one selling for $300,000 and the other for $180,000, plus three Fastnet Rock colts selling for $280,000, $220,000 and $70,000.

Six colts by Golden Slipper winner, Pierro, sold for a total of $1,180,000, an average of $196.000.

All Too Hard, who had the wood on Pierro in both the Caulfield Guineas and the Cox Plate, both went to stud as three year olds.

Six lots were on offer by All Too Hard, all well grown youngsters with quality, they are built like racehorses, his six lots sold for a total of $1,120.000, an average of $186,000.

The scene is set; all is in readiness for the biggest horse sale to be held in the southern hemisphere, staged by the Magic Millions Sales on the Gold Coast.

Selling commences on Sunday 24^th of May, running over seven sessions, closing May 31st with selling each day beginning at 10am.

With the main catalogue of 1348 lots, plus a supplementary catalogue of an additional 62 lots of 11 weanlings and 51 broodmares, the Magic Millions rivals Tattersalls at Newmarket, and Keeneland in Kentucky.

Magic Millions on the Gold Coast is a magic venue; it attracts people from many parts of the world and from various walks of life.

The Gold Coast to Australians is what Miami is to Americans, a magnificent climate, a good excuse to escape the cold winter, plus an exciting thoroughbred horse sale.

Last year’s sales were the best on record, the weanling section grossed $8,276,500 against $4,781,850 the previous year, the Lot 381, a filly by Lonhro from True Blonde, offered by Sehenhoe Stud, changed hands at $710,000.

Weanlings are a big feature of the sale, this year; many by leading sires, pin hookers may have trouble sorting them out as to where the best value lies.

Much interest will be centred on the progeny of the best colts out of the 2012-13 season, All Too Hard and Pierro, both now at stud, their progeny were well received at the recent Sydney sales when the first of their youngsters were offered.

Pierro has 13 lots to be sold, with Newgate and Rothwell Park each represented by three lots.

While All Too Hard’s first crop were well received when offered in Sydney, he has an impressive draft on the Coast, five lots from Vinery, where the stallion stands, and four lots from Baramul, the former home of Star Kingdom.

The sale will provide buyers with the final opportunity to purchase a yearling eligible for nomination to the $11.29 million Magic Millions Race Series, including the landmark $10 Million Gold Coast Raceday in January 2016.

Over the years the sale has established itself as one of the best, producing top value in the country with graduates including Golden Slipper winner Polar Success, Singapore champion Rocket Man, New Zealand based record breaker Princess Coup, Oakleigh Plate winner Woorim , star Kiwi filly Costa Viva, and the reigning Queensland Oakes heroine Tinto

Among the highlights of the week long sale is the Heinrich Bloodstock Unreserved Dispersal, among the 46 lots on offer, 13 lots are already paid up for the national Magic Millions Race Series, all but two have already been broken in and educated.

The dispersal from Wood Nook, at Nagambie, numbers 26 mares and 12 weanlings, included are two colts by Pierro.

A supplementary catalogue has quite a few surprises, with four quality mares worthy of a place in any stud, Sweet Idea by Snitzel, her eight wins include the Group 1 Galaxy Stakes, Fix (NZ) by Iffarrj her eight wins have been over 1000 to 2000 metres, Rudd Awakening, a success at Group 1 in New Zealand, and Arabian Gold, a Group 2 winner by Dubawi.    

“We are honoured to present what will be the finest supplementary catalogue ever for an Australian thoroughbred auction, with a sensational selection of quality lots, “ said Magic Millions Managing Director, Vin Cox.

Rudd Awakening - a Group 1 Winner to be offered at Magic Millions

Entries already received for the Magic Millions National Sales at the end of May, and in to early June, are looking good.

Among the impressive list is the Group 1 winning mare, Diademe, she would be an asset to any stud in the land as this type of mare rarely make it into the sale ring.

She ran a race record in winning the Group1 Breeders Stakes at Te Aroha over 1600 metres, dashing over the trip in 1 minute .33.34, establishing a new course record at the track.

Diademe is by New Zealand’s leading sire, Savabeel from Bling, an unraced sister to Irish Nova, the dam of Sacret Star.

The sisters are by Centaine, he had a quality pedigree, he was New Zealand’s gain and Australian’s loss when he crossed the Tasman.

An interesting inclusion in the National Sale is the Heinrich Unreserved Dispersal Sale of weanlings, yearlings, race fillies and broodmares joined to several leading sires.

The draft will be prepared and presented by Eliza Park International, on behalf of the Heinrich family.

