At A Glance:
>> Lot 2267, by Dundeel (NZ) out of Santa Rocks (Fastnet Rock), fetched a record price for this sale of $850,000
>> The sale average surged to $52,556 at the end of Book 1, nearly $10,000 more than last year
>> The clearance rate was down on last year, from 71% to 69.2%
>> The median remained at $30,000, the same as it was 12 months ago
>> The gross for the sale rocketed from $9.9m in 2018 to $12.56m in 2019
Hawkes, Orbis get Dundeel colt
Team Hawkes and Orbis Bloodstock acted decisively to secure what they believed was clearly the top lot of the sale, going to new heights to secure the Dundeel colt from Arrowfield's Draft.
The bidding stopped at $850,000 for the Lot 2267, setting a new record for a yearling through this sale.
He is the first foal out of the three-time winner Santa Rocks (Fastnet Rock), who John, Michael and Wayne Hawkes trained for a syndicate of clients which included Arrowfield and Henry Field. She hails from the family of multiple American G1 winner Harlan's Holiday (USA) (Harlan {USA}).
Arrowfield's bloodstock manager Jon Freyer said while the colt was a standout, it was an excellent result in the current market.
"We thought he was a particularly good colt, in fact we thought he was a special colt. The way the sale was we were pleasantly surprised with how he sold," he said.
"We thought he was a particularly good colt, in fact we thought he was a special colt." - Arrowfield bloodstock manager, Jon Freyer
"A lot of the good judges had liked him. It was just a matter of how far they were prepared to go."
"I think they bought him on behalf of Orbis Bloodstock. The Hawkes trained Santa Rocks, the dam, for us, and she was really about to hit her straps and she went wrong and retired."
"They had a good opinion of her and thought she was a black type filly, and she is a Fastnet Rock mare."
Lot 2267 Dundeel (NZ) x Santa Rocks colt
It is the second highest price ever for a Dundeel yearling, just short of the $900,000 for the colt out of Champion mare Miss Finland (Redoute's Choice) purchased by Boomer Bloodstock at the 2017 Magic Millions Sale.
“He was the best horse in the sale,” co-trainer Wayne Hawkes said. “Unfortunately when you come to Magic Millions you have to pay for them – they don’t give them out at the front door!”
“We really liked him. We think he will be a real classic three-year-old type horse and we thought he was the best Dundeel of the year to be totally honest.”
“We hadn’t seen one that we’d really fallen in love with by Dundeel – this was the first one this year, so we made sure we got him.”
“You know when you break a record it’s dear,” Hawkes added. “I think John Moore might have been the underbidder and they obviously wanted him too.”
“If he’s a good horse he will be cheap – it’s as simple as that.”
Dundeel has enjoyed a fantastic season, with Group 1 winners in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, highlighted by Castelvecchio, who won the G1 Champagne S.
He ended Book 1 as the leading sire, having sold 12 yearlings for a total of $1.88m. Arrowfield barnmate Snitzel claimed honours for leading sire by average (more than 3 lots), selling four at $211,500 apiece.
Group 1 stamped all over him
Team Hawkes had earlier gone to $330,000 to buy Lot 2207, a Redoute's Choice colt, again from Arrowfield's draft.
He is out of the South African and UAE Group 1 winner National Colour (SAF) (National Assembly {Can}), who has already produced a pair of Group 1 winners who are full brothers to this colt in Rafeef and Mustaaqem. He is the penultimate foal from National Colour, who produced a Snitzel filly last year.
Lot 2207 Redoute's Choice x National Colour (SAF) colt
"He was a very good Redoute's colt out of a Group 1 winner, and a full brother to two Group 1 winners, quite a rare thing to see in a yearling sale." Freyer said.
"I'd suspect he's the only one in the world this year that would have those credentials."
"I'd suspect he's the only one in the world this year that would have those credentials." - Jon Freyer
The Hawkes also paid $170,000 for Lot 2358, a Mossman colt from the draft of Baramul Stud to end Book 1 as the biggest buyer for the sale, with $1.43m across four lots.
Arrowfield boasted the biggest draft and ended up the most successful vendor, selling 19 for $2.1 million including three of the top four lots on Day 2.
Hong Kong-based Muskoka Farm paid the equal second highest price of the day, $430,000, for Lot 2303, a Not A Single Doubt colt who is the full brother to recent G3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic winner Stronger.
Stronger went for seven figures at last year's Easter Sale, and this colt was less than half the price. Their grand-dam is the quality racemare and excellent producer, Ain't Seen Nothin' (Nothin Leica Dane), who has produced the stakes-winning trio Bachman (All American), Stepitup (Hussonet (USA) and Ain'tnofallenstar (Starcraft {NZ}).
