Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
At A Glance
At the close of trade on Saturday evening, Book 1 of the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale had grossed $223,475,000, a fraction under $5,000,000 short of the 2023 figure.
After a sensational week of selling, the very top end of the market appears to be in rude health, with Magic Millions breaking their record of million-dollar sales for the fourth year in succession. A total of 23 yearlings fetched seven-figures, up three from the auction house’s previous record of 20 set 12 months ago.
The median dropped another point to $200,000 during Saturday night’s fifth and final Book 1 session, down from $215,000 last year, whilst the clearance rate of 85.84 per cent, while still healthy, was down slightly on last year’s figure of 88.48 per cent at the same juncture.
The 23rd and final million-dollar lot of the week came early in Saturday night’s session, with Kingstar Farm’s Extreme Choice colt out of the Shamardal mare Mischief Night selling to Highway Farm for $1.4 million to top the session.
Segenhoe Stud got the better of Newgate Farm in a thrilling race to be crowned leading vendor by gross, with just $50,000 separating the two industry giants at the close of trade on Day 5. Segenhoe also set a new benchmark of million-dollar lots for one vendor with an astonishing seven yearlings fetching seven figures throughout Book 1.
I Am Invincible ended Book 1 as the leading sire by gross for the seventh successive year, while Frankel stole his crown in the leading sires by average metric, having seen four of his yearlings sell at an average of $825,000.
A number of first-season sires posted memorable results with their first crop of yearlings, but none more so than Coolmore’s Wootton Bassett, who sold two million-dollar lots and was responsible for the $2.1 million sale-topping filly from his first Southern Hemisphere crop. He ended Book 1 as the leading first-season sire by both gross and average.
Fresh from winning the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic with Storm Boy, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, together with Bruce Slade’s Kestrel Thoroughbreds, ended Book 1 as the leading buyer by gross for the first time since 2019, parting with $8,520,000 for 23 yearlings.
Segenhoe edge out Newgate by the narrowest of margins
The race to be crowned leading vendor for Book 1 of this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale has been hotly contested all week, and the battle between neighbouring Hunter Valley farms Newgate and Segenhoe went down to the wire on Saturday night, with the latter prevailing by just $50,000.
Segenhoe Stud sold 30 lots, including a record-breaking seven million-dollar yearlings, throughout Book 1 for total receipts of $16,665,000, just getting the better of Newgate’s total gross of $16,615,000 from 48 sold.
The Segenhoe Stud team | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
It has been a remarkable week for the operation, and Peter O’Brien, Segenhoe’s general manager, was pinching himself when speaking to The Thoroughbred Report on Saturday night.
“It has been the best week of my life at a horse sale,” he said.
“We knew we had nice horses coming up and we had an exceptional spring on the track with horses off the farm. We had 13 individual stakes winners, which I think is a record for a farm in Australia, and that helps - it gives the brand credibility as far as breeding racehorses, which is the most important part.
“But we never expected to have seven million-dollar horses. The most a farm has ever had at Magic Millions before is four. Unfortunately, we had to withdraw a horse who would have made a million as well!
“We knew we had nice horses coming up and we had an exceptional spring on the track with horses off the farm. But we never expected to have seven million-dollar horses.” - Peter O'Brien
“We even had good sales with the lesser ones. I think we’ll probably end up selling $17 million worth, and before we got here I would have been happy with $12 million, so it has been off the charts.
“All credit to the team at the farm and the team we have here, because they put all the work in, and also to the farm itself, it’s an incredible property.”
One of the most pleasing aspects of the past week from O’Brien’s perspective has been getting big results for some of Segenhoe’s most loyal clients, including leviathan breeder John Camilleri, who has enjoyed a nothing short of miraculous week of selling on the Gold Coast, with his horses accounting for three of the 10 most expensive horses through the ring.
Peter O'Brien, Deb Camilleri, Tom Magnier and John Camilleri | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“John Camilleri is one of my closest friends,” he said. “I bought him his first mare and he has supported me for 30 years.
“When I was leaving Coolmore he said, 'Wherever you go the horses will go', and the same with Peter Walsh, who owned Lady Cosmology.
