Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
At A Glance
Day one grossed $7,476,500 compared to last year's opening day of $8,351,000 with 146 sold; 155 last year.
The average of $51,209 was only slightly down on last year's $53,877 whilst the median reached $35,000 versus last year's day one of $40,000.
Shortly after the sale ended the clearance rate was 73.74 per cent whilst last year it was 77 per cent.
The day's top seller goes to the same Lloyd Kennewell stables as last year's day one top seller, the recent Cranbourne jump-out winner Dapper Don (Harry Angel {Ire}) who sold for $230,000. Along with Group 1 Bloodstock, he laid out $400,000 for Baramul Stud's I Am Invincible x Les Amoureux (Redoute's Choice) filly.
The second highest price was achieved by Rushton Park's Justify (USA) x Shop Til I Drop (NZ) (Savabeel) colt - sold to Anthony Freedman Racing for $300,000.
Day one's highest priced yearling by a first season sire was lot 201, a $180,000 Russian Camelot filly sold by Widden Stud to Griffiths de Kock Racing and Peter Ford Thoroughbreds.
Proven stallions were popular with Russian Camelot the only first season horse represented in the top ten.
Michael Hickmott was the most prolific buyer, purchasing two with John O'Neill and Punt Road Racing and another four as Michael Hickmott Bloodstock.
Baramul Stud were the most successful vendors by gross - selling 13 yearlings for $770,000 whilst with just two yearlings Rushton Park had the best average of $167,500. Of those farms selling more the best average achieved was by Mill Park Stud who sold six for an average of $86,167.
With four yearlings sold, Swettenham Stud's Toronado (Ire) had the highest gross of $515,000, his average was $128,750.
Buyers came from Victoria, South Australia, Hong Kong, New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania.
Fillies achieved a slightly higher average than the colts - $52,865 vs $50,661.
I Am Invincible continues to shine
It was no surprise to see the only I Am Invincible in the sale provide the opening day's best seller, lot 63 bred and sold by Baramul Stud attracting spirited bidding - the hammer going down at $400,000 with Kennewell Racing/Group 1 Bloodstock taking her home.
She is the first foal for Les Amoureux (Redoute's Choice) who was also bred and raced by Gerry Harvey, winning a Grafton maiden for the Stephen Jones stable. Last spring foaling a Wootton Bassett (GB) colt, she was served by Home Affairs.
Les Amoureux is one of the four winners (from as many foaled) for the stakes placed multiple city winner Eau de Joie (Encosta de Lago) whose son Sambro (Fastnet Rock) won the G2 Queensland Guineas and the G3 Hawkesbury Guineas.
Lot 63 - I Am Invincible x Les Amoureux (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Eau de Joie is one of the ten winners produced by the takes placed Patou (Covetous), dam of the G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Polar Success (Success Express {USA}) and grandam of the stakes winners Lillemor (Hallowed Crown) and Roots (Press Statement).
57 (85.1 per cent) of the 67 I Am Invincible runners out of Redoute's Choice mares are winners including the stakes winners Overshare, Jack The Lad and Muntaseera.
The Kennewell stable have enjoyed good success with the I Am Invincible breed at this sale, in 2014 paying $40,000 for the G1 Moir S. and G1 Winterbottom S. winner Viddora.
Baramul Stud staff with Lot 63 | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Though she was, Lloyd Kennewell said, a very different type to this filly - “she was a work in progress," he recalled, “a filly who really came on as a late 2-year-old.”
Whilst this filly, who will go straight to the breakers, “looks fast and early.”
“She is a beauty and we are very, very happy to be taking her home. We thought she was clearly the best filly in the sale - and by a long way. I didn't think we'd have to go to $400,000 at Adelaide, we had to push the button a bit with Phillip Stokes the under-bidder, he is a good judge!”
“She is a beauty and we are very, very happy to be taking her home. We thought she was clearly the best filly in the sale - and by a long way. I didn't think we'd have to go to $400,000 at Adelaide, we had to push the button a bit with Phillip Stokes the under-bidder, he is a good judge!” - Lloyd Kennewell
Kennewell purchased the filly for Ridgeport's Santo Guagliardo: “I told him that if he was to only buy one yearling this year, this was the one!”
Baramul Stud's Luke McDonald was “over the moon” with the result, describing the filly as “an absolute glamour!”
“She really stood out and she deserved that price,” he said, adding that what was most impressive about her was what could not be seen on sale day.