Enuff to secure colt
George Moore Bloodstock set a new mark for a price for the first crop of Woodside Park's Rich Enuff, paying $430,000 for a colt catalogued as Lot 2319.
He was the first foal born on Rae-Louise Farmer's Fernrigg Farm and is from Tanzanite (Jet Spur) the half-sister to stakes-winner Any Suggestion (Lion Hunter) from the family of Group 1 winner Show A Heart (Brave Warrior). He was also the only Rich Enuff sold for the week.
"Nobby as he’s known at home was the first foal born on Fernrigg,” Farmer said. “Bernie Howlett (the breeder) is a good friend of ours and he sent us mares in the first season.”
"He had a bit of a setback earlier on and missed another sale and I was so happy when Bernie rang and asked if we would prepare him for this sale.”
“We loved him from the day he was born. He was the first horse I foaled on my own, I was a nervous wreck. I grew attached to him from the first day I laid my eyes on him.”
“To bring him up here and get that result for Bernie was huge,” she added.
Lot 2319 Rich Enuff x Tanzanite colt
Lot 2240, a Snitzel colt from Quaintly (Giant's Causeway {USA}) offered by Highgrove Stud sold to Aquis Farm for $250,000, while the top Zoustar for the day was a colt from Esker Lodge, which sold to Emerald Bloodstock for $200,000.
Confirming the pre-sale predictions that it was a colts' sale, the top ten lots on Day 2 were all colts.
The top two fillies on Day 2 both went for $150,000. Lot 2554 is by So You Think (NZ), offered by Rosemont Stud and was sold to Cornerstone Stud, while Lot 2368 is a Dundeel (NZ) filly offered by KBL Thoroughbreds and was sold to Shane Nichols Racing.
While there were some highlights for Arrowfield, Freyer said Book 1 had been a difficult one for a lot of vendors.
"It was a tough sale in many ways. While there were buyers there for the particularly good horse. The other ones, with the clearance rate you would have liked to have been a little higher," he said.
Marked overall improvement
Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch was happy with the way the sale improved.
“I’m really pleased on the whole,” he said. “The clearance rate is obviously a little bit disappointing but the average has climbed from $43,000 to $52,000 – that’s a considerable increase.”
“We had some awesome bidding duels with the $850,000 colt and the two other $430,000 sellers in particular. It goes to show if you bring the right article here you can get a huge result.”
The sale concludes with Book 2 of the Yearling Sale on Friday followed by the National Racehorse Sale, with 34 lots on offer. Leaderboards
Top lots
| 2267 | Dundeel (NZ) | Santa Rocks (AUS) | C | 850,000 | Hawkes Racing | NSW | Arrowfield Stud, Scone, NSW |
| 2188 | Snitzel (AUS) | Miss Jakeo (AUS) | C | 500,000 | Gerald Ryan/David Raphael� | NSW | Baramul Stud, Widden Valley, NSW |
| 2319 | Rich Enuff (AUS) | Tanzanite (AUS) | C | 430,000 | George Moore Bloodstock | HONG KONG | Fernrigg Farm, Denman, NSW |
| 2303 | Not a Single Doubt (AUS) | Star Pupil (AUS) | C | 430,000 | Muskoka Farm HK Ltd | HONG KONG | Arrowfield Stud, Scone, NSW |
| 2207 | Redoutes Choice (AUS) | National Colour (SAF) | C | 330,000 | Hawkes Racing | NSW | Arrowfield Stud, Scone, NSW |
| 2240 | Snitzel (AUS) | Quaintly (USA) | C | 250,000 | Aquis Farm | QLD | Highgrove Stud, Darling Downs, Qld |
| 2321 | Zoustar (AUS) | Testy (AUS) | C | 200,000 | Emerald Bloodstock | NSW | Esker Lodge, Beremboke, Vic |
| 2324 | Dundeel (NZ) | The Golden Dane (AUS) | C | 195,000 | Upper Bloodstock | NSW | Element Hill, Innisplain, Qld |
