All is in readiness on the Gold Coast for another bonanza sale when the Magic Millions present the first yearling sale of the season, commencing on January 7 over four days of selling, with a catalogue of 912 lots to be offered.

The Magic Millions has a proud record with 177 Black Type winners during the 2013—14 racing season, including 24 Group 1 successes.

Last year’s sale produced a record result with a turnover of $ 75,082,500; the average was $144,112 for the major catalogue, all the leading studs in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales were well represented with outstanding drafts of quality young horses.

The top lot, a colt by Redoute’s Choice from Hades, was purchased to the call by a visiting American for $1million dollars; he was the ninth yearling to be sold in Australia by Redoute’s Choice for a seven figure sum, the first being in 2005.

Interestingly his three quarter brother is an inclusion in the 2015; he appears in the catalogue as Lot 300 being offered by Corumbene Stud at Dunedoo, he is sure to come in for a lot of attention.

The Magic Millions has come a long way since its inception 30 years ago; it has now been developed into an international sale attracting buyers from every corner of the globe.

Under the current management, led by Vin Cox and his team, the sale has loads of appeal, it is a great catalogue and the horses have been carefully selected.

The big spending Asians love it, buying horses during the day and enjoying the night life the Gold Coast has to offer, plus the flying time makes it much more convenient when travelling time is concerned.

All the prominent leading sires throughout the country are well represented, including More Than Ready with 36 lots, Sebring 53 lots, Redoute’s Choice 20 lots, Fastnet Rock 25 lots, Choisir 20 lots, Not A Single Doubt 17 lots, Snitzel 52 lots, Mossman 13 lots, Testa Rossa 16 lots, and the last crop by Northern Meteor, who sadly is no longer with us, has 28 lots to be offered.

The first season sires are an interesting group of horses that were thrilling race crowds just three short years ago and are now at stud, they have gone to the breeding barn in the anticipation they can take the next step and become successful sires.

Helmet, Sepoy, and So You Think are all well represented with excellent first season crops, they were all outstanding racehorses, they are now ready to take the next step by siring winners.

Helmet, by Exceed And Excel, was a top juvenile who had no trouble extending to 1600 metres, he established a race record of 1.35.36 on a dead 4 track in winning the Caulfield Guineas.

He has a nice draft, evenly spread throughout the catalogue, of six colts and two fillies, made up of 75 percent being chestnuts; very much in his own image, he has put a stamp on his stock.

The first of his progeny will be offered early in the second session on Thursday, Lot 210, a filly, the dam, Dual Spark, came early winning 4 races as a two year old, she is by Spartacus, with her pedigree she could easily be the winner for her sire.

There is no shortage of winners attached to Lot 329, a colt out of the More Than Ready mare, In Expectation, he is line bred to Danehill.

Helmet - Caulfield Guineas winner

Great interest will be centred on the first progeny of Sepoy, he was the superior two year old of his season with wins in the Blue Diamond Stakes and the Golden Slipper, coming back at three to be highly competitive, in all winning 10 races from 12 starts in the southern hemisphere.

He has 34 lots to represent in his first season, with seven lots in the opening session, lot 143, a filly makes a lot of appeal, a first foal from a proven family there are no shortage of winners in her pedigree.

Sepoy - Champion 2yo

Of the first season sires So You Think is an exciting inclusion, a true international among the best performed racehorses to enter stud in Australia.

He has covered quality mares since going to stud, his service fee reflects the class of mares that he has covered.

The colt from Aspen Falls is an interesting youngster; he appears as Lot 80, a half brother to Irish Lights, winner of the MRC Thousand Guineas Group1.

A filly, Lot 366, to be offered by Corumbene Stud at Dunedoo, has a great deal of residual value about her, she comes from a strong family, including the unbeaten Reset.

Lot 474 has a nice pedigree, as does Lot 507, from Pectoralis Major, an American bred dam by Unbridled’s

So You Think - Dual Cox Plate winner

Kyneton & Hanging Rock Racing Club enjoyed a great racing season in 2013-14, and above all an excellent financial result, with a profit of $117,468 after depreciation.

The club has shown a successful return to racing since a $350,000 improved track drainage has been installed, and an irrigation upgrade.

Within an hour’s drive of the C B D, Kyneton has always been a popular racing venue to Melbournians, the most picturesque of Victoria’s country racecourses.

Grants from the State Government and Racing Victoria have been utilised to further improve public facilities at Kyneton, and the installation of a plastic running rail at Hanging Rock.