“She really stood out and she deserved that price.” - Luke McDonald
“I've never seen one like her in regards to how much she progressed and flourished through her preparation - you would not recognise her as the same horse from six weeks ago.
“I think it is an I Am Invincible thing, they just love their work and improve so much with it.”
Justify colt makes $300k
It was later in the day that saw the second highest price achieved - lot 210, a Justify (USA) colt, sold by Rushton Park (as agent for Peachester Lodge) to Anthony Freedman Racing for $300,000.
The first foal for the stakes placed metropolitan winner Shop Til I Drop (NZ) (Savabeel), he gave Rushton Park's Kayley Johnson plenty to be happy about in the lead-up to his appearance in the ring.
“There were lots of inspections and lots of hits on his x-rays so we were pretty confident that he'd sell well,” she said.
“He is a lovely moving horse, a nice type by the right sire at the right time,” she said.
“He is a lovely moving horse, a nice type by the right sire at the right time.” - Kayley Johnson
Historic sale for Balcrest
It seems that barely a weekend goes by without a Toronado (Ire) city winner or two and his progeny continue to prove popular. His Balcrest Stud bred colt - lot 35 - caught the eye of Shane McGrath who secured him for $225,000 on behalf of Hong Kong clients.
He is a member of a family Balcrest have been breeding with for generations, including his twice Group 3 placed multiple city winning dam Kabini (Written Tycoon), her Group 3 placed multiple city winning grandam Ambika (Indian Danehill {Ire}) and her G1 Goodwood H. winning third dam Ambala (Gielgud {USA}.
A tough and talented race mare who won six of her 47 starts with a further 13 placings on her record, Kabini produced this colt as her first foal. She was given this season off after foaling a Brazen Beau colt in early November.
Lot 35 - Toronado (Ire) x Kabini (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
There has been only one Toronado runner out of a Written Tycoon mare - the Listed winner The Intimidator. It is a cross which results in the duplication of the terrific mare Sex Appeal (USA) (Buckpasser {USA}) via her sons, the full brothers El Gran Senor (USA) and Try My Best (USA). As a bonus Kabini also carries a strain of Sex Appeal's half-brother Gielgud (USA).
Shane McGrath was delighted to secure the colt he rated as "the nicest in the sale," looking forward to seeing how he matures before a decision is made as to whether he races locally or in Hong Kong.
“The beauty of a Toronado colt is that you have two markets for them. The common factor with the breed is that they are good movers with great temperaments which makes them ideal not only for the Australian training environment but for Hong Kong as well.”
Shane McGrath | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“We loved this colt, he has that Toronado movement and temperament and he is out of a very good race mare.”
McGrath was happy to meet Balcrest Stud's Alister Haigh after buying the colt: “he was ecstatic as it is his biggest sale result. It is brilliant for a family who have supported their local sale with a family they have built up over years to have such a good result, you really like to see that.”
Haigh was still on cloud nine after we spoke to him a few hours later.
“I cannot recall a higher price for one of our horses,” he said.
“We are very, very happy though there were a lot of tears around as he has been such a lovely horse - the nicest natured yearling we've had a in a long while.
“We are very, very happy though there were a lot of tears around as he has been such a lovely horse - the nicest natured yearling we've had a in a long while.” - Alister Haigh
“He has been such a well behaved horse, has never put a foot wrong, has never given any of the staff any trouble at all.”
Haigh, CEO of Haigh's Chocolates, noted that it was a timely success with Balcrest Stud celebrating its 90th year of operation.
Moroney/Bruggeman claim The Autumn Sun colt
It was a Classic, staying type of colt who caught the eye of Paul Moroney and Catheryne Bruggeman and they were very happy to have secured lot 61, a son of The Autumn Sun, for $200,000.
A half-brother to the recent G3 Launceston Cup and G3 Hobart Cup placegetter Grand Pierro (Pierro) who won the Listed Geelong Classic, the grandson of the Listed New Zealand S. Leger winner Ritzy Lady (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) had Paul Moroney excited from the moment he laid eyes on him.
“He came out the box and I just said ‘whoa!’ I don't do this very often but after that first look I texted my brother (Flemington trainer Michael Moroney) and said 'if you were here you would want to buy this colt!’”
Lot 61 - The Autumn Sun x Le Societe (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Thorough in his inspections of young horses, Paul Moroney had the colt out on another four occasions, remaining impressed.
“He came out exactly the same each time; he put his head down and got on with things.”
“He has a bomb-proof temperament which you need in a staying type and Catheryne and I bought thought that he ticked every box - type and brain.
