Cover image courtesy of Ohukia Lodge

Saturday evening’s fifth session of selling brought the curtain down on Book 1 of this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, with Book 2 kicking off on Monday. An interesting recent trend regarding the total spend and number of purchases made by buyers from across the Tasman continued at this sale.

In 2022, a total of 14 lots were attributed to New Zealand-based buyers for a total spend of $4,455,000, a figure which increased at last year’s sale to $6,090,000 from 25 lots purchased. Over the past five days, 32 lots have been attributed to New Zealand-based buyers for a total spend of $11,935,000, almost double the same figure from 12 months ago and more than the total New Zealand spend at the 2022 and 2023 editions of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale combined.

Table: New Zealand spend during Book 1 of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale

A large part of that notable increase can be attributed to the huge show of strength exhibited from Te Akau’s David Ellis CNZM (BANZ), who signed for four million-dollar lots throughout the week, including the $2.1 million sale-topper, and finished third on the overall buyers list by gross behind only Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and the combination of Gai Waterhouse, Adrian Bott and Bruce Slade’s Kestrel Thoroughbreds.

Ellis came away with 12 lots in total, two of which were signed for in partnership, for a total gross spend of $8,365,000, a figure which accounts for 70 per cent of the total New Zealand spend over the past five days of selling.

The total of 32 lots heading to New Zealand-based buyers this year is the highest number in the past decade and represents a 28 per cent increase in numbers year on year. Those 32 lots, however, were spread across 13 different buyers, whereas last year’s total of 25 New Zealand-purchased lots were shared between 17 individual buyers.

Whilst Te Akau were the only New Zealand outfit seen competing at the very top end of the market, the second-most prolific New Zealand based buyer of the week was Ohukia Lodge, who signed for 10 lots, including one in partnership, for a total spend of $1,760,000.

That figure is up markedly from the $470,000 Ohukia spent on three yearlings at this sale last year, and up even further from the $265,000 the operation spent on two lots at the 2022 Magic Millions Coast Yearling Sale. In each of the past three years, Ohukia’s average spend has also increased, as has the price of their most expensive purchase.

Having a crack

Owned and operated by Jamie Beatson and his wife Chanel, the Cambridge-based Ohukia Lodge specialises in racehorse education, pre-training and sales preparation for the Ready To Run auctions on both sides of the Tasman.

Beatson, whose father Maurice won 200 Grand Prix events and represented New Zealand at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, has been responsible for the education of a host of racetrack stars since setting up Ohukia, including multiple Group 1 winner Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) and $7.5 million Golden Eagle hero I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel). He has also sold a number of elite-level performers at the Ready to Run Sales in both New Zealand and Australia since Ohukia began selling in 2015, spearheaded by the likes of G1 New Zealand Derby winner Vin De Dance (NZ) (Roc De Cambes {NZ}) and G1 Rosehill Guineas placegetter Forgot You (NZ) (Savabeel).

Gallery: Ohukia Lodge is home to a range of Group 1 winners

This past week, Beatson has been scouring the grounds at Magic Millions’ Bundall complex in search of horses that Ohukia can target at the Ready to Run sales on both sides of the Tasman later this year. It was a successful trip in no uncertain terms, with Beatson heading back to his native New Zealand with 10 yearlings, the most he has ever emerged with from Magic Millions’ flagship auction.

“We upped the ante a little bit this year to try and find some better horses and we probably came away with a few more than we thought we would,” Beatson told The Thoroughbred Report.

“We came over thinking that it might be a little lighter in that middle market, but it definitely wasn’t. It was all pretty strong and the nice horses have sold very well.

“It was pretty tough and we spent a bit more than we thought we would, but we’re pretty pleased with what we’ve got. We’ve got some nice horses in there and they’ll all go back through a Ready to Run sale at this stage.”

Ohukia spent over $1 million more at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale than what it spent 12 months ago, as part of what Beatson revealed was a deliberate effort to secure more high-quality offerings.

“We have probably bought nicer horses this year, good types with good pedigrees by decent sires,” he added.

