Coolmore get on the board at Magics parting with $1.3 million for Tangier

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

Coolmore invest in high-class family

Coolmore fought hard to secure talented filly Away Game (Snitzel) on Tuesday, but were eventually beaten off by powerful Yulong, who went all the way to $4 million to secure the 2020 R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner.

And Magnier showed there were no hard feelings, instead looking at the positives and believes Yulong, and other big buyers' activity in the industry, only signals how healthy things are in Australia.

“I think the market is really healthy in Australia. It’s amazing to see what’s going on here and long may it last. Prizemoney is good and it’s no surprise to see so many international people here this week,” said Magnier.

Catalogued as Lot 892, the winning Tangier hails from one of the most popular families in the Stud Book, being out of Darley’s blue-hen mare Essaouria (Exceed And Excel), whose seven winners to race are headed by multiple Group 1 winner Alizee (Sepoy) and Tangier’s Group 1-winning brother Astern, who now stands at Darley’s Kelvinside base.

Essaouira is also the dam of stakes-placed pair Mogador (Lonhro) and Tassort, who is a resident at Henry Field’s Newgate Farm, while the top-producing mare herself is a daughter of Group 2 winner Alizes (Rory’s Jester).

The mare was offered in foal to I Am Invincible and Magnier said the mare would be covered by the stallion’s dual Group 1-winning son Home Affairs when he returns from his overseas jaunt to Royal Ascot.

“She has a great physical and she’s obviously got a great pedigree,” Magnier said. “She’s in foal to I Am Invincible. Home Affairs is going to Royal Ascot next week and he’s going very well, Chris (Waller, trainer) is delighted with him and James (McDonald, jockey) is very happy with him.

“We have a real belief in the stallion and I don’t think we’ve ever owned a horse down here like this before so we really want to get behind him and he deserves to get the best mares. When he gets back from Royal Ascot these mares will be waiting for him.”

Gathering a high-class book

Coolmore have been stock-piling top-class mares for Home Affairs, with Tangier the second high-profile mate confirmed to make up the talented colt’s first book of mares. Coolmore are also set to send two-time Group 1 winner Shout The Bar (Not A Single Doubt), who they purchased for $2.7 million at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale earlier this month, to the stallion next season.

“We spent a lot of time looking for these kinds of mares all week. Home Affairs is a very good-looking horse with loads of quality and I think they’ll love him when they see him in Europe next week.

“A lot of people have booked their mares already and we’re sending good mares of our own to him. He’ll be supported by some of the best mares in the country which is really exciting - I’ll certainly be hanging my hat on this stallion.”

A winner of the G1 Coolmore Stud S. and G1 Lightning S., Home Affairs will be attempting to add a third top-flight race to his record when he tackles the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot and he will be looking to emulate his future barnmate Merchant Navy, who landed the Group 1 in 2018.

Home Affairs will also be striving to follow in the footsteps of Choisir - winner of the 2003 edition of the Group 1, having landed the G2 King’s Stand S. five days earlier - and Magnier remembered the son of Danehill Dancer’s (Ire) - who died last year - career-defining trip to Royal Ascot in 2003.

“We lost Choisir a couple of months ago who was the flag-bearer for horses heading up there from Australia, so it is nice to have another one,” said Magnier.

Home Affairs' Chris Waller-trained stablemate Nature Strip (Nicconi) will join Home Affairs in the venture to Royal Ascot and The Everest winner is likely to clash with the Wesley Ward-trained and Coolmore-raced Golden Pal (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}) in the G1 King’s Stand S. in the opening day of the five-day meeting.

“He’s got a great chance on the Saturday and also I really like our horse (Golden Pal) on the Tuesday. I think Nature Strip is very good, but it’s going to be a huge battle up there against Golden Pal. I don’t think Australia and America have met on the racetrack properly before that Tuesday race will be really exciting to watch,” said Magnier.

Depending on how Home Affairs gets on at Ascot, Magnier said the colt could have his swansong in the G1 July Cup, before heading home to begin his career as a stallion.

“If the Saturday goes well we might go to the July Cup but no matter what he’ll have to fly back to Ireland to be in quarantine that night so it’s all pretty tight. We’re looking forward to getting over there now,” he explained.

The Gold Coast this week has been hit by torrid weather conditions and Magnier was quick to praise all the staff for battling through the rain during the inspections.

“Thanks to the staff from all the farms here this week, it’s been horrific weather and they’ve done a really good job getting us through.”

Another good result for Godolphin

Tangier also signified a good return for Godolphin, who have enjoyed good results at this Sale in the past, most notably when they sold Erato (Street Cry {Ire}) to Australian Bloodstock for $120,000 in 2017, after she had foaled down a filly by Lonhro, who would subsequently turn out to be 2019 G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Lyre.

Australian Bloodstock then sold the mare for $1.75 million to Yulong at the 2019 edition of the Sale.