Paul Moroney and Catheryne Bruggeman | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“He moves like a panther, he has such great extension in front and comes under himself from behind. He is just a stunner, definitely one of our top horses of the sale and he compares well to any staying type of colt we've seen at any sale this year.
“He is the sort of horse you go to the sales hoping to find whilst knowing that they are hard to find and I think for $200,000 he was good buying.”
Quality colt from local family
Another good seller considered to be a great buy by the winning bidder was lot 34, a $180,000 son of Too Darn Hot (GB) and of the G3 Spring S. winner Just Discreet (Exceed And Excel). He was knocked down to John O'Neill, Punt Road Racing and Michael Hickmott.
“We valued him at considerably more than what we paid,” he said - “I think we just got into that early part of the sale, I'd say if he had gone through later in the day he would've sold for more.
“He is a beautiful, high quality colt from one of the best families in South Australia,” he said.
Lot 34 - Too Darn Hot (GB) x Just Discreet (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“Too Darn Hot is doing well with Danehill-line mares and we are very, very excited to be getting him into our stables.”
Hickmott is also pleased to be taking home a horse with such a great background - “a horse with the David Peacock brand, raised at Mill Park, that's hard to beat!” he said.
And Mill Park's Chris Watson is pleased to see the colt go to such a good (and local) home.
Chris Watson
“We are very happy with the result. He was certainly one of our best yearlings here this week and he was well received.
“He is a nice attractive style of colt who we've always had a lot of time for.”
First season sire success for Widden
Also fetching $180,000 was lot 201, a member of the debut crop of Widden Stud's Russian Camelot (Ire).
Sold by Widden, she enjoyed a nice update to her page with her half-sister Tobeornottobe (Pierata) at her first two starts finishing second and fourth to the G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Hayasugi (Royal Meeting {Ire}) in the G3 Blue Diamond Fillies Preview and the G2 Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude.
And it was her trainers - Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock, along with Peter Ford - who put in the successful bid for this one.
“We really like Tobeornottobe,” Griffiths said of the filly who has her next start in the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders S. at Flemington on March 20, “and we thought her half-sister would be a good investment, a filly with plenty of residual value.”
Lot 201 - Russian Camelot (Ire) x Shakespearean Lass (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
And they liked her too - “she is a gorgeous filly, very much like her half-sister... more like her than Russian Camelot.”
Whilst her sire was at his best a bit later and over a bit of ground, Griffiths feels that this filly has more precociousness about her - “she looks to be a 2-year-old type like her sister, so it will be interesting to see if it plays out that way.”
Also a half-sister to the city winner Hamlet von Snitzel (Snitzel), she is a daughter of the Listed WJ Adams S. winner Shakespearean Lass (Written Tycoon) who Griffiths described as “a young broodmare on the up.”
Robbie Griffiths | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Widden Stud's Antony Thompson, who purchased “the very fast” Shakespearean Lass in partnership with a couple of clients who raced Russian Camelot especially for that stallion, was pleased with the result.
“He will get plenty of miler to 2000 metre types but we also wanted him to be given the chance to get something out earlier and this filly is definitely the sort of horse to do that.”
Thompson has been very happy with the way in which Russian Camelot has been received by buyers, noting that “they have been making their way into some of the best stables in the country.”
“We are hoping that he can be a Savabeel or So You Think type for Victoria.”
Bowditch satisfied with how Day 1 ended
Magic Millions' Barry Bowditch was in an optimistic mood at the end of the day, happy with how the sale built up as time went on.
“It started out quite slowly with a pass in rate higher than what we would've liked, but once vendors got a feel for the market and buyers got the confidence to bid, things improved.”
Barry Bowditch | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“The average of over $50,000 and a clearance rate that we should get up to over 80 per cent is very much line with what we expected for this sale.”
Bowditch was pleased by the number of high selling yearlings - “we had 15 seven figure lots and the $400,000 is an Adelaide record for a filly.”
Looking forward to tomorrow, Bowditch noted that “nearly everyone I spoke to said that their lists were longer for day two.”
“There was a good feel about things today and it was nice to see people enjoying the complex.”