Racecourses can be built in a short space of time with modern day equipment, however, those that plant trees rarely see them to their full fruition, Kyneton can always be thankful to the McKenna family for their wisdom at the turn of the previous century.

Champion racehorse and leading sire, High Chaparral, died last night within a few days after arriving back in Ireland after a covering season at Coolmore, Australia.

High Chaparral, by Sadlers Wells, was the ultimate racehorse; he went to the starting gate 13 times, winning 10 races, five of those wins were at Group1 level.

He came under notice as a classic contender when he spread the field out at Leopardstown in the Champion Stakes.

That was his first Group 1 success; he soon increased it to three when he put his name on both Derby trophies.

Two trips across the Atlantic to take out the Breeder’s Cup twice, once at Arlington Park in Chicago, and the second time at Santa Anita, set in the San Gabriel Mountains just outside of Los Angeles.

He ventured to Longchamp twice for the jewel in the crown, the Arc, he finished third each time.

High Chaparral first shuttled to New Zealand where he sired It’s A Dundeel, however, after So You Think won the Cox Plate twice, that was the last the Shaky Isles saw of him, he shuttled between Ireland and Coolmore Australia, thereafter.

High Chaparral

Claudia Jean put a space between herself and the colts in the Christmas Season Plate at Flemington, earning a berth for the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast.

A $125,000 purchase she is half way to squaring the ledger after just one race, and the promise is there is more to come.

She is by Not A Single Doubt, but is not exactly a speed filly, there is quite some depth to her, she should get further being out of a daughter of Zabeel.

No doubt improvement will come from some of the colts, as majority were making their debut.

Tom Dabernig was standing in for David Hayes, he mentioned she will have another run this time in Sydney; a decision will then be made whether she goes onto the Gold Coast or comes home.

Claudia Jean -  A Magic Millions prospect

Criterion?

Criterion has arrived in Hong Kong, his objective next Sunday’s Hong Kong Cup over 2000 metres at Shatin, he is the sole representative from Australia, whether he is the right horse is open to conjecture.

His winning strike rate is open to question as well, with 5 wins from 22 starts, even though 4 wins were Stakes races.

Whilst he won the Australian Derby in the autumn, he has not made the expected transition from three to a four year old.

He has not yet won at open age; a couple of placings at weight for age is no redeeming feature, as our weight for age races are getting weaker by the year.

Thompson Still Riding Winners

After riding a winner at Mudgee on Friday, Robert Thompson was off over the border the next day riding a double at Doomben, plus another double at Taree yesterday, he has now ridden 4,064 winners, which is a record in southern hemisphere.

Wins are wins irrespective, however, winning the George Moore Stakes, on the favourite Big Money, gave him great pleasure, as he rode against Moore in an era of great jockeys.

If “cotton fingers” happened to be looking down, you can be sure he would have given the ride the seal of approval.

Surely Thompson is now a worthy candidate for a berth in the Hall of Fame, his record is a fine tribute to a great career.  

Two Year Olds Need Racing

Every capitol city in the country programmed a two year old race last Saturday, all except Melbourne for some reason.

This is the time of the year when juvenile racing should be at a premium, with the major yearling sales commencing within a month.

The progeny of first season sires are in need of opportunity, as they were in the past, when there was a recognised two year old season.

Get The Best - It Pays

Chris Waller doesn’t mind going further afield to get the best, with a large number of runners at Rosehill and all his regular riders booked up, the ride on Moriarty, in Perth, went begging, but not for long.

A quick call to Hong Kong soon had the issue settled, Douglas Whyte was happy to accept the mount with knowledge he was on a definite winning chance.    

The South African born Whyte, who settled in 2001in Hong Kong, was leading jockey in the region 13 times, up until this season when Zac Purton has taken over the mantle.

The Villiers Part Of An Era

The Villiers was the beginning of an unparalleled era of the turf, the Bernborough phenomenon, an experience never to be forgotten.

The war was barely over, there were no new cars about, petrol ration was still on, yet crowds swelled onto racecourses in record numbers, 108,500 for the Caulfield Cup in 1946.

Bernborough attracted people to racecourses like bees to a honey pot, the Villiers Stakes opened his barnstorming campaign that saw him win 15 races straight.

Connections Ponder Late Entry

Voilier turned in a nice run winning the Sires Custodians Plate at Rosehill, and could easily develop into Golden Slipper material.

He is a likely improver by the ill fated Beneteau, who died after a couple of seasons, the only snag, Voilier is not in the Slipper, and to get in is going to be costly.

The original entry fee was $375, first declaration $500, plus $1,000 to be paid in February, the late entry fee is $150,000.