Cover image courtesy of Western Racepix
January’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale will feature progeny by no less than 33 Group 1-winning mares. And for five of them, it will be their first foal that goes through the sale ring.
The quintet of top-tier scorers making their debut are Arcadia Queen (Pierro), Avantage (Fastnet Rock), Toffee Tongue (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), Hasahalo (NZ) (Savabeel) and Missisippi Burning (SAf) (Captain Al {SAf}).
Arrowfield Stud will offer a colt out of Arcadia Queen as Lot 442. He is by Australia’s pre-eminent stallion, Yarraman Park resident I Am Invincible.
Arcadia Queen was a genuine star. Bred and raced by Bob Peters, she won eight of her 16 starts and ran four minor placings. Her prizemoney was just shy of $4 million and she notched Group 1 victories in the 2018 Kingston Town Classic, the 2020 Caulfield S. and 2021 Mackinnon S.
A genuine star, Arcadia Queen | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The mare was offered by Holbrook Thoroughbreds at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, with Arrowfield Stud going to $3.2 million for her.
Jon Freyer - bloodstock manager at Arrowfield Stud - told The Thoroughbred Report Arcadia Queen’s first foal is a beauty.
“We’re absolutely thrilled with him, he’s a proper colt, I can promise you,” Freyer explained.
“We’re absolutely thrilled with him (Lot 442), he’s a proper colt, I can promise you.” - Jon Freyer
“It’s one thing to have the pedigree, and he obviously has that, but you also have to be a good type, and he certainly is.
“He’s possibly the pick of our draft and maybe he’s the pick of the sale.
“He has a lovely temperament and a good brain, so we’re looking forward to showcasing him on the Gold Coast.”
Jon Freyer | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Arcadia Queen herself is a sister to the Group 3 victor Arcadia Prince, a blood-sister to the dual Group 1 hero Regal Power and the Group 2 winner Action, and a half-sister to the Group 2 victress Arcadia Dream (Domesday) and the Listed winner Arcadia Rose (Kheleyf {USA}).
Freyer said Arrowfield Stud was determined to purchase the well-related mare.
“She was a brilliant mare, winning three Group 1s between 1800-2000 metres, but she also started favourite in the (2019) The Everest over 1200 metres, so she was very versatile,” Freyer commented.
Freyer said the decision to send Arcadia Queen to I Am Invincible made a lot of sense.
Arcadia Queen will have her first foal, a colt by I Am Invincible (pictured), offered as Lot 442 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale | Standing at Yarraman Park Stud
“He is a brilliant sire and Yarraman Park have always been good supporters of our stallions,” he said.
“It’s a very good mating.”
Coolmore’s blueblood filly a star attraction
Another yearling sure to attract plenty of attention is Lot 454 - a bay filly by Wootton Bassett (GB) from the nine-time Group 1 heroine Avantage. She was bred by Coolmore Stud and will be offered by the Hunter Valley-based farm.
Coolmore’s Tom Magnier paid NZ$4.1 million for Avantage via New Zealand Bloodstock’s (NZB) online platform Gavelhouse Plus in 2021.
Bred by Willie and Karen Calder, Avantage was bought by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis for NZ$210,000 from the draft of The Oaks Stud at the 2017 NZB Premier Yearling Sale (Book 1).
Avantage | Image courtesy of Matthew Grant
She won 16 of her 28 starts for the Te Akau Avantage Syndicate (managed by Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), amassing earnings of NZ$2,179,000.
Avantage scored at the highest level from 1200 metres to 2000 metres, and she was a back-to-back winner of the Telegraph H. from 2020.
Tom Moore - Coolmore Australia’s head of marketing and nominations - heaped praise on the filly’s dam, damsire and sire, before speaking in glowing terms of her.
Tom Moore | Image courtesy of Inglis
“Avantage herself was a graduate of Coolmore and a mare that we followed closely throughout her career, from being a Champion 2-Year-Old and going on to win nine Group 1s,” Moore told TTR AusNZ.
“She’s one of Fastnet Rock’s best fillies or mares of all-time and we’ve seen, particularly in recent times, how potent Fastnet Rock is as a broodmare sire. He’s had a phenomenal run, particularly this spring.”
“She’s (Avantage) one of Fastnet Rock’s best fillies or mares of all-time and we’ve seen, particularly in recent times, how potent Fastnet Rock is as a broodmare sire.” - Tom Moore
A son of Iffraaj (GB), Wootton Bassett was the Champion 2-Year-Old in France in 2010. He notched five wins, including the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.
He has had five Group-winning 2-year-old colts in 2023 alone, including two at the elite level - Bucanero Fuerte (GB) and Unquestionable (Fr).
Moore said: “Wootton Bassett is one of the best stallions in the world at the moment and you couldn’t really ask for much more from a first foal. She’s an awesome mover, she’s got loads of quality, she looks like she’ll get up and running at two, just like her mother and her father.
“Wootton Bassett is one of the best stallions in the world at the moment and you couldn’t really ask for much more from a first foal (Lot 454).” - Tom Moore
“While Wootton Bassett can produce horses that excel at three and older over a mile and further, he is also an extremely versatile stallion that is capable of producing high-class 2-year-olds with great consistency.”