“John buys proper horses, always quality, and then breeds to quality stallions, but he’s also not stuck on breeding to proven stallions, apropo the Too Darn Hot horse.
“John Camilleri is one of my closest friends. I bought him his first mare and he has supported me for 30 years.” - Peter O'Brien
“The other day, in 92 minutes, he earned $5.1 million, he had four million-dollar horses. But nobody deserves it more than he does, the time he puts into it and the thought process. He’s getting his just rewards.”
Milburn Creek were the only vendor in the top 10 vendors by gross to emerge with a 100 per cent clearance rate, with 11 out of 11 sold for a total gross of $5,930,000, although both Segenhoe and Coolmore only passed in one lot throughout the entirety of Book 1 from numbers of 31 and 41 respectively.
Tasmanian outfit Grenville Stud also boasted a 100 per cent clearance rate and emerged as the leading vendor by average for the very first time with a figure of $578,333, ahead of Segenhoe and Milburn Creek who posted averages of $555,500 and $539,091 respectively.
Vinnie top of the pile once again
I Am Invincible was once again crowned leading sire by gross at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, the seventh year in succession he has claimed the coveted title, although his gross of $19,550,000 was down considerably on the corresponding figure from 12 months ago ($32,390,000).
A big reason for the reduction in gross has been the increase in the number of lots by the reigning Champion Sire that were passed in this week, with 11 of his yearlings failing to find buyers compared with only four at last year’s auction.
I Am Invincible | Standing at Yarraman Park Stud
I Am Invincible’s nearest pursuer Snitzel also incurred a similar pattern, with 12 of his 46 lots offered through the ring this week passing in, compared with only 5 out of 39 12 months ago.
Yarraman Park Stud’s flagbearer also had to surrender his title of leading sire by average, with global phenomenon Frankel (GB) topping the tree with four lots sold at an average of $825,000.
Taking the crown of leading sire by average among the domestic stallions is Newgate Farm’s Extreme Choice, who also finished in the top 10 sires by gross despite having 10 fewer yearlings sold than any other stallion in the top 10. The G1 Blue Diamond S. winner, whose fertility issues are well publicsed, had 13 yearlings sell during Book 1 for total receipts of $9,145,000 at an impressive average of $703,462.
Extreme Choice | Standing at Newgate Farm
Having signed for the $1.4 million session-topping Extreme Choice colt on Saturday night, Yulong’s General Manager Vin Cox could hardly have been more complimentary of a stallion that is striking at an astonishing stakes winners to runners ratio of over 13 per cent, spearheaded by Group 1-winning trio She’s Extreme, Espiona and G1 Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside.
“When you look at his numbers it is staggering,” Cox said. “He’s an outlier in terms of his statistics and in terms of what he’s done and what he’s achieved, from what anyone would admit is a low base, is wonderful.
“They all seem to gallop and we’re glad to get a colt that is bred by him and looks like him.”
“When you look at his (Extreme Choice) numbers it is staggering. He’s an outlier in terms of his statistics and in terms of what he’s done and what he’s achieved...” - Vin Cox
Another interesting observation from a stallion perspective is that the top lot through the ring, the $2.1 million Wootton Bassett (GB) filly, was by a first-season sire for the first time since Sepoy was responsible for the sale-topper in 2015.
International shuttle stallions accounted for both of the top two lots through the ring, with a colt by Darley shuttler Too Darn Hot (GB) claiming second spot after selling to Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and David Redvers Bloodstock for $1.9 million on Day 2.
First-season sires prove popular
Much of the talk heading into this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale centered around what many believed were the best-credentialed crop of first-season sires for some time, and this week’s results suggest that those people could well be bang on the money.
At this very same stage 12 months ago, only one first-season sire, Darley shuttler Blue Point (Ire), made it into the top 10 leading sires by gross, and it was a similar story in 2022, when The Autumn Sun was the sole freshman sire to achieve the feat.
This year, however, Coolmore Stud’s Wootton Bassett, Kia Ora Stud’s Farnan and Vinery Stud’s Ole Kirk all ended Book 1 in the top 10 sires by gross.