Top buyers
| Kennewell Racing/Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA)/ Ridgeport Holdings | 1 | $400,000 | $400,000 | $400,000 |
| Shane McGrath | 3 | $113,333 | $225,000 | $340,000 |
| John O'Neill/Punt Road Racing/Michael Hickmott | 2 | $165,000 | $180,000 | $330,000 |
| Anthony Freedman Racing Pty Ltd/Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock | 1 | $300,000 | $300,000 | $300,000 |
| McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA) | 2 | $115,000 | $170,000 | $230,000 |
| Ballymore Stables/Catheryne Bruggeman/Paul Moroney Bloodstock | 1 | $200,000 | $200,000 | $200,000 |
| Griffiths de Kock Racing/Peter Ford T'Breds (FBAA)/Yabby Dam Farm | 1 | $180,000 | $180,000 | $180,000 |
| Michael Hickmott Bloodstock | 4 | $45,000 | $100,000 | $180,000 |
| Andrew Gluyas Racing | 2 | $88,000 | $130,000 | $176,000 |
| Clarken Bloodstock/Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA)/Rob Chapman | 2 | $85,000 | $90,000 | $170,000 |
Vendors by aggregate
| Baramul Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 13 | $59,231 | $400,000 | $770,000 |
| Mill Park Stud, Meningie, SA | 6 | $86,167 | $180,000 | $517,000 |
| Cornerstone Stud, Angaston, SA | 10 | $46,450 | $200,000 | $464,500 |
| Caithness Breeding, Crowther, NSW | 5 | $83,000 | $150,000 | $415,000 |
| Newhaven Park, Boorowa, NSW | 6 | $61,000 | $170,000 | $366,000 |
| Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 5 | $68,800 | $180,000 | $344,000 |
| Rushton Park, Tatura, Vic | 2 | $167,500 | $300,000 | $335,000 |
| Bowness Stud, Young, NSW | 6 | $52,917 | $100,000 | $317,500 |
| Glenn Lee Thoroughbreds, Meroo Meadow, NSW | 5 | $61,000 | $100,000 | $305,000 |
| Yulong, Nagambie, Vic | 10 | $26,200 | $42,500 | $262,000 |
Vendors by average (2 or more sold)
| Rushton Park, Tatura, Vic | 2 | $167,500 | $300,000 | $335,000 |
| Mill Park Stud, Meningie, SA | 6 | $86,167 | $180,000 | $517,000 |
| Caithness Breeding, Crowther, NSW | 5 | $83,000 | $150,000 | $415,000 |
| Sullivan Bloodstock, Kialla East, Vic | 2 | $80,000 | $90,000 | $160,000 |
| Murrulla Stud, Wingen, NSW | 2 | $77,500 | $105,000 | $155,000 |
| Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 5 | $68,800 | $180,000 | $344,000 |
| JJJ Thoroughbreds, Cloyna, Qld | 3 | $65,667 | $150,000 | $197,000 |
| Newhaven Park, Boorowa, NSW | 6 | $61,000 | $170,000 | $366,000 |
| Glenn Lee Thoroughbreds, Meroo Meadow, NSW | 5 | $61,000 | $100,000 | $305,000 |
| Evergreen Stud Farm, Heatherbrae, NSW | 2 | $60,000 | $70,000 | $120,000 |
Sires by aggregate
| Toronado | 4 | $128,750 | $225,000 | $515,000 |
| Justify | 2 | $225,000 | $300,000 | $450,000 |
| I Am Invincible | 1 | $400,000 | $400,000 | $400,000 |
| Russian Camelot | 3 | $90,000 | $180,000 | $270,000 |
| D'Argento | 5 | $46,000 | $100,000 | $230,000 |
| Too Darn Hot | 2 | $112,500 | $180,000 | $225,000 |
| Alabama Express | 8 | $25,750 | $42,500 | $206,000 |
| Flying Artie | 4 | $51,250 | $70,000 | $205,000 |
| The Autumn Sun | 1 | $200,000 | $200,000 | $200,000 |
| Star Turn | 3 | $63,333 | $85,000 | $190,000 |
Sires by average (2 or more sold)
| Justify | 2 | $225,000 | $300,000 | $450,000 |
| Toronado | 4 | $128,750 | $225,000 | $515,000 |
| Too Darn Hot | 2 | $112,500 | $180,000 | $225,000 |
| Russian Camelot | 3 | $90,000 | $180,000 | $270,000 |
| Contributer | 2 | $65,000 | $80,000 | $130,000 |
| Star Turn | 3 | $63,333 | $85,000 | $190,000 |
| Yes Yes Yes | 2 | $60,000 | $100,000 | $120,000 |
| Star Witness | 2 | $52,500 | $90,000 | $105,000 |
| Hanseatic | 3 | $52,000 | $80,000 | $156,000 |
| Flying Artie | 4 | $51,250 | $70,000 | $205,000 |