| 2274 | Dundeel (NZ) | Secret Cool (NZ) | C | 180,000 | J J Gordon Bstock Consultants (FBBA) | VIC | Telemon Thoroughbreds, Innisplain, Qld |
| 2358 | Mossman (AUS) | Zulu Queen (AUS) | C | 170,000 | Hawkes Racing | NSW | Baramul Stud, Widden Valley, NSW |
| 2287 | Press Statement (AUS) | Sin Sin Sin (AUS) | C | 170,000 | Ciaron Maher Racing | VIC | Attunga Stud, Blandford, NSW |
| 2174 | Dream Ahead (USA) | Longchamp Belle (AUS) | C | 150,000 | Damian Yap | NSW | Macquarie Stud, Wellington, NSW |
| 2554 | So You Think (NZ) | Consistency (AUS) | F | 150,000 | Cornerstone Stud | SA | Rosemont Stud, Gnarwarre, Vic |
| 2368 | Dundeel (NZ) | Anniversary Jewel (NZ) | F | 150,000 | Shane Nichols Racing | VIC | KBL Thoroughbreds, Beaudesert, Qld |
| 2223 | Lord Kanaloa (JPN) | Orgueil (JPN) | F | 140,000 | Hall of Fame Bloodstock Pty Ltd | QLD | Arrowfield Stud, Scone, NSW |
Top buyers
| Hawkes Racing | 4 | 358,750 | 1,435,000 |
| Gerald Ryan/David Raphael | 2 | 275,000 | 550,000 |
| John Foote Bloodstock | 5 | 90,500 | 452,500 |
| Muskoka Farm HK Ltd | 1 | 430,000 | 430,000 |
| George Moore Bloodstock | 1 | 430,000 | 430,000 |
| Ontrack Thoroughbreds | 4 | 86,250 | 345,000 |
| Upper Bloodstock | 2 | 160,000 | 320,000 |
| Aquis Farm | 2 | 155,000 | 310,000 |
| Lindsay Park Racing/Andrew Williams Bstock | 4 | 75,000 | 300,000 |
| Ciaron Maher Racing | 2 | 135,000 | 270,000 |
| Paul Moroney Bloodstock | 3 | 72,000 | 216,000 |
| Steven Cole Racing | 3 | 69,000 | 207,000 |
| Emerald Bloodstock | 1 | 200,000 | 200,000 |
| Michael Costa | 3 | 65,000 | 195,000 |
| Australian Bloodstock | 5 | 36,400 | 182,000 |
Top sires by aggregate
| Dundeel (NZ) | 12 | 2 | 4 | 30,000 | 850,000 | 75 | 156,833 | 1,882,000 |
| Snitzel (AUS) | 4 | 0 | 1 | 16,000 | 500,000 | 80 | 211,500 | 846,000 |
| Not a Single Doubt (AUS) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 70,000 | 430,000 | 66.67 | 250,000 | 500,000 |
| Rich Enuff (AUS) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 430,000 | 430,000 | 100 | 430,000 | 430,000 |
| Press Statement (AUS) | 8 | 0 | 3 | 15,000 | 170,000 | 72.73 | 47,875 | 383,000 |
| Redoute's Choice (AUS) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 50,000 | 330,000 | 66.67 | 190,000 | 380,000 |
| So You Think (NZ) | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3,000 | 150,000 | 87.5 | 51,429 | 360,000 |
| Reliable Man (GB) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 30,000 | 110,000 | 85.71 | 59,167 | 355,000 |
| Spirit of Boom (AUS) | 6 | 1 | 3 | 20,000 | 115,000 | 66.67 | 58,333 | 350,000 |
| Deep Field (AUS) | 8 | 1 | 5 | 5,000 | 95,000 | 61.54 | 43,188 | 345,500 |
| Kermadec (NZ) | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2,000 | 140,000 | 90 | 38,222 | 344,000 |
| Sebring (AUS) | 6 | 1 | 2 | 8,000 | 120,000 | 75 | 55,500 | 333,000 |
| Zoustar (AUS) | 4 | 0 | 5 | 20,000 | 200,000 | 44.44 | 80,000 | 320,000 |
| Vancouver (AUS) | 4 | 0 | 2 | 32,000 | 110,000 | 66.67 | 73,000 | 292,000 |
| Rubick (AUS) | 4 | 2 | 1 | 10,000 | 120,000 | 80 | 61,500 | 246,000 |
Top sires by average (3 or more sold)
| Snitzel (AUS) | 4 | 0 | 1 | 16,000 | 500,000 | 80 | 211,500 | 846,000 |
| Dundeel (NZ) | 12 | 2 | 4 | 30,000 | 850,000 | 75 | 156,833 | 1,882,000 |
| Zoustar (AUS) | 4 | 0 | 5 | 20,000 | 200,000 | 44.44 | 80,000 | 320,000 |
| Vancouver (AUS) | 4 | 0 | 2 | 32,000 | 110,000 | 66.67 | 73,000 | 292,000 |
| Rubick (AUS) | 4 | 2 | 1 | 10,000 | 120,000 | 80 | 61,500 | 246,000 |