Gallery: First-season sires to the fore
In what was a truly remarkable sale for Wootton Bassett, whose first Australian crop of yearlings were no doubt advantaged by the deeds of his nine Group 1 winners in the Northern Hemisphere, the shuttle stallion was responsible for the most expensive yearling sold this week at $2.1 million, as well as an additional yearling in the top 10 lots courtesy of his colt out of Listed winner Fiera Vista (Exceed And Excel), who sold to Coolmore’s Tom Magnier for $1.6 million.
Wootton Bassett ended Book 1 as the fourth highest-grossing stallion of the week, behind the big gun trio of I Am Invincible, Snitzel and Zoustar, while also featuring in the top 10 sires by average - the only first-season sire to achieve that feat. Overall, he had 32 yearlings sell for a total gross of $14,900,000 at an average of $465,625, with only one yearling passed in.
Farnan and Ole Kirk, who ended Book 1 with averages of $309,483 and $219,565 respectively, also both sold a yearling for seven figures this week.
Waterhouse-Bott back on top
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have been among the leading buyers at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale ever since they first announced their training partnership back in 2016, but after a week which saw them bolster their ranks with a total of 23 new recruits purchased alongside Bruce Slade's Kestrel Thoroughbreds, the pair ended Book 1 as the leading buyers by gross for the first time since 2019.
Behind only the Newgate, China Horse Club, Go Bloodstock and Trilogy combination last year and Ciaron Maher Bloodstock the year before, the Waterhouse-Bott combination parted with a total of $8,520,000 over the past five days, an increase of $565,000 from 12 months ago, when they signed for 21 yearlings.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
This year’s January auction also saw Te Akau’s David Ellis feature in the top 10 buyers by gross for the first time ever at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, yet another indication that the 'tangerine' will become an increasingly potent presence on these shores over the coming years.
The sale-topping $2.1 Wootton Bassett filly out of Te Akau’s nine-time Group 1-winning mare Avantage (Fastnet Rock) will be heading back across the Tasman along with the majority of Ellis’ 10 purchases this week, but an important note from Day 1 of the sale on Tuesday was the news that Ellis’ second most expensive purchase, the $1.3 million I Am Invincibe colt out of Palace Talk (NZ) (Street Cry {Ire}) whom he signed for in conjunction with Coolmore’s Tom Magnier, will be remaining in Australia to be trained by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson at Te Akau’s new Cranbourne base.
David Ellis and Mark Walker | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
As reported in Friday’s edition of The Thoroughbred Report, last year’s leading buyers Newgate, China Horse Club, Go Bloodstock and Trilogy were notably quieter on the buying front this year, signing for 12 lots for a total spend of $6,520,000 compared with 18 yearlings for a total spend of $10,100,000 12 months ago.
Other powerful operations predominantly on the hunt for elite stallion prospects to feature in this year’s top 10 buyers by gross were Highway Farm, Coolmore’s Tom Magnier and the James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership.
