Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
Off the back of a local industry simmering along sweetly, a collective group of breeders dedicated to investing in better stock and a homegrown hero underpinning the sale, confidence around this week’s Perth Magic Millions is as strong as ever.
Off a record-breaking 2023, Magic Millions has seen fit to catalogue a slightly higher number of horses this year as local breeders continue to lift the bar.
To be held at the state-of-the-art Magic Millions WA sales complex in the Swan Valley, the sale has attracted a quality lineup of 352 lots – selling across two days, February 22 and 23.
Year-on-year improvement
There’s a strong lineup of exceptionally related yearlings to recent Summer Carnival stars including a full brother to WA Guineas winner and Northerly S. placegetter Zipaway (Playing God), offered as Lot 24 by the Western Breeders Alliance (Darling View Stud, Einoncliff Park and Westbury Park), and a full sister to Railway S. winner Bustler (Playing God), offered as Lot 41 via the Mungrup Stud draft.
Last year’s Book 1 set new marks for both sale gross ($13.38 million) and average ($93,566) spearheaded by $350,000 for a Blue Point (Ire) filly offered by Yarradale Stud.
Gallery: Some of the siblings to recent Perth Carnvival stakes winners being offered at the 2024 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, images courtesy of Magic Millions
The following day, Book 2 also surpassed previous levels, averaging more than $50,000, with a total trade of $5.94 million as a Playing God filly from the draft of Western Breeders Alliance topped the day at $170,000.
Trading across the two days of $19.4 million was also a record.
“The trajectory has been good, the last two years have been as strong as we have in the west,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said.
“We are thinking we can achieve something similar to what we have in recent years given the increased quality in the catalogue and confidence within the local industry.
“We are thinking we can achieve something similar to what we have in recent years given the increased quality in the catalogue and confidence within the local industry.” - Barry Bowditch
“Local racing is great here. The local incentive scheme is fantastic, the buyers are parochial to the local product, the breeders are investing more and more in better products, so the sale evidently improves year on year.”
Affordable elite performers
Graduates of this sale have a proud record in feature races on both sides of the country.
More often than not, the stars are secured for a modest purchase price.
The recent G1 Railway winner Bustler, who has a full sibling entered for this week’s sale, was a $130,000 buy and that price – cheap by comparison to most modern-day feature winners - makes him one of the more expensive topliners to emerge from this sale.
The Caulfield Cup winner Boom Time (Flying Spur) was passed in at just $65,000, while Hong Kong’s near $5 million earner Sight Success (Magnus) was a $45,000 buy.
Gallery: Some of the high-class Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale graduates purchased for modest prices
Other recent standouts include the 2-year-old Group 1 winner Sheeza Belter (Gold Standard) for $50,000, Melbourne Group 1 sprint winners Portland Sky and Silent Sedition (War Chant) for $85,000 and $45,000 respectively, Karrakatta winner Super Smink (Super One) for $45,000 and WA Derby hero Alaskan God (Playing God) for $90,000.
And some of the biggest names to emerge from this sale were also bargain buys; Black Heart Bart (Blackfriars) cost just $20,000, Royal Ascot winner Scenic Blast (Scenic) was $85,000, multiple Group 1 winner Scenic Shot (Scenic) cost $30,000, Moment Of Change (Barely A Moment) was $50,000 and the dual Railway hero Luckygray (Bradbury’s Luck) went for just $46,000.
A diverse stallion pool
Among the 352 catalogued lots this week, there are 90 individual sires represented, including 14 with first-crop progeny.
Local sensation Playing God has 42 youngsters up for sale, while I’m All The Talk (24), Rommel (23), Long Leaf (18), Maschino (16), Awesome Rock (11), Gingerbread Man (11), Snippetson (11) and Universal Ruler (11) are all represented with double-digit yearlings catalogued.
Notable stallions based in the east are headed by Toronado (Ire) with 10, while So You Think (NZ), Russian Revolution, Zoustar, Yes Yes Yes, Nicconi, Hellbent and Flying Artie all have multiple entries.
Gallery: Some of the local sires represented
“It’s a sale where you get a good selection of the eastern states sires represented by those that are conceived over there and reared in the west and some breeders who are willing to make the trek and enter some horses in the market here,” Bowditch said. “It’s good to have that eastern states representation but the local bred horses continue to improve year on year.”
Playing God is taking all before him in the west, with the Darling View Thoroughbreds-based stallion represented by his biggest crop to date at this sale.
The son of Blackfriars is another prime example of the great value to be found at this sale, himself being a $27,000 graduate.
“He is an elite sire here in the west and I think if he stood in the east, he’d be just as elite,” Bowditch said. “He’s a big-ticket item and has more than 40 yearlings in the catalogue.
“He (Playing God) is an elite sire here in the west and I think if he stood in the east, he’d be just as elite.” - Barry Bowditch
“He’s the best sire in the west, he’s a homegrown hero, he was sold here at Magic Millions, he’s by Blackfriars, he raced in the west and he’s making his mark at stud. We expect some horses by him to be highly sought-after.”
Increased competition
Bowditch said of 269 horses sold last year, 255 were bought by Western Australians and he expects the local contingent to be the dominant force among the buying bench again.
But the sales company is thinking there might be increased competition from the east this time around.
“We have a parochial local market and incentive scheme, but there’s been plenty of good horses bought here that have gone back east and raced at the elite level,” Bowditch said.
“.... there’s been plenty of good horses bought here that have gone back east and raced at the elite level.” - Barry Bowditch
“It’s probably a better catalogue from an eastern states’ perspective.
“There’s a good selection of eastern states buyers coming in and for those that aren’t, I’d still be paying attention because in any sale, what we are seeing this year, if you do your work, you’re a good chance of finding value.”
The catalogue has increased marginally on 2023 (up to 352 from 327) and it is close to capacity now for the venue at which it is held.
“I think the demand over here each year, the guys who select the catalogue over here are having increased quality and increased numbers to select from,” Bowditch said.
“We’re in a position now where we think this is the right amount of horses to have here in the west.”
Barry Bowditch | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The curtain-raiser to this year’s sale went off brilliantly at Pinjarra races last Saturday, where more than $600,000 in prizemoney was distributed, headlined by the Magic Millions races for two and 3-year-olds.
“Each year it builds on itself. It’s a destination day getting down to Pinjarra,” Bowditch said.