| Reliable Man (GB) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 30,000 | 110,000 | 85.71 | 59,167 | 355,000 |
| Spirit of Boom (AUS) | 6 | 1 | 3 | 20,000 | 115,000 | 66.67 | 58,333 | 350,000 |
| Sebring (AUS) | 6 | 1 | 2 | 8,000 | 120,000 | 75 | 55,500 | 333,000 |
| Smart Missile (AUS) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2,000 | 80,000 | 75 | 54,000 | 162,000 |
| So You Think (NZ) | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3,000 | 150,000 | 87.5 | 51,429 | 360,000 |
| Press Statement (AUS) | 8 | 0 | 3 | 15,000 | 170,000 | 72.73 | 47,875 | 383,000 |
| Akeed Mofeed (GB) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 17,500 | 90,000 | 75 | 43,333 | 130,000 |
| Deep Field (AUS) | 8 | 1 | 5 | 5,000 | 95,000 | 61.54 | 43,188 | 345,500 |
| Pride of Dubai (AUS) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 16,000 | 80,000 | 100 | 42,667 | 128,000 |
| El Roca (AUS) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 26,000 | 50,000 | 100 | 40,333 | 121,000 |
Top vendors by aggregate
| Arrowfield Stud, Scone, NSW | 19 | 6 | 9 | 67.86 | 110,868 | 2,106,500 |
| Baramul Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 11 | 1 | 10 | 52.38 | 90,636 | 997,000 |
| Westbury Stud Ltd, Karaka, NZ | 12 | 2 | 4 | 75 | 57,375 | 688,500 |
| Fernrigg Farm, Denman, NSW | 10 | 0 | 1 | 90.91 | 68,800 | 688,000 |
| Element Hill, Innisplain, Qld | 11 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 55,000 | 605,000 |
| Riversdale, Scone, NSW | 8 | 2 | 2 | 80 | 73,750 | 590,000 |
| KBL Thoroughbreds, Beaudesert, Qld | 10 | 0 | 2 | 83.33 | 57,400 | 574,000 |
| Bhima Thoroughbreds, Scone, NSW | 7 | 2 | 3 | 70 | 69,571 | 487,000 |
| Aquis Farm Operations, Murrurundi, NSW | 9 | 1 | 3 | 75 | 43,056 | 387,500 |
| Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 8 | 1 | 6 | 57.14 | 47,875 | 383,000 |
| Eureka Stud, Cambooya, Qld | 7 | 1 | 4 | 63.64 | 46,500 | 325,500 |
| Highgrove Stud, Darling Downs, Qld | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 150,000 | 300,000 |
| Attunga Stud, Blandford, NSW | 6 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 46,417 | 278,500 |
| Kitchwin Hills, Scone, NSW | 13 | 7 | 2 | 86.67 | 21,385 | 278,000 |
| Evergreen Stud Farm, Heatherbrae, NSW | 6 | 0 | 2 | 75 | 41,833 | 251,000 |
Top vendors by average (3 or more sold)
| Arrowfield Stud, Scone, NSW | 19 | 6 | 9 | 67.86 | 110,868 | 2,106,500 |
| Baramul Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 11 | 1 | 10 | 52.38 | 90,636 | 997,000 |
| Rosemont Stud, Gnarwarre, Vic | 3 | 0 | 3 | 50 | 80,000 | 240,000 |
| Riversdale, Scone, NSW | 8 | 2 | 2 | 80 | 73,750 | 590,000 |
| Bhima Thoroughbreds, Scone, NSW | 7 | 2 | 3 | 70 | 69,571 | 487,000 |
| Fernrigg Farm, Denman, NSW | 10 | 0 | 1 | 90.91 | 68,800 | 688,000 |
| Ashleigh Thoroughbreds, Scone, NSW | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 62,667 | 188,000 |
| KBL Thoroughbreds, Beaudesert, Qld | 10 | 0 | 2 | 83.33 | 57,400 | 574,000 |
| Westbury Stud Ltd, Karaka, NZ | 12 | 2 | 4 | 75 | 57,375 | 688,500 |
| Element Hill, Innisplain, Qld | 11 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 55,000 | 605,000 |
| Lyndhurst Stud Farm, Warwick, Qld | 3 | 0 | 2 | 60 | 52,000 | 156,000 |
| Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 8 | 1 | 6 | 57.14 | 47,875 | 383,000 |
| Macquarie Stud, Wellington, NSW | 4 | 0 | 2 | 66.67 | 46,750 | 187,000 |
| Eureka Stud, Cambooya, Qld | 7 | 1 | 4 | 63.64 | 46,500 | 325,500 |
| Attunga Stud, Blandford, NSW | 6 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 46,417 | 278,500 |