Top buyers
| Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott/Kestrel Thoroughbreds | 23 | $370,435 | $1,300,000 | $8,520,000 |
| Ciaron Maher Bloodstock | 24 | $339,375 | $825,000 | $8,145,000 |
| D C Ellis CNZM (BANZ) | 10 | $696,500 | $2,100,000 | $6,965,000 |
| China Horse Club/Newgate/Go Bloodstock/Trilogy | 12 | $543,333 | $900,000 | $6,520,000 |
| James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership | 7 | $883,571 | $1,600,000 | $6,185,000 |
| Waller Racing/Mulcaster Bloodstock | 17 | $349,118 | $825,000 | $5,935,000 |
| Tom Magnier | 5 | $1,160,000 | $1,750,000 | $5,800,000 |
| Highway Farm | 7 | $672,857 | $1,400,000 | $4,710,000 |
| Curran Bloodstock | 13 | $350,769 | $650,000 | $4,560,000 |
| Gandharvi Pty Ltd/Michael Freedman Racing | 8 | $446,250 | $750,000 | $3,570,000 |
Vendors by aggregate
| Segenhoe Stud, Scone, NSW | 30 | $555,500 | $1,900,000 | $16,665,000 |
| Newgate Farm, Aberdeen, NSW | 48 | $346,146 | $1,450,000 | $16,615,000 |
| Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 38 | $354,079 | $1,700,000 | $13,455,000 |
| Coolmore Stud, Jerrys Plains, NSW | 40 | $323,500 | $2,100,000 | $12,940,000 |
| Arrowfield Stud, Scone, NSW | 48 | $265,833 | $1,000,000 | $12,760,000 |
| Yarraman Park Stud, Scone, NSW | 32 | $379,219 | $1,300,000 | $12,135,000 |
| Baramul Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 21 | $400,476 | $1,400,000 | $8,410,000 |
| Bhima Thoroughbreds, Scone, NSW | 24 | $261,250 | $775,000 | $6,270,000 |
| Yulong, Nagambie, Vic | 26 | $231,538 | $750,000 | $6,020,000 |
| Milburn Creek, Wildes Meadow, NSW | 11 | $539,091 | $1,600,000 | $5,930,000 |
Vendors by average (3 or more sold)
| Grenville Stud, Whitemore, Tas | 3 | $578,333 | $900,000 | $1,735,000 |
| Segenhoe Stud, Scone, NSW | 30 | $555,500 | $1,900,000 | $16,665,000 |
| Milburn Creek, Wildes Meadow, NSW | 11 | $539,091 | $1,600,000 | $5,930,000 |
| Rosemont Stud, Gnarwarre, Vic | 7 | $475,714 | $650,000 | $3,330,000 |
| Silverdale Farm, Avoca, NSW | 6 | $452,500 | $800,000 | $2,715,000 |
| Baramul Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 21 | $400,476 | $1,400,000 | $8,410,000 |
| Kulani Park, Goulburn Weir, Vic | 11 | $382,273 | $700,000 | $4,205,000 |
| Yarraman Park Stud, Scone, NSW | 32 | $379,219 | $1,300,000 | $12,135,000 |
| Redbank North Pty Ltd, Harden, NSW | 3 | $371,667 | $625,000 | $1,115,000 |
| Blue Gum Farm, Euroa, Vic | 9 | $355,556 | $1,300,000 | $3,200,000 |
Sires by aggregate
| I Am Invincible | 29 | $674,138 | $1,700,000 | $19,550,000 |
| Snitzel | 34 | $522,206 | $1,750,000 | $17,755,000 |
| Zoustar | 33 | $472,879 | $1,300,000 | $15,605,000 |
| Wootton Bassett | 32 | $465,625 | $2,100,000 | $14,900,000 |
| Capitalist | 44 | $260,227 | $800,000 | $11,450,000 |
| Written Tycoon | 29 | $347,241 | $800,000 | $10,070,000 |
| Extreme Choice | 13 | $703,462 | $1,600,000 | $9,145,000 |
| Farnan | 29 | $309,483 | $1,200,000 | $8,975,000 |
| Deep Field | 26 | $274,231 | $800,000 | $7,130,000 |
| Ole Kirk | 23 | $219,565 | $1,000,000 | $5,050,000 |
Sires by average (3 or more sold)
| Frankel | 4 | $825,000 | $1,000,000 | $3,300,000 |
| Extreme Choice | 13 | $703,462 | $1,600,000 | $9,145,000 |
| I Am Invincible | 29 | $674,138 | $1,700,000 | $19,550,000 |
| Snitzel | 34 | $522,206 | $1,750,000 | $17,755,000 |
| Justify | 7 | $500,714 | $1,300,000 | $3,505,000 |
| Zoustar | 33 | $472,879 | $1,300,000 | $15,605,000 |
| Wootton Bassett | 32 | $465,625 | $2,100,000 | $14,900,000 |
| Too Darn Hot | 10 | $454,000 | $1,900,000 | $4,540,000 |
| Exceed And Excel | 10 | $416,000 | $675,000 | $4,160,000 |
| Savabeel | 4 | $393,750 | $500,000 | $1,575,000 |