Avantage herself is a three-quarter sister to the stakes performer Puysegur (Fastnet Rock) and a half-sister to the Listed victress Asathought (So You Think {NZ}).
The Wootton Bassett filly’s grandam is the Listed winner Asavant (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and the third dam is the Group 3 scorer Pins ‘N’ Needles (NZ) (Pins).
Wootton Bassett (GB) | Standing at Coolmore
Toffee Tongue’s colt a king in his own right
Bhima Thoroughbreds has the honour of offering the first foal from the 2020 G1 Australasian Oaks heroine Toffee Tongue. The colt is by Coolmore Stud’s young sire King’s Legacy, who will have his first foals at the Gold Coast.
He (Lot 307) was bred by Jonathan Munz’s GSA Bloodstock, who raced Toffee Tongue, after Dean Hawthorne of Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ), signed for her for NZ$500,000 at the 2018 NZB Premier Yearling Sale (Book 1) when consigned by Highden Park.
Trained by Chris Waller, Toffee Tongue raced 21 times, notching two wins and eight placings for prizemoney just shy of $1 million.
Toffee Tongue (NZ) | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Both of her victories were in stakes company; one a Group 1, the other a Group 3.
Bhima Thoroughbreds’ Mike Fleming said the colt has plenty going for him.
“GSA Bloodstock have an interest in King’s Legacy, so they supported him heavily in his first year at stud”, Fleming said when speaking to TTR AusNZ.
“When you look at him, you see a good, strong, medium-sized colt.
“When you look at him (Lot 307), you see a good, strong, medium-sized colt.” - Mike Fleming
“He’s got a great action, a lovely temperament, and he walks very well.
“He’s a very athletic colt.
“He’s a bit in the mould of his old man and I reckon he will be well-found on the Gold Coast.”
Mike Fleming | Image courtesy of Bhima
The colt hails from a wonderful family. Toffee Tongue is a sister to Werther (NZ) - a two-time Group 1 winner in Hong Kong, as well as the Group 3 victor Gobstopper (NZ) and the stakes performer Milseain (NZ).
The two-time winner and star producer Bagalollies (Zabeel {NZ}) is the colt’s second dam.
The Chase is on for Hasahalo’s first foal
The first foal from the 2017 G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas heroine, Hasahalo, will be offered for sale by The Chase.
Consigned as Lot 740, the bay filly is by I Am Invincible.
Hasahalo, who was bred by Isabel O’Shea and Waikato Stud, won two of her 13 starts for Go Racing. In addition to her Group 1 triumph, the Stephen McKee-trained mare took out the 2017 G3 Eclipse S.
Hasahalo (NZ) | Image courtesy of Gavelhouse
China Horse Club’s Australasian representative, Michael Smith, told TTR AusNZ: “She’s a lovely, sharp, quality filly.
“She looks pretty precocious.
“Although, Hasahalo won her Group 1 as a 3-year-old, she was a Group winner at two. She was pretty sharp.
“I don’t think she’s too dissimilar to Hasahalo; the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. And Vinnie has added that quality that he puts into them.
“I don’t think she’s (Lot 740) too dissimilar to Hasahalo; the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. And Vinnie has added that quality that he puts into them.” - Michael Smith
“It was a pretty easy decision to choose Vinnie for her first cover and the mare is back in foal to him on the back of this filly.”
Go Racing paid just NZ$110,000 for the daughter of Savabeel at the 2016 NZB Premier Yearling Sale (Book 1). She was consigned by Waikato Stud.
In 2020, China Horse Club purchased her via the Gavelhouse Online platform for NZ$670,000.
Micheal Smith | Image courtesy of Inglis
Hasahalo boasts a lovely pedigree, being a sister to the Group 3 scorer Hasabro (NZ), a three-quarter sister to the Group 3 winner Savvy Nature (NZ) (Savabeel) and the Group 3 victor Addictive Nature, and a half-sister to the Group 3 winners All Saints’ Eve (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) and All Hallows’ Eve (Sacred Falls {NZ}).
This family also includes the stakes winners Hold The Press (Press Statement), La Lagune (Danehill {USA}) and Make Me A Miracle (Flying Spur), as well as the exciting 2-year-old Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) - a recent winner of the G2 Wakefield Challenge.
Kingman colt to set the ring alight
At the 2023 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, Yulong Stud paid $800,000 for Missisippi Burning (Lot 1016) from the Newgate Consignment. She was offered in foal to Champion Sire Frankel (GB).
Before that, Missisippi Burning was covered by Kingman (GB) in the Northern Hemisphere on Southern Hemisphere time, and the resultant foal will be offered by Newgate Farm as Lot 965.
Missisippi Burning (SAf) | Image courtesy of SA Horse Racing
Missisippi Burning had 12 starts in South Africa, winning five times and placing twice. The daughter of Captain Al (SAf) chalked up a victory at the highest level in the 2019 G1 Kenilworth Cape Fillies Guineas.
The Kingman colt’s second dam, Spitfire Lady (Hussonet {USA}), won four races and placed at Listed level on three occasions. She is a sister to the stakes performer Husonic and a half-sister to the stakes winners Sabrage (Charge Forward) and Pinnacles (Fuji Kiseki {Jpn}).