“This dispersal will provide opportunity for potential buyers to purchase quality stock at all levels of their development, “said Vin Cox, Magic Millions Managing Director “

The weanlings are an interesting lot by Animal Kingdom, Bernardini, Big Brown, Casino Prince, Denman, Foxwedge, Helmet, Hinchinbrook, Lope de Vega, Manhattan Rain, Myboychralie, Nicconi, Sebring, Sepoy, Sidereus, Star Witness, Trusting and Zizou.    

All the hype and excitement surrounding the increased prize money levels in Queensland were reflected when records were shattered on the first day of the Gold Coast March Yearling Sale yesterday.

Averages went through the roof with the gross soaring to 59 per cent on last year’s opening day of 36 per cent, and the clearance rate increasing from 64 per cent to 75 per cent.

A lot of positives will arise out of this sale, breeders will now be achieving increased prices for the horses they breed and confidence will be riding high.

Over $4 million was traded yesterday, against $2.554 million on the corresponding day last year; the 140 lots averaged $28, 686 against $21,107 last year.

“It has been a phenomenal start to the March Yearling Sale, “said Managing Director Nick Cox, “the strength of the sale has been the middle market with consistent prices for quality horses throughout the day, “he added.

Racing in Queensland is currently in good shape and with a lot to look forward to with the $10 million bonanza on the Gold Coast in January 2016.

Top sellers were Glenlogan Park, Lot 153 Real Saga – Classic Covet colt $110,000, Lyndhurst Farm, Lot 142 Sequalo –Bye Bye Diamonds colt $90,000, JD Thoroughbreds, Lot 95 I Am Invincible – Zebithea colt, Kilto Park Thoroughbreds, Lot 165 Written Tycoon –Courtship $75,000 .

Tony Gollan, no stranger to Melbourne, purchased five lots for $285,000 and Tony Haydon, formerly foreman to Peter Moody, spent $175,000 on four lots .

How I remember those regular jaunts around yearling time in Tasmania, visiting the various studs, inspecting the yearlings and returning for the sales a couple of months later.

Tasmanians are very hospitable people; sometimes we would arrive before breakfast, yet were always invited to sit down with the family.

Armidale, at beautiful Carrick, was high on the agenda, the late David Whishaw never failed to make us welcome.

That was the time when Armidale was home to the sires, St.Briavels, a cracking sort of horse, he was a chestnut by Sovereign Path, who predominantly sired grey horses, St Briavels was the exception.

Poachers Moon was a great back stop for Armidale, he was a very consistent sire, while Blessington by Bletchingly, was the new kid on the block.

Bert and Colleen Walker, of Hillstead Stud at Sheffield, stood Lord Helpus, and the former good two year old Pacifica, he was by Red God.

The last port of call was always John Lyne’s Leighton Stud where Sand Hawk was located; he was by Grundy, the 1975 English Derby success.

It is sale again in Tasmania with the Magic Millions selling out of the Inveresk Showgrounds in Launceston, on Thursday February12.

Again, an interesting sale, as quite a few sires are appearing on the scene that was featured in the Magic Millions Sales catalogue on the Gold Coast.

A wide variety of nice horses are being offered that are sure to appeal, 121 lots have been catalogued, the progeny of 66 different sires.

A lot of interest and sentiment is sure to centre on Lot 44, with his close relationship to The Cleaner, the pride and joy of Tasmania, he could be the sale topper, he has type and pedigree.  

Armadale Stud is well represented with 23 lots and Graeme McCulloch’s Grenville Stud, at Whitemore; also have 23 lots to be offered.

Lot 7 from Armidale, by the first season sire Master Of Design, makes appeal, the grand dam had a lot of ability, there is depth even though it is over four generations.

Lot 1, a filly consigned by Ambergate Farm at Scone, is by Zizou, she is the second foal of her dam, her first foal, Hizou, is a winner of three races.

Lot 2, the colt by Zoffany, makes a lot appeal, his progeny on the Gold Coast sold up to $180,000, averaging $93,750 for four lots sold.

Lot 3, another colt by Master Of Design, looks good, although he may be a trifle inbred to Danehill.

Yearlings by Helmet and Sebring, in particular, will create interest, Sebring is a Golden Slipper success and proving very much a versatile sire, getting progeny at the classic distance of 2400 metres.

The only colt in the sale, Lot 93 by the ill fated Beneteau, seems sure to claim attention, reports are positive about him, his yearlings averaged $135,700 at the Magic Millions Sales on the Gold Coast.

Tasmania has a record of breeding sound horses and there is a wide variety of nice horses at the sales on February 12, commencing at 1pm.