“We targeted those nice ones that will hopefully be at the top end when we take them to the breeze-up sales. If you buy nice horses they’re always easier to sell, but you don’t want to be paying overs and selling it for the same price at the other end.

“There’s always value to be found at any sale, you’ve just got to do your homework and be patient. We did our homework over there and tried to wait for a few that snuck through.”

Targeting Australian stallions

While Beatson intends to be as active as ever at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale later this month, as well as attending the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale in the coming months, the talented horseman’s attention was captured by the increased catalogue size at Magic Millions this year.

It is also an auction which offers something a little different to the sort of horse available to purchase at the yearling sales in New Zealand, something which Beatson believes is becoming increasingly desirable across the Tasman.

“There were a few more horses in the Magic Millions sale this year, so we thought we’d come over and have a crack,” he said.

“Magic Millions is an early sale, so we can get them back here (New Zealand) earlier and get going with them quicker.

“You get the sharper sort of horses over there, the get up and go horses, whereas we are breeding milers and stayers over here.

“Aussie sires seemed to sell well last year at the Ready to Run sales, so we made a conscious effort to target those at Magic Millions this year.”

All 10 of Ohukia’s purchases over the past five days are by Australian-based sires, with the exception of the $100,000 colt by Admire Mars (Jpn), who shuttles to Arrowfield Stud from his native Japan. Three of Ohukia’s new recruits are by Newgate Farm stallion Capitalist, including the most expensive of the lot, the $260,000 colt out of the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic heroine Real Surreal (Real Saga) secured from the Cressfield draft.

Gallery: Some of Ohukia's purchases were by Australian-based sires

Ohukia sold a colt by Capitalist for NZ$550,000 at last year’s NZB Ready to Run sale having paid just $190,000 for him as a yearling earlier in 2023, and Beatson is hoping Ohukia can repeat the trick with the three colts they purchased by the prolific sire this week.

“Everything we’ve had through here by Capitalist we’ve been pretty pleased with,” he said. “I like him as a sire and we thought we’d have a good crack at a few of them this week.

“We sold a beauty by him for NZ$550,000 at the Ready to Run in New Zealand last year, so hopefully we’ve got a couple of them again.

“He’s doing a good job up in Hong Kong at the moment, they’re good types and good racehorses.”

Another stallion who has already forged himself an excellent reputation in Hong Kong - an important market for the Ready to Run sales - is multiple Group 1-producing sire Deep Field, and Beatson was delighted to have come away with two colts by the recently-pensioned stallion this week for a combined outlay of $470,000.

“They do well up there (Hong Kong) and we tried to target a couple of them,” he said.

“We paid a little bit for one out of an Exceed And Excel mare, $250,000 I think we ended up paying for him. He looked sharp and we had a Deep Field last year out of a Vinnie mare who also looked sharp. This one looked just as sharp and reminded us a bit of him, he looks like he’ll get up and go and we were pretty keen to get him.

“They’re not making any more of them and there weren't that many in the catalogue this year either, so we were pretty pleased to get a couple to be honest.

“We didn’t think we would, so we’re happy we did.”

Beatson, who believes there is a lot to be optimistic about in New Zealand racing at the moment, was delighted with Ohukia’s shopping spree at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, with three individuals singled out for particular praise.

“The Deep Field, Lot 223, is a real nice horse, and the Capitalist we bought, Lot 545 is a very nice horse out of a Fastnet (Rock) mare,” he revealed.

“I also think the Star Turn colt was a real good buy. I thought we’d have had to pay a couple of hundred (thousand) for him at least, but we picked him up for $140,000, so we’re pretty happy about that.

Gallery: Three individual lots singled out by Ohukia Lodge for particular praise, images courtesy of Magic Millions

“Those are the three standouts who jump to mind, but we’ll find out in November how good we bought them. You see how much they change between now and November and see what they develop into.

“It’s always exciting each time you bring them back into the stable and do a bit more with them, and when they give you a good feel it’s always good, especially when they’re the cheap ones!”