Siblings of Group 1 stars set to shine on the Gold Coast

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

Close relations to stakes winners, in particular, those that have won at the top tier, are always a highlight of a yearling sale.

This year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, which commences at the Bundall sale complex on Tuesday morning, boasts plenty of siblings to Group 1 winners.

There is five full relations to Group 1 scorers, they being a brother to last year’s G1 Toorak H. hero Attrition (Churchill {Ire}), a brother to the 2021 G1 Levin Classic victress Bonham (Per Incanto {USA}), a sister to the dual Group 1 heroine Coolangatta (Written Tycoon), a sister to the two-time elite-level winner In Secret (I Am Invincible) and a sister to the 2017 G1 Auckland Diamond S. victor Summer Passage (Snitzel).

Gallery: This year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, which commences at the Bundall sale complex on Tuesday morning, boasts plenty of siblings to Group 1 winners

There’s three-quarter siblings to top-flight winners such as Capitalist, Invader, King’s Legacy, Mazu (Maurice {Jpn}), Pinot (Pierro), Sunlight (Zoustar) and Zougotcha (Zoustar).

And half-siblings to Group 1 winners including Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), Think About It (So You Think {NZ}) and Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Gallery: Some of the Group 1 winners who have half-siblings in the Magic Millions Yearling Sale 2024

Milburn Creek will consign a draft of 13 yearlings next week, including Lot 47 - a sister to Coolangatta.

John Muir - owner of Milburn Creek - said the Written Tycoon filly, who was bred by John Warren, boasts many similar traits to her superstar sister.

“She’s a beautiful filly,” Muir told TTR AusNZ.

“I think she’s a lot more precocious than Coolangatta was at the same time. Coolangatta was up and going early, so I am quite certain this one will too.

“Coolangatta was a bay, this filly is a chestnut like her father.

“She is very strong and well put together, a very good type, very correct, we’re thrilled to have her in our draft and I think she will sell very well, given she is a sister to a dual Group 1 winner.”

This filly is the fourth foal of the winning More Than Ready (USA) mare Piping Hot. She has previously thrown the three-time winner Snitzonfire (Snitzel), Coolangatta and Paradise Point (Dundeel {NZ}).

Ciaron Maher Bloodstock paid Milburn Creek $280,000 for Coolangatta at this sale in 2021, while Paradise Point fetched $300,000, with Kennewell Racing / Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) / Trilogy Racing buying her from the Milburn Creek draft at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Paradise Point is an unraced 3-year-old with Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans.

Plenty of headline acts for Segenhoe Stud

As always, Segenhoe Stud has a large, high-quality draft, and there’s little doubt Lots 492 and 623 will be highly sought-after.

Lot 492 - a Snitzel colt - is a three-quarter brother to the dual Group 1 hero King’s Legacy.

The colt is out of the seven-time winner and multiple Listed placegetter Breakfast In Bed (Hussonet {USA}. She has produced five foals, four have raced and all are winners.

“He looks a sharp 2-year-old type, which is what you would expect. He really fits his pedigree,” Segenhoe Stud’s Peter O’Brien told TTR AusNZ.

“He is a horse that as soon as he started exercising, he transformed, which is the biggest trait I love about him. The more we did with him, the better he did. He improved physically and he is a real progressive type.

“Of all the yearlings we are selling, in the paddock, he was the one that had the best action when they were tearing around. He’s got a lovely long-flowing action.”

King’s Legacy realised $1.4 million at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, with James Harron Bloodstock acquiring him from the Segenhoe Stud draft.

Lot 623 is a sister to Godolphin’s star mare In Secret. The filly is from the dual Group 3 scorer Eloping (Choisir) and was bred by Segenhoe Thoroughbreds Australia and Longwood Thoroughbred Farm.

“She’s a very big, strong, mature filly,” O’Brien remarked.

“She would have a lot more substance that In Secret did at the same age, she has a much stronger middle and girth to her. And she would probably have a better action than In Secret had as a yearling.

“She looks more like a colt, she is very mature.

“Her temperament is bombproof, she’s a very smart yearling, and she has a great appetite.”

In Secret was offered by Segenhoe Stud at this sale in 2021. She was knocked down to Godolphin Australia for $900,000.

‘I think this filly will be a nice drawcard for our little draft’

Parsons Creek will offer 11 yearlings at the sale (four in Book 1, seven in Book 2), including a three-quarter brother to the 2016 G1 Golden Slipper hero and Group 1-producing sire Capitalist, as well as a three-quarter sister to last year’s G1 Doomben 10000 champion Mazu.

The latter (Lot 359) is one of the standouts for Parsons Creek in Book 1, according to the farm’s Operations Manager Jo O’Gorman.

The filly is by Maurice (Jpn) from the Onemorenomore mare Whitula - a placegetter at three who is also half-sister to the Group 1 victress Headway (Charge Forward) and Cheyenne Sue (Zizou) - the dam of the Listed winner Let Me Sleep On It (Manhattan Rain).

“She’s really nice, she’s a well put together filly and I think she will run,” O’Gorman said when speaking to TTR AusNZ.

“Mazu has done such a great job; he’s a Group 1 winner with close to $8 million in prizemoney. He’s an exceptional racehorse.

“I think this filly will be a nice drawcard for our little draft, being so closely related to him.

“She’s got a lot of Maurice about her, but she’s also a lot like the dam, which I like. She tends to throw really good racehorses and strong, correct stock.”

Mazu was bought for $180,000 by Triple Crown Syndications at the 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. He was offered by Parsons Creek.

Whitula has done a super job for Parsons Creek, ever since it went to $150,000 for her from the Rothwell Park Thoroughbreds consignment at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

The three-quarter brother to Capitalist (Lot 1195) is likely to be popular in Book 2. The colt is by Written Tycoon out of the unraced Smart Missile mare Ineffable - herself a three-quarter sister to the stakes performer Mediterranean (Smart Missile) and the Listed winner Tyresa (Written Tycoon).

“He’s a nice, big, scopey colt, and he’s very well behaved,” O’Gorman explained.

“He looks a lot like his sire, Written Tycoon.

“As a weanling, he wasn’t the most flashy type, but he’s really grown into himself, so we’re really happy with him.

“I think he will be a drawcard for our draft in Book 2.”

James Harron Bloodstock/Snowden Racing paid Daandine Stud $165,000 for Capitalist at the 2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Wootton Bassett colt to give shoppers something to Think About

Given the deeds of Think About It in 2023 (he won nine of his 10 starts, including two Group 1s and The Everest), there’s likely to be no shortage of admirers for his Wootton Bassett (GB) half-brother, who will be offered by Grenville Stud as Lot 301.

Grenville Stud paid $150,000 for their dam, the Hawkesbury maiden winner Tiare (Flying Spur), at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale. She was a member of the Newgate Consignment.

Think About It, who was bred by Greg and Donna Kolivos’ Lightning Thoroughbreds, made $70,000 at the 2020 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale (Book 1). He was purchased by Proven Thoroughbreds / Joe Pride Racing.

Grenville Stud’s Graeme McCulloch told TTR AusNZ he believes the Wootton Bassett colt is ‘head-turner’.

“We think he’s outstanding,” McCulloch said.

“Quite often you get a horse with a pedigree and then you’re disappointed in the type of horse, but we’re certainly not with this horse.

“He’s a very athletic horse.

“He’s an end-of-October foal, but he’s a good size, very well-balanced and a lovely mover.”