Which fillies and mares will dazzle? We hear from the connections

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

The occasion is finally upon us! Tuesday will mark Day 1 of the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. In the preceding months, potential buyers have waited in anticipation to see the latest fillies and mares unveiled for the Gold Coast extravaganza.

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Now, after months of speculation, questions such as "Who will top the sale?", "How much will Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) sell for?", "Who will bid for Chain Of Lightning (Fighting Sun), and will she continue on to Royal Ascot?" will finally be answered and addressed.

In Tuesday’s edition of TTR AusNZ, we take a glance at some of the highlight lots on offer and speak to the connections of those mares as they prepare for their ringside date.

Fresh from the track in demand

The trend of the last four years has been race fillies or mares fresh from the track finishing top of the podium. In 2020, Sunlight (Zoustar) made history on the Gold Coast by selling for a record $4.2 million. She was followed by Arcadia Queen (Pierro) in 2021, who sold for $3.2 million. In 2022, Away Game (Snitzel) fetched $4 million, and Forbidden Love (All Too Hard) came within $100,000 of Sunlight’s record, selling for $4.1 million.

Table: Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale's past four years

What did all four mares have in common? Well, they were all maiden mares (hadn’t been to stud) and some were offered with the opportunity to race on. Notably, Away Game returned to the track after her sale in May and officially retired to broodmare status in September.

Last year, the sale grossed $107,843,000, with an average price of $215,000. Although this was a strong sale, it fell slightly below the gross and average prices of 2022 and 2021 ($124,052,500/$223,518 in 2022 and $142,773,000/$229,539 in 2021). However, this isn’t accounting in the fluctuating catalogue sizes.

The 2024 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale has 675 catalogued with 72 withdrawals at the time of writing.

Table: Most expensive mares in Australia

Star performers and a Tangerine Queen

The 'Tangerine Queen', Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), will be offered virtually as Lot 587 on Tuesday by Te Akau Stud (as Agent for Te Akau Invincible Empress Racing), who raced the former Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling graduate to an incredible 10 Group 1 victories.

Imperatriz will undoubtedly attract global attention. She’s a rarity and an incredible opportunity for whoever buys her to boast about. Mares of her calibre and class are rarely offered at public auction anywhere in the world.

Speaking to Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis (CNZM), The Thoroughbred Report posed the question: If somehow Imperatriz walked out of the ring unsold (stranger things have happened), would he be disappointed to keep his star mare a little longer? Ellis replied, “No, I would not be. If she doesn’t sell, we’d be more than happy to keep and breed from her.

“She’s such a beautiful mare, but I think Magic Millions have done a very effective job promoting her, so I’m sure she’ll sell well.”

Not that Magic Millions needed much help to promote her. After all, she is a 10-time Group 1 winner across Australia and New Zealand and is by Australia’s Champion Sire I Am Invincible.

Ellis added, “Everybody who has come to see Imperatriz has mentioned that she’s one of the finest-looking mares you’ll ever see.”

With the racing chapter of Imperatriz’s life set to close and a new one opening, TTR AusNZ asked Ellis if he thinks he’ll ever have another mare as good as her.

“We’ll be trying. We bought 55 yearlings so far, but the bottom line is that it’s not very often a mare of her quality, who breaks track records in consecutive starts, comes along. It very seldom happens anywhere in the world. But we’ll certainly be trying to find the next Imperatriz.”

Imperatriz is joined in the Group 1 class by Chain of Lightning (Fighting Sun), a victress of the G1 TJ Smith S. The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained mare holds a nomination to the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting in June.

Chain of Lightning is offered as Lot 430 by Kenmore Lodge. Kellie Bond of Kenmore Lodge chatted with TTR AusNZ about the daughter of Fighting Sun. “She’s been here (Magic Millions) parading for a couple of days. Chain of Lightning has been really well-received; she’s a good individual. Probably a surprisingly good individual to a lot of people. She’s got an amazing disposition; she really has an aura about her and she hasn’t turned a hair.

“Chain of Lightning also has an unbelievable temperament.”

Bond’s Kenmore Lodge will also present Lot 483, Life Lessons (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), a Group 2 victress also trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman, alongside Stroll (Snitzel) as Lot 549 on behalf of Jamie Walter’s Proven Thoroughbreds.

Bond added, “Life Lessons is a Group 2 winner and Group 1-performed at her only start in that company. She has brilliant form around her, with the likes of Pride of Jenni and Atishu. There’s probably plenty of upside with her. She’s a daughter of Tavistock, clearly a valuable broodmare, so there’s a lot to like about Life Lessons.

“We’ve got an absolutely beautiful line-up of mares for Jamie Walter’s Proven Thoroughbreds, who are renowned for buying good horses. The standout is Stroll. She’s a Snitzel stakes winner and has been so well-received during parades.”

Sure to be other highlights are: Belclare (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}), presented as Lot 418 by Bhima Thoroughbreds, is also a dual Group 1 winner and has won 11 starts overall. Chris Waller Racing will present its G1 The Thousand Guineas victress Madame Pommery (No Nay Never {USA}) as Lot 487, while Ruthless Dame (NZ) (Tavistock), also a Group 1 winner, will go through the ring as Lot 624 for Ciaron Maher Racing.

First Light Racing’s magnificent G1 Australasian Oaks victress Affaire A Suivre (NZ) (Astern) is presented as Lot 608 on behalf of the operation.

Class across the catalogue

In a catalogue packed with highlights, some other standout offerings include Lot 852, Mariamia (Toronado {Ire}), and Lot 595, Lavish Girl (Xtravagant {NZ}), both presented by the Kelly family’s Newhaven Park.

Newhaven Park famously purchased Mariamia for $335,000 at the 2022 Inglis Digital March Online Sale and put her in training with Joe Pride, who guided the daughter of Toronado (Ire) to Group 1 glory in the G1 The Galaxy.

Mariamia is presented with a cover to Australia’s Champion Sire I Am Invincible. Lavish Girl, bred and sold by Newhaven Park for $110,000 to Ciaron Maher Racing at the 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, is a Group 2 victress offered as a breeding proposition only. John Kelly of Newhaven Park told TTR AusNZ, “Mariamia is the fastest female ever over 1200 metres at Rosehill. She’s a Group 1-winning mare in foal to Australia’s Champion Sire I Am Invincible.

“She presents a unique opportunity.”

Commenting on Lavish Girl, Kelly added, “Lavish Girl has form around the Group 1 winners Chain Of Lighting, Yearning, Sheeza Belter and Zapateo; it’s outstanding.

“She is a nice mare, who would fit nicely into any broodmare band.”

Among the mares in foal, a trio carrying foals by Coolmore’s North American Triple Crown victor Justify (USA) could make a splash. Lot 693, Butter Blonde (Choisir), presented by Rosemont Stud, was placed in the G3 Ottawa S. as a juvenile and produced her first foal, a filly by Blue Point (Ire), last spring. She was served by Justify in October.

Coolmore will offer Lot 820, Kapralova (USA), a daughter of War Front (USA). The unraced mare is a full sister to the dual Group 1 victress Avenge (USA) and the Group 3 winner Liguria (USA). She is also a half-sister to the Listed winners Lira (USA) (Giant’s Causeway {USA}) and Lia Marina (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}). Kapralova’s first foal is a filly by Juddmonte Farms’ wonder horse Frankel (GB) who sold for $450,000 to North on Sunday, and she was served by Justify in September.

Also carrying a pