At A Glance

>> Coolmore teams up with Magic Millions’ Gerry Harvey to snap up the day’s sale topper, the dual Group 1 winner Global Glamour (Star Witness) for $1,550,000.

>> Tom Pritchard-Gordon forced to go to the end of his budget to secure the well-related Dee Nine Elle for $720,000 from Kitchwin Hills.

>> James Harron purchases Blonde Intuition (Redoute’s Choice), a mare he described as the complete package, for $600,000 out of Newgate’s consignment.

>> B2B Thoroughbreds makes its presence felt with Ricky Surace purchasing Elle Lou (Snitzel) from the Newgate draft for $600,000.

>> The sale gross swells to nearly $55 million with an average price of $146,914 and a clearance rate of 79 per cent with 373 lots sold.

Successful game plan

Coolmore and Magic Millions co-owner Gerry Harvey paired together on Wednesday and their considerable resources were more than enough to purchase the day’s highest-price mare, paying $1,550,000 to secure Global Glamour (Star Witness).

As it did on Tuesday, the result tied in with a consistent sale theme and the Widden Stud consigned 5-year-old, who was offered as Lot 1219, is among a glittering array of richly-bred mares confirmed for the American Triple Crown winner, who serves his first Australian book at Coolmore later this year.

When asked the circumstances which led to the formation of the partnership, Harvey said it was finalised after an eventful evening out. “It was after a late night and I gave in.”

No stopping

And he further revealed they would have kept going to ensure they beat off the opposition to make Global Glamour their own.

“We would have kept going, they wouldn’t have got us,” Harvey said.

Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Global Glamour was a high class performer on the track and won five races including the G1 Flight S. and the G1 Thousand Guineas.

She was offered for sale in foal to Widden’s Zoustar, yet another attraction.

“She’s got a lot of quality, she was an amazing race filly and it’s nice to be involved with Gerry,” Tom Magnier said.

“Magic Millions has done a great job and got all the right people to the Gold Coast and we’re lucky we got her.

Also a major player in the Global Glamour story is agent James Bester, who is closely aligned to Coolmore and purchased her as a yearling on the Gold Coast for just $65,000.

"James is a great judge and he bought a great filly (as a yearling) and well done to everyone who went into the ladies’ syndicate,” Magnier said.

She was subsequently raced by a 40-strong group of women, the It’s All About The Girls syndicate, from seven countries.

The syndicate was founded by the United States-based Anna Seitz and Elaine Lawlor, who divides her time between the United Kingdom and Australia, and they brought together female thoroughbred enthusiasts from all parts of the globe.

MM bonus support

The purchase of Global Glamour in January, 2015 was a demonstration of international support for the Magic Millions Racing Women’s (MMRW) Bonus, the brain-child of Magic Millions co-owner Katie Page-Harvey.

“Thanks to Katie’s game changing initiative, It's All About The Girls certainly lived the dream and had so much fun racing this fabulous filly,” Lawlor said.

“Global Glamour is a gift that just keeps on giving. We will be back at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale next January to find another.”

Bester said he was delighted with the racing career and end sale result of Global Glamour.

“I would have hated there to have been an anti-climax,” he said. “She is the best mare to go through the ring in terms of performance. In my view, in terms of physique, she is exactly the type of mare Justify deserves.

“I cannot even imagine what she could produce by him. She is in foal to Zoustar, which is a wonderful start anyway, and to follow that up with a Justify will be wonderful.”

“She could go to any Coolmore stallion, she is free of Danehill, but Justify is the reason she was bought.”

Global Glamour is a graduate of Lauriston Thoroughbreds and James O'Brien was a seriously satisfied breeder as sale events unfolded.

"There was no possible way that I thought she would make that mark when she was born, but after seeing her racing career evolve, I'm very proud to see that result," he said.

"She is the best filly that we've produced. She did an amazing job on the racetrack."

Extra olives please

Earlier in the session, Coolmore also added the Redoute’s Choice mare Extra Olives to Justify’s dance card when she was bought out of Newgate’s draft for $875,000.

“She’s obviously a lovely type with a great page and we’re building a great book for Justify,” Magnier said. “A lot of the best people have booked to him and we’re just adding to that.”

The winner of four races and runner-up in the G3 Vanity S., Extra Oliver is a grand-daughter of four-time Group 1 winner Alinghi (Encosta de Lago)

“We’ve had a fair bit to do with the pedigree over the years. It’s a very good family and this mare’s got a lot of quality,” Magnier said.

Another major plus for Coolmore was the cover – Extra Olives is in foal to I Am Invincible.

Solid business

The sale gross has now grown to almost $55 million with an average price of $146,914 and a clearance rate of 79 per cent with 373 lots sold.

"We may not have had the fireworks of Tuesday, but it was a really solid day's trade - above our expectations," Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said.

"What I've enjoyed is that the vendors who have met the market have been able to find buyers and full credit to the vendors who have come here with realistic reserves. Hopefully, they're walking away with good results."

Leaderboards

Top lots

Top buyers

Top covering sires by aggregate

Top covering sires by average (3 or more sold)

Top vendors by aggregate

Top vendors by average (3 or more sold)

Andrew Bowcock has played a major role in Zoustar’s auction ring success and so there was no surprise he targeted Lot 1215, the grey mare Girl In Flight offered by Yarraman Park with a cover to the Widden Stud stallion.

“I know a bit about Zoustar and sold his highest-priced yearling this year,” Bowcock said. “I’ve got an affinity with him and did a bit of work with Widden helping to launch him.”

The first Zoustar youngster to break the seven figure mark was sold for $1,075,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and was bought by Yulong and Rifa Mustang.

Girl In Flight won the G3 Schweppervescence and is from a European family that includes Prince Gibraltar (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire).

“I’ve always loved Commands as well and her first foal by I Am Invincible is with Godolphin,” Bowcock said.

“She’ll go back to the Hunter where I’ve got my mares and we’ll sort things out from there.”

Agent goes distance

Tom Pritchard-Gordon admitted he was almost out of gas in his pursuit of Dee Nine Elle (Duporth), but the post came up in the nick of time for Badgers Bloodstock's co-owner.

The English agent nailed Lot 1119 from Kitchwin Hills at $720,000 on behalf of Glentree Thoroughbreds and was delighted to have got in the final blow.

“It’s a cliché I know, but she did tick all the boxes, she’s an outstanding individual,” Pritchard-Gordon said.

“That was at the very top end of what we wanted to spend, but she’s special and with plenty of upside.”

Dee Nine Elle was offered in foal to Merchant Navy and having witnessed his Group 1 sprinting exploits in the Diamond Jubilee S., the mare was at the top of Pritchard-Gordon’s shopping list.

“I saw what he did at Royal Ascot and he was pretty special down here too,” he said.

“We haven’t decided the next mating, but she does deserve to go to any top class stallion. It’s a massive bonus that she’s a complete outcross.”

The winner of five races and stakes placed, Dee Nine Elle is a half-sister to the G2 Todman S. winner Yes Yes Yes (Rubick) who can bring further credits to the family roll of honour.

“He looks to be top class and hopefully can get a Group 1,” Pritchard-Gordon said.

Their dam Sin Sin Sin (Fantastic Light {USA}) is a half-sister to the stakes wining siblings Hot As Hell (County) and Flaming Hot and to Craig’s Dragon (Catbird).

A headline act on the pedigree page is In Her Time (Time Thief), the dual Group 1 winner of the Galaxy H. and the Lightning S.

Harron in early action

James Harron was on the front foot early in the session to snap up Blonde Intuition, Lot 1032, out of the Newgate draft for $600,000.

The prominent bloodstock agent had numerous reasons to purchase the mare on behalf of Sydney identity Nick Vass, not the least her parentage and the fact she is in foal to exciting young stallion Capitalist.

“Obviously, there aren’t too many more Redoute’s Choice mares and I love the family,” Harron said. “She’s by Australia’s best broodmare sire.

“There’s a lot of depth to the family and young performers from it popping up every year. She’s the whole package and in foal to Capitalist.”

Harron purchased Capitalist for $165,000 at the Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale and managed the champion colt’s career, which netted four wins and a G1 Golden Slipper S. title before he retired to Newgate.

“His first foals were very well received and we’re very excited about the stock we have,” he said. “They’ll have serious appeal at the yearling sales, he’s made a great start.”

A 2-year-old winner, Blonde Intuition is out of the Group performer Hanky Panky (Anabaa {USA}), who has produced the G3 Up And Coming S. winner Master Ash (Sebring) and the multiple stakes winner Come Hither (Redoute’s Choice).

The dam is also a half-sister to Group 1 producer Not A Single Doubt and to the dams of G1 Flight S. winner Oohood (I Am Invincible) and G1 Golden Slipper S. runner-up and sire Zizou.

Harron said this year’s breeding plan for Blonde Intuition would be confirmed following discussions with Vass.

“We’ll sit down and have a chat, there are plenty of options for her.”

Harron also went to $500,000 for Caveat (Elusive Quality {USA}), Lot 1065, consigned by Yarraman Park Stud and in foal to its resident champion I Am Invincible.

“She’s from a wonderful colonial family and in foal with a nice, early cover to a leading stallion,” he said.

Harron’s pre-sale value of Caveat, a 2-year-old winner and dam of two multiple winners, proved to be on the money.

“It was on the mark. You have to consider the service and work around that,” he said. “These are hard mares to find, they don’t come along very often.”

A daughter of G1 Queensland Derby winner Camarena (Danehill {USA}), Caveat is a sister to the G1 AJC Sires’ Produce S. winner Camarilla, who has produced the dual Group 1 winner Guelph (Exceed And Excel). She is in turn the mother of the G2 Danehill S, winner Encryption (Lonhro).

Surace strikes

Ricky Surace is growing his presence in the industry under his B2B Thoroughbreds banner and he made another splash on Wednesday with the $600,000 purchase of the Group winner Elle Lou (Snitzel).

Consigned as Lot 1160 by Newgate, the package deal was made even more attractive with a cover to I Am Invincible.

“She’s pretty good value – a very good page and a great type,” Surace said. “We hope to get the foal back here to sell in the coming years.”

He is in no rush to commit to a stallion this year for his new acquisition.

“We’ll wait and see how the I Am Invincible comes out and then plan a mating,” Surace said.

He has this year established a base in the Southern Highlands with a property at Mittagong where the intention is to strengthen the broodmare band.

“We’re looking forward to it. It’s a big enterprise and we’d like to have 40 or 50 mares,” he said.

Surace also own shares in stallions Cable Bay (Ire), Merchant Navy, Star Witness and Xtravagant (NZ) as well as the G2 Sandown Guineas winning colt Ringerdingding (Sebring).

The $1 million pricetag achieved by the Oregon's Day (Domesday) at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale is the perfect way for Paul Girolami and his fellow shareholders to end an ownership syndicate which has been on an amazing 20-year journey.

Aquis Farm snapped up the 5-year-old Group 2 winner on Tuesday, strengthening the connection between Aquis owner Tony Fung and his favourite stallion Domesday.

What ended up as a seven-figure deal on the big stage of the Gold Coast through vendor Amarina Farm, started out 20 years ago when Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Bob Skelton imported a filly from New Zealand, who his wife initially mistook for a pony.

Girolami and a few friends were convinced by Skelton to go in shares for the filly, who would be called Oregon Seal (Oregon {USA}).

"We just went in to help Bob as a trainer. We were good friends of the Skeltons here at Mornington," Girolami said.

"She was such a little thing. It was declared that she was the smallest thoroughbred going around at the time. From there, it’s been a quite ridiculously, fantastic journey."

What she lacked in size, Oregon Seal made up for in courage and on the racetrack she would win nine races, including a G3 Tesio S. and $286,000 in prizemoney.

Skelton then decided to breed with her, taking his syndicate of owners on another stage of the journey.

All of her eight foals have been winners, including Talent Show (Jeune {GB}), who was sold for $100,000 as yearling and won a G2 Perth Cup and Oregon Spirit (Bel Esprit), who the syndicate raced themselves, and was a stakes winner with over $400,000 in prizemoney.

But her best progeny was last filly to make the track. Under Mick Price's guidance, Oregon's Day won a Listed race at her second start, the first of four stakes wins as she collected nearly $1m in prizemoney.

But with many of the members of the ownership syndicate in their 80s, it was decided that it was time to cash in and she was sent to the Broodmare Sale to test the market.

"We had a word to Mick Price and few others, and we thought, we'd ask for $750,000 and see how we go and there might be someone interested and we might get up to $800,000. Turns out there were people interested and it went up to million," Girolami said.

"She's won $960,000 and she sold for $1 million. Interestingly enough this time last year, after she had a very good campaign in Sydney and Brisbane, we thought we'll probably be selling her as a 5-year old."

"We thought she might have two more good campaigns and might fluke a Group 1 and we might get $1m out of her. She's had two campaigns that went pear-shaped and she has still made a million!"

Aquis a good fit

That it was Aquis that ended up with her wasn't a total surprise given Fung's love of Domesday, who stands at its foundation farm at Canungra. But there was also a connection through Aquis Farm CEO Shane McGrath.

Girolami pointed out that McGrath was the General Manager at Eliza Park when Oregon Seal visited Bel Esprit three times.

Aquis intends to continue to race Oregon's Day for the time being, and she has been transferred to the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable where she will be given a chance to win a Group 1 race in next month's Tatts Tiara at Eagle Farm.

"Their intention is to send her around in the Tiara and see how she goes. If she gets up, good on them. We won't be saying we shouldn’t have sold her. It’s great," Girolami said.

End of the road

With Oregon's Day now sold, Girolami's time as a racehorse owner comes to an end.

"That's it is it for me. No more horses," he said. "I'm 81 and my wife is 80, and we feel that's enough."

"It’s been a marvellous journey, and we are so blooming lucky, when you think of the thousands people put in and get nothing. We are one of the few that have made a profit."

He'll content himself with watching Oregon's Day's progeny run around in the years to come, while Skelton's son Craig is breeding with one of Oregon Seal's other fillies, Oregon's Girl (Soldier's Tale {USA}), who has a weanling colt by Fiorente (Ire) and is in foal to Ready For Victory.