Gai and Rosemont make million-dollar Magic, again

Images Sharon Lee Chapman courtesy of Magic Millions

Rosemont had purchased Amanpour (Northern Meteor), the dam of the I Am invincible colt catalogued as Lot 80, for $1.5 million from Gooree Park Stud at the 2015 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

At the time she was a last start winner of the G1 Queen Of the Turf S. for Waterhouse, and under Rosemont's ownership, she continued in training for her for a further three starts.

That arrangement was the foundation of a strong ongoing relationship between trainer and stud, and on Wednesday it scaled new heights when Waterhouse and her training partner Adrian Bott secured her second foal for an even $1 million from the Rosemont Stud draft.

"After we bought Amanpour, we put her back into work with Gai for a couple of starts. That was almost the beginning of our association and we've kicked things on from there," Rosemont Stud Principal Anthony Mithen said. "We spell a lot of her horses in Victoria and do her pre-training and she obviously won the Geelong Cup with Runaway and he was a Melbourne Cup runner for us, so she's been gold for us."

"She's been outstanding and we are good mates now. They are the things that amaze you when you were sitting at the back stalls watching million dollar lots get sold 15 years ago. You never dream you end up calling Gai Waterhouse a friend and she might buy a horse off you for a million dollars."

"It’s a great game we are in."

Rosemont Stud has made no secret of its ambition, building its broodmare band in recent years by purchasing quality mares from all over the world, while it currently stands stallions Shamus Award, Starspangledbanner, Starcraft (NZ) and Nostradamus at its Gnarewarre-based farm.

Selling million-dollar yearlings at sales like the Magic Millions is the next stage of realising that dream for Mithen and his team.

“It’s a bit of a realisation that if you do the planning and you’re patient with your program and you keep working away at it and upping your quality each year. It’s is a dream to sell one for a million," he said.

“I’ve watched from afar for more than a decade seeing smiles on after horses have made a million dollars and I’ve wondered if we’d ever get the opportunity. It’s a momentous day for the farm and all the team who are absolutely tickled pink. It’s validation for the investment that we have made.”

Gai had eye on colt for some time

Waterhouse identified the I Am Invincible colt as a prospect when she visited Rosemont Stud's farm outside of Geelong in October.

"She saw him in the paddock and she was red hot for the horse. I've been sending her little updates and making sure she didn’t forget about the horse and she kept asking me at the races how he was going," he said.

"It’s great that all that time and planning and effort goes in from her end, and she was able to get the horse she wanted."

Waterhouse saw off several bidders to secure the colt, making him the ninth million-dollar lot by the Yarraman Park phenomenon at the Gold Coast sale after Lot 69, offered by Segenhoe, was secured by Asian Bloodstock Services for $1.05 million earlier in the day.

I Am Invincible now stands only behind the great Redoute's Choice in terms of siring million-dollar yearlings at the Magic Millions Sale.

A potential stallion

Mithen believes the colt, whose pedigree page also features Amanpour's stakes-winning brother Sports Edition and half-brother Turf Express (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) as well as Hong Kong Horse of the Year Rapper Dragon (Street Boss {USA}), could make an ideal stallion prospect himself and as such would love to stay involved.

"I'm hoping to, Gai seems to be swamped there and has a few heavy hitters who were slapping her on the back, but she did ask me if I was looking for room in him and I said yes. Hopefully we will be able to take him to the races and participate in his racing life. I’ll leave her to sort that out," he said.

"I’ve said to her that if we can we’d like to stay involved because he might make a stallion."

Regardless, with a $1 million yearling in the family, it certainly sets up Amanpour for further success as a broodmare.

“She has a got a Redoute’s Choice filly that we might now be able to afford to keep as she’s got a Snitzel 3-year-old filly with Danny O’Brien who is about to go to the races,” he said.

Amanpour visited Exceed And Excel last spring.

Rosemont Stud finished up selling five yearlings on the day, including an Exceed And Excel filly, Lot 159, for $250,000 and a Hinchinbrook colt for $200,000.