Godolphin Australia’s Managing Director Vin Cox told TDN AusNZ that, while he thought the mare would sell well, the $1.3 million she realised was more than he expected.

“The price wasn’t a total surprise but obviously we’re delighted as it was far greater than our hopes coming into the Sale. To get $1.3 million and be purchased by Coolmore is exciting for us because they’re investing in the family and we’ll be beneficiaries as well. We wish them every success,” said Cox.

“She was one of the nicer mares in the catalogue with her pedigree but you never expect seven figures, even if you hope for it. To get well into seven figures was a wonderful result for us and great for the team.

“She’s very Medaglia D’Oro with that dark colour and good length to her, she’s the style of mare which you could imagine, with her bloodlines, might make as much as she did. She’s very well-related, we have a number of daughters of hers and her own dam is still going, so to expose part of the family to the market seemed to us to be good business."

On how they choose which mares are sold at the Sale, Cox said: “We usually decide the breeding season before we send them. We have a list of retained mares that we review and cultivate to ensure that the quality is there.

“Largely, the ones we do sell are maiden mares off the track that we have enough exposure in, like Tangier, or if they’re excess to our needs. We produce in excess of 100 foals a year which means 100 yearlings and 100-plus 2-year-olds, with so many coming in you have to push some out the other side.”

Later on in the afternoon, Godolphin celebrated another good result when the winning Tragic (Reset) mare was sold to Fernrigg Farm and Avesta Bloodstock for $600,000.

Catalogued as Lot 912, Tragic was offered in foal to Darley’s flagship stallion Exceed And Excel and that that mating is no surprise given that this family has proved to be very successful when mated with the son of Danehill (USA).

Tragic is out of the stakes-placed mare Melpomene (Elusive Quality {USA}) and she is also the dam of Group 3 winner Zethus (Exceed And Excel), while she also produced Group 2 scorer Calliope (Exceed And Excel) and she produced fellow Group 2 winner Kallos (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}).

“It’s a very good result. She’s from one of our hottest families and it’s a very current family. There’s a lot of recent black-type performers in there who are by Exceed And Excel so her being in foal to him was a mating that we identified to capitalise on the activity in the pedigree. She’s a lovely mare with a big pedigree who made good money and is in foal to our flag-bearing stallion in Exceed And Excel," Cox concluded.

So far, Godolphin have sold 28 mares for $6,333,000 at an average of $226,179.

Triple Crown reaping the benefits of stellar strategy

Triple Crown have enjoyed good results selling on their former track stars at the broodmare Sales and on Wednesday Michael and Chris Ward’s syndication company were handed another good return in the ring when Group 2 winner Reelem In Ruby (Pierro) - who was offered in foal to Arrowfield’s multiple Champion Sire Snitzel - was purchased by Yulong’s Tagaloa Syndicate for $950,000.

Over the past few years, Triple Crown have seemingly had a knack of turning a profit on mares in the sales ring. Last year the Ward’s sold Group 3 scorer Moss Trip (Mossman) for $900,000 to Kia Ora Stud, a good return on the $32,000 they paid for her at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

In 2016, they sold Group 1 winner Peggy Jean (Myboycharlie {Ire}) for $1 million to Widden Stud at the National Sale, having purchased her as a yearling for $46,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in 2013.

Meanwhile, at the 2014 edition of the National Sale Emirates Park paid $650,000 for Group 3 winner Cavalry Rose (Charge Forward), with Triple Crown having outlaid $85,000 for the filly at the Classic Sale in 2011.

Consigned on Wednesday by Yarraman Park, Reelem In Ruby herself was a $90,000 yearling purchase at the 2017 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale and Michael Ward was understandably delighted with Wednesday’s result.

“We are very pleased with that. She was a $90,000 yearling, to have such a successful race career and then finished it all off by going through the ring for $950,000, it is a tremendous result for everybody involved,” he said.

“We have got a good couple of tables of owners up here and it just complements the racing experience to see another side of the industry and so it’s like winning another major race to see them go through the ring for that sort of money.

“I think it added to the appeal of Reelem In Ruby, she got in foal first cover and I think that also gives confidence to the buyers and obviously in foal to a very commercial stallion as well, so it sets her up for a great future and we’re very pleased to see her go to Yulong.”

More known for their presence at the yearling Sales, Ward said it was nice to be on the otherside of the fence, selling rather than buying, especially in the hot market.

“It is good to be on the other side, the selling side. It has been tough going on the buying side for a number of years, but it is just a reflection of how healthy the industry is at the moment and it’s great for everybody involved,” he said.

A winner of four races from 19 starts, headlined by a victory in the G2 Hot Danish S. in 2019, the mare also finished second in the G3 Nivison S. and in the G3 Dark Jewel Classic, which saw her accrue just under $600,000 in career prizemoney.

