Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Following technical difficulties, the sale concluded at the Magic Millions office at 6pm AEST, with Northern Farm’s Katsumi Yoshida coming out on top for the Group 2 winner.
Auctioneer David Chester auctioned the mare with the bidding parties all afforded the opportunity to bid either online or via telephone. When Chester completed the auction, it was Yoshida's $1.46 million bid that secured the sister to Group 1 Newmarket H. hero Zoutori.
“Magic Millions handled an unusually difficult situation very professionally and it worked out extremely well,” Star Thoroughbreds’ Denise Martin told The Thoroughbred Report.
“We’re elated the mare has been bought by Mr Yoshida and I’m sure she will be very well mated here in Australia initially.
“We’re elated the mare has been bought by Mr Yoshida and I’m sure she will be very well mated here in Australia initially.” - Denise Martin
“It’s a great result and we are really ecstatic.
“I thank those involved from Jon Freyer to Mr Yoshida, the price was wonderful."
Bred by Frank Meduri, Kiku was consigned by Amarina Farm at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. She was bought by Star Thoroughbreds for $300,000 and raced in the purple and white silks for a host of owners, including Nick Vass Bloodstock and Bangaloe Stud.
"We've had tremendous success with the mares we've had that were purchased from Magic Millions - including Driefontein, Foxplay, Invincibella and now Kiku and we're got others still racing including Espiona and Olentia,” said Martin.
Kiku as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The fourth foal of the unraced Haradasun mare Atotori - herself a half-sister to Group 3 winner and Group 1 placegetter Castlethorpe (Not A Single Doubt), Kiku is a sister to Zoutori and a half-sister to the Listed placegetter Kamitori (Divine Prophet).
Kiku’s grandam, Park Heiress (Ire) (Sadler’s Well’s {USA}), was unraced and she is a three-quarter sister in blood to the elite-level winner and Group 1-producing stallion New Approach (Ire).
From 30 starts, Kiku amassed in excess of $1.2 million in prizemoney. She won six races, including the 2022 G2 Theo Marks S. and 2021 G3 ATC Carbine Club S.
City placed at both her juvenile runs, Kiku returned as a 3-year-old to win the Carbine during a four win season.
At four she trained on to win a $500,000 Magic Millions National Classic at Eagle Farm during a season where she matched it with the best across the country.
She kicked off her final racing season at five with an electrifying win in the Theo Marks when she stormed home from the tail of the field unleashing her customary sizzling turn of foot.
Howard expected Kiku to realise at least $1 million and said the $1.46 million result was fitting for a mare of Kiku’s quality.
Kiku (purple and white silks) on her way to winning the G2 Theo Marks S. | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“I always said to Denise that she should be making north of $1 million, but where she settled after that, I wasn’t sure, it was always going to be for the market to determine,” he told The Thoroughbred Report.
“It’s a great result for everyone concerned. Full credit to Denise for buying her as a yearling and to her owners for buying into her, and to Magic Millions for the job they’ve done.
“Mr Yoshida has bought himself a beautiful mare. She’s by one of the best stallions, has an outstanding pedigree and was a seriously good race mare. I genuinely thought she would win a Group 1 one day, and her trainer Chris Waller thought the same. She was very close on three occasions.
“She was a $300,000 yearling and always a nice physical. She’s a good 16.2hh – she stands over ground and has a really lovely temperament. I really liked her as a yearling. She’s got a bit more leg than most Zoustars and there’s plenty of scope about her.
“Mr Yoshida has bought himself a beautiful mare. She’s (Kiku) by one of the best stallions, has an outstanding pedigree and was a seriously good race mare.” - Brett Howard
“She’s got that international pedigree and that may have made great appeal. Obviously, she’s a sister to a Newmarket Handicap winner, but her grandam is by Sadler’s Wells and she’s a three-quarter sister in blood to New Approach who was an outstanding racehorse and now sire.
“I wish them very well with her and I will be disappointed if she doesn’t produce a good horse for them one day.”
Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch thanked the connections of Kiku for the opportunity to offer her.
“Denise is such a wonderful friend of Magic Millions and we thank her and her syndicate of owners. There were a number of parties who were keen to secure her as an elite breeding prospect,” he said.
“In the end, we were delighted to realise a price of $1.46 million.
“Obviously, we were disappointed that the system failed during the final minutes of the online auction and we must thank all the affected parties for their understanding.”
