Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
Jumping at the chance to get on board with an Australian industry at the peak of its powers, New Zealand buyers held their own and came away with 16 yearlings. The key player was David Ellis, the principal of powerhouse syndicator Te Akau Racing, who signed for six horses for a total of $2,495,000.
While the majority of Te Akau’s dozens of Group 1 victories have come with horses purchased on home soil from New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka Yearling Sale, Ellis has also been a regular shopper on the Gold Coast throughout the last two decades.
David Ellis
His recent purchases at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale include Group 1 winner Sword Of State (Snitzel), who he bought for $600,000 from Newgate Farm in 2020, along with Group 2 winners Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) and Gold Fever (NZ) (Savabeel).
The class of 2021 includes the $600,000 purchase Bright Blue Sky (Fastnet Rock), a debut winner at Listed level in New Zealand who later finished fourth in the G3 BJ McLachlan S. before suffering leg swelling and lacerations when unplaced in Saturday’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic. The recent Group 2 placegetter I Choose You (I Am Invincible) came from the same sale, bought for $500,000 from Yarraman Park’s draft.
Ellis has also returned to the Gold Coast during the winter months to make plenty of successful purchases from the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, selecting the likes of Group 1 winners Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago), Tell A Tale (Tale Of The Cat {USA}) and Costa Viva (Encosta De Lago).
Princess Coup when racing | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“Our main sale is obviously Karaka, where we will once again be buying most of our yearlings this year,” Ellis told TDN AusNZ on Monday. “But we’ve had some very good success from buying horses on the Gold Coast as well, where we’ve found horses like Princess Coup, Costa Viva and more recently Sword Of State and Imperatriz. We picked out five fillies and a colt at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale this year, and I think they’re all quality horses.”
Ellis’ highest-priced purchase was Lot 583, a Written Tycoon filly out of the G2 Emancipation S. and Surround S. placegetter Supara (Domesday). Offered by Newhaven Park, she was bought for $800,000.
Ellis also paid $675,000 for a Fastnet Rock filly out of the stakes-placed Keep On Singing (USA) (Hennessy {USA}), $400,000 for a filly by Exceed And Excel out of Elusive Meteor (Northern Meteor), and $100,000 for a colt by Te Akau’s former Group 1-winning 2-year-old Heroic Valour out of Maputo Express (Lonhro).
Gallery: Yearlings purchased by David Ellis at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, images courtesy of Magic Millions
Teaming up with Cambridge Stud, Ellis signed for a $400,000 filly by Fastnet Rock out of Tantalus (NZ) (Savabeel), while he bought a Rubick filly out of the stakes-placed Miss Foxwood (Fastnet Rock) for $120,000 in tandem with associate syndicators Fortuna Ltd.
Ellis says he came away with the yearlings he was hoping for – aided by trainer Mark Walker, who stopped off at the Gold Coast on his way back to New Zealand following a highly successful career in Singapore. Walker will take over Te Akau’s New Zealand operations when champion trainer Jamie Richards relocates to Hong Kong later this year.
Mark Walker | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
“I’m very happy with the yearlings we bought from the Gold Coast this year,” Ellis said. “We’ve combined the Written Tycoon and Exceed And Excel fillies into a single syndicate together, and I said to Karyn (Fenton-Ellis) this morning that I don’t think I’ve ever put two better fillies into a syndicate together before, so it’s hugely exciting.
“We had Mark Walker on the ground for us at the Gold Coast this year, which was a hell of a plus. Not only is he a fantastic trainer – a multiple premiership winner and multiple Group 1 winner who still holds the record for 2-year-old winners in a season in New Zealand – but he’s also an exceptional judge of yearlings. He proved to be a real asset for us in a very competitive market.
“We had Mark Walker on the ground for us at the Gold Coast this year, which was a hell of a plus. Not only is he a fantastic trainer but he’s also an exceptional judge of yearlings." - David Ellis
“It was an extremely strong sale, which I think really shows the remarkable health of racing and breeding in this part of the world at the moment. Prizemoney is at record levels in Australia right now and confidence is extremely high. It’s something that everyone wants to get involved with.
“I think there are some good signs in New Zealand as well, with Australia being so close to us, and with today’s (Monday's) announcement of a new CEO of our TAB – Mike Tod, who brings some very high credentials to that role.
“Things are looking very positive, and now I hope to see that carry on through to our Karaka Sale in March.”
Other Kiwis in action
New Zealanders made 10 other purchases during the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
As well as joining forces with Ellis for the Fastnet Rock-Tantalus filly, Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s Cambridge Stud secured another three new recruits of their own.
Jo and Brendan Lindsay
They paid $425,000 for a filly by Not A Single Doubt out of Diana’s Star (Northern Meteor), $400,000 for a Zoustar filly out of Lovani (Lonhro), and $240,000 for a filly by Dundeel (NZ) out of Rockaroo (Fastnet Rock).
Prominent Kiwi owner Gary Harding went to $280,000 to buy Lot 8, Milburn Creek’s filly by Zoustar out of Elouera (Street Cry {Ire}).
Renowned pinhookers Riversley Park and Ohukia Lodge were also active. Ohukia Lodge bought a $175,000 colt by Deep Field out of Excess Love (Exceed And Excel) and a $90,000 colt by Shamus Award out of Winterinthewoods (SAf) (Western Winter {USA}), while Riversley Park paid $150,000 for a colt by Written Tycoon out of Snitzel Blitz (Snitzel).
Gallery: Some of the yearlings purchased by other New Zealanders, images courtesy of Magic Millions
Upper Bloodstock, RTR Partnership, Bevan Smith Bloodstock and McKeever Bloodstock shared a $200,000 purchase of a Deep Field colt out of Bubbly Duchess (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), while Taranaki horseman Warren Bolton paid $90,000 for a filly by Grunt (NZ) out of Yulong Venus (Bernardini {USA}).
Cambridge-based trainer Shaune Ritchie was the last New Zealander to make a purchase, paying $50,000 for Lot 1151 on Monday afternoon – a colt by Divine Prophet out of Hestia (GB) (Machiavellian {USA}).