Reelem In Ruby was the second surviving foal from the Giant’s Causeway (USA) mare Bobine (USA), who was imported from America in 2012.

Bobine herself is a three-quarter sister to the dam of Donegal Moon (USA) (Malibu Moon {USA}), a Grade 3 winner at Monmouth Park. She is also a half-sister to Possibly Perfect (USA) (Northern Baby {Can}), who was Champion Turf Filly in America in 1995.

Bobine is a half-sister to Makhlab (USA), a Group 3 winner for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, while further back Chiropracter (USA) (Kitten’s Joy {USA}), a winner of the G1 Hollywood Derby, is also featured on the page.

A So You Think (NZ) half-brother to Reelem In Ruby was purchased by Annabel Neasham and Brian McGuire at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, fetching $500,000 from the draft of Coolmore Stud.

On the decision to put the mare in foal to Snitzel, Ward commented: “We’re looking at particular nicks with the horses and with Reelem In Ruby she was Danehill-free, so that gave us plenty of options with her. Snitzel is a Champion Sire and we’re all seeing what sort of season he’s having at the moment with stakes winner after stakes winner and we’ve seen an increase in service fee as well, so that proved to be a very good choice for her.”

Farrington snaps up Baccarat Baby

International agent Dermot Farrington continued his spending spree at the National Sale when he added Group 3 winner Baccarat Baby (Casino Prince) to his portfolio, paying the Spendthrift Dispersal $900,000 for the daughter of Casino Prince.

Catalogued as Lot 982, Baccarat Baby was offered in foal to former Spendthrift inmate Dirty Work, who will continue his career at Widden Stud Victoria.

A winner of the G3 Gold Coast Guineas, Baccarat Baby was purchased by Spendthrift for $650,000 at last year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale and since then her half-sister Duais (Shamus Award) has proved a star on the track, taking out both the G1 Tancred S. and G1 Australian Cup, to add to her victory in last year’s G1 Queensland Oaks.

It was a second good result for the family, with Baccarat Baby’s sister Amiche (Nicconi), who sold to Kestrel Thoroughbreds for $380,000 on Tuesday.

“It's a happening family with some really good updates there. She’s another one of those mares in the Sale that has been a great performer, there was another half-sister sold yesterday for $380,000, so I suppose for the better-performed relation you’d have to pay double,” said Farrington.

“Yeah I suppose you get lucky sometimes, it just depends who comes to the party. There was obviously someone else keen on her too but it’s still a good price for her. You’d expect a mare like her to make that.”

Farrington later confirmed the mare would head to Swettenham Stud shuttler Toronado (Ire).

Although the market has been hot all week Farrington said Australasian mares were 'relatively cheap' compared to other parts of the world.

“These mares are relatively cheap compared to the rest of the world. I know it looks like a lot in Australian money, but if you look at the results in Japan and the US I consider the market here to be good value,” said Farrington.

“The racing model here is as near-perfect as you can get. There’s good prizemoney and the stallions make good money coming off the track to go to stud. So the mares are still good value so I think in the future there’s still room for the mares to be more expensive.”

Baccarat Baby was the third lot purchased by Farrington, who paid $1.7 million for Lighthouse (USA) (Mizzen Mast {USA}) and $1 million for Swift Witness (Smart Witness) on Tuesday and overall Farrington has spent $4,225,000 across six lots at an average of $777,500.

The Spendthrift Australia Dispersal at the mare Sale has been well received, with the operation selling 16 mares for an aggregate of $4,698,500 at an average of $293,656.

Bowditch happy with 'solid' day

At the close of trade on Wednesday, Magic Millions reported that 357 mares sold for $78,431,500 at a clearance of 85.5 per cent, while the average was recorded as $219,696 and the median sat at $120,000.

Comparisons with last year are unfair given the presence of the Shadwell Dispersal, but the Sale has already eclipsed the 2020 edition of the Magic Millions Sale, which finished with a gross of $57,079,000 and an average of $139,217.

The auction houses’ Managing Director Barry Bowditch was delighted with the ‘solid’ day of trade.

“I was thrilled with today, I thought it was very genuine, very solid and we were still clearing well over 85 per cent. We finished with a very strong average and the median has held all the way through, so that’s fantastic,” he said.

“I’m thrilled for Godolphin today, they have been supporters of this Sale for a long time, so it was great to see them get that result today. It is the best result they have had in a sales ring here and they deserve it, they have put some quality mares and quality bloodstock through the ring and it’s great to have good success for great supporters of ours.

“I thought all-in-all, Godolphin mares being unreserved and Spendthrift mares being unreserved there was very good competition on those lots and there were some results that exceeded our expectations.

“It was a truly solid day of trade, where the buyers were getting their turns and you can see that with a good spread of buyers and the vendors were being very realistic, putting them on the market and getting well rewarded.”

The third and final day of the National Broodmare Sale commences at 10am AEST with Lot 1041.

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