Cover image courtesy of Western Racepix
When the Magic Millions Pinjarra Raceday rolls around in February each year, Western Australian owners and breeders get their chance to have a shot at the riches on offer for buying out of the local Magic Millions sales.
Usually, there is a fairly even spread of winners (although both David Harrison and Luke Fernie are making habits of taking glory on this day), but on Saturday, there was one undercurrent to the two respective winners of the R. Listed Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic and the R. Listed Magic Millions WA 3YO Trophy.
Both Bondi Bubbles (Bondi) and Big Shots (Sizzling) graduated from the picturesque Alwyn Park Stud, a famous property situated roughly 45 minutes from the Perth CBD, and just up the road from Pinjarra Park racecourse, where their stars shone.
To find out more about the gravitas of the victory, and get a sneak peak at Alwyn Park's 2024 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale Draft, The Thoroughbred Report caught up with principal John Andrew.
John Andrew | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Saturday, a day to remember
With yearling preparations in full flight, there isn’t much time for a jaunt down the road to the races for Andrew, but he still was able to savour in a victory that comes at an optimum time for his operation.
“I wasn't there, but we were over the moon when it happened,” Andrew told The Thoroughbred Report on Sunday.
“I was a little bit apprehensive regarding Bondi Bubbles, the fact that he won six straight (at Esperance), however they lifted the bar and he produced the goods which was terrific.
“I was a little bit apprehensive regarding Bondi Bubbles, the fact that he won six straight (at Esperance), however they lifted the bar and he produced the goods which was terrific.” - John Andrew
“The trainer is a very astute trainer, I have a lot of time for David (Harrison), he's very astute, and I know he does that sort of thing (travels horses to find form). He sends horses down there (to Esperance) for them to build their confidence, and that's exactly what happened yesterday.
“Big Shots, we sold him in the winter sale. His form was pretty good leading up to it.
“He had run a couple of seconds, so he was showing a little bit, and we were over the moon.
“He (Big Shots) had run a couple of seconds, so he was showing a little bit, and we were over the moon.” - John Andrew
“The fact that we bred and raised the two Magic Millions winners on the same day was pretty exciting, actually, because it’s pretty hard to win a race full stop.
“But to win two in the two main races, it was quite unbelievable.
“I think it is important. It makes people aware that the farm produces winners, and at the end of the day, that’s the reputation all studs want, that they produce winners.
“This is my 50th straight Perth Yearling Sale, believe it or not, and there’s always been one or maybe two handy, good horses that come out of the Alywn Park draft nearly every year.
“This is my 50th straight Perth Yearling Sale, believe it or not, and there’s always been one or maybe two handy, good horses that come out of the Alywn Park draft nearly every year.” - John Andrew
“So it’s a fairly good advertisement, which we pride ourselves on, But I’m not the only one, it takes a team effort, and I’ve got very, very good staff and that makes a hell of a difference.”
Class of 2024 set to shine
Alwyn Park, alongside Andrew, have become inescapable fixtures of the Western Australian breeding scene, with their consistency keeping them firmly entrenched amongst the most respected farms in the state.
Helped by their resident star stallion Maschino, who has produced a Listed-winning sprinter in Fabergino and a Group 2-winning stayer in Marocchino, the farm is consistently a popular destination for buyers when inspections roll around.
But what do they have in the locker for 2024? According to Andrew, there is a strong group of offerings in their draft of 14 horses.
“One of the horses that I’ve got a lot of time for is Lot 36, which is by Maschino out of Classical Snow.
“One of the horses that I’ve got a lot of time for is Lot 36, which is by Maschino out of Classical Snow.” - John Andrew
“She is a full sister to Nero King, who actually ran second yesterday. I was hoping he was going to win! She’s also a full sister to Snowchino, who David Harrison trained, and she won $300,000 plus (and the Listed Startstruck Classic) I think. She is a very, very nice filly. We’ve got some very nice offerings here.
“There’s a couple of Playing Gods. I’ve got a very, very nice Snippetson. So overall, they’re quite a nice bunch of horses, and I'm sure there’s one there for everybody. We don't expect telephone numbers for all of them, (it’s just) nice to get a good price.
“That’s all we hope for.”
Gallery: A selection from the Alwyn Park Stud draft at the 2024 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, images courtesy of Magic Millions
With major yearling sales on the eastern seaboard and New Zealand holding up comparable numbers to recent years in terms of key metrics, there’s buoyancy in the market locally for that trend to be replicated in Perth when selling starts on Thursday, according to Andrew.
“As a vendor, I would like to think that it’ll hold up quite nicely,” he said.
“One of the things that I think has helped WA in the last couple of years is the Westspeed Platinum bonus scheme. It is just a huge incentive for people to breed horses in WA because the platinum is only available for West Australian-bred horses by Western Australian stallions.
“One of the things that I think has helped WA in the last couple of years is the Westspeed Platinum bonus scheme.” - John Andrew
“It’s a huge, huge incentive. Somebody told me, and I’m standing to be corrected on the figures, but somebody won a race on a Saturday, and it was a $50,000 race (in total prizemoney) but they ended up getting $87,000 with the Westspeed Platinum (bonuses).
“It’s a huge boost in that respect for people that race horses in Western Australia. I think that Westspeed Platinum is certainly a help to breeders in our state.”
One element of the market that has not gone unnoticed by locals is an uptick in interest from buyers outside the state, which in a jurisdiction that is often encased in its own geographic bubble, does create a distortion to the simple constructs of supply and demand that has been the status quo for a number of years.
Connections of Bondi Bubbles celebrate their victory in the R. Listed Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic on Saturday | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
Some of the names to appear on the buyers sheet 12 months ago include Lindsey Smith, Mick Price, Lindsay Park, Lloyd Kennewell, Tom Magnier (with the caveat that the horse, Golden Vale {Churchill {Ire}} stayed local), Tony and Calvin McEvoy and Simon Zahra, indicating a heavy interest in what the local stallions and mares can produce.
These names haven’t slipped under the radar of studmasters or competing buyers, with Andrew pointing to the quality of Western Australian stock on the national stage as a key factor in garnering interest.
“We’ve always been the cinderella state, but it’s proven that horses from WA (are of good quality), we can produce very, very good horses. Amelia’s Jewel comes to mind, she was raised here, uh, and there are numerous others that have gone east and have done extremely well.”
“We’ve always been the cinderella state, but it’s proven that horses from WA (are of good quality), we can produce very, very good horses.” - John Andrew
