Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Written by Bren O'Brien
Recent Morphettville winner Short Stories (Shamus Award) has topped the Magic Millions Online Sale (5-7 July) after selling to Shawn Ricardo Bloodstock for $120,000.
The 3-year-old, who had been purchased by trainer Will Clarken for $26,000 from the Inglis Melbourne Gold Sale as a yearling, has had four starts and broke his maiden with a Saturday win at Morphettville on June 5. He followed that up with a second in a BM68 race two weeks later.
Bred by Golden Grove Stud, he is out of the Show A Heart mare Ravaged Heart, whose dam, Devil Inside (Langfuhr {Can}), was a multiple stakes winner.
The new ownership group have the chance to begin recouping their money from this Saturday with Short Stories entered for an 1100 metre race at Gawler.
It was the highlight result of a promising Online Sale for Magic Millions, with an aggregate of $831,700 across 54 horses sold.
Short Stories sold for $120,000 to Shawn Ricardo Bloodstock
"I thought the Sale, on a whole, having a $120,000 Sale-topper and a gross of $800,000 for a relatively small number of horses, was a great result," Magic Millions Managing Director, Barry Bowditch, said.
"We are serious about getting into this online space and getting our vendors to get behind our platform. We thought it was a really good start to that."
"We are serious about getting into this online space and getting our vendors to get behind our platform. We thought it was a really good start to that." - Barry Bowditch
Magic Millions has invested in an online presence over the past 18 months, with monthly Online Sales scheduled throughout the remainder of 2021.
"There's definitely plenty of room for us to be active in this area and it’s an important part of our game and we are serious about making it work. We appreciate the support and work of the vendors and buyers today and we look forward to growing this part of the business in the months ahead," Bowditch said.
In other major results, unraced Astern gelding Mafaaheem was secured for $97,500 to Hastings Bloodstock after being offered by Lindsay Park on behalf of Shadwell.
Mafaaheem, a 2-year-old, has only made one appearance at a trial, finishing fourth at Tatura last month, but is a half-brother to four winners and is out of the Redoute's Choice mare Maraaseem, who was a city winner.
The second dam is the Listed winner Warm Smytzer (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), who is closely related to the Group 1 winner Clear Rose (NZ) (Deputy Governor {USA}).
Mafaaheem sold for $97,500 to Hastings Bloodstock
A share in first season Leneva Park stallion Fierce Impact (Jpn) was sold to Carlton Traders Syndicate for $70,000.
The share entitles the buyer to two service rights for each of the first three years that the multiple Group 1-winning son of Deep Impact (Jpn) stands at stud, and one per year thereafter.
Fierce Impact, who alongside his strong race record, boasts a pedigree that includes his Group 3-winning dam Keiai Gerbera (Jpn) (Smarty Jones {USA}) and his Group 1-winning brother Keiai Natuique (Jpn), stands his first season at Leneva Park for $16,500 (inc GST) in 2021.
The 4-year-old gelding Dimaggio (Deep Field), twice a winner and recently a close-up second at Pakenham for Tony and Calvin McEvoy, was sold for $65,000 to Killanoola Thorughbreds, while 5-year-old gelding Bumper Blast (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}), a four-time winner when in the stables of Robert Hickmott, was secured for $60,000 by Matthews Bloodstock.
Meanwhile, a 60 per cent share in the unraced 2-year-old Red Hawk (Deep Field) was purchased by Belmont Bloodstock for $60,000.
Red Hawk, trained by the McEvoys, was a $260,000 purchase for McEvoy Mitchell Racing and Belmont Bloodstock from the Newhaven Park draft at the 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and is out of a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner Zipping (Danehill {USA}).
The top-priced broodmare of the Sale was Super Longlea (More Than Ready {USA}), who was offered by Bhima Thoroughbreds in foal to Shalaa (Ire) and was secured by Gervase Park Stud for $38,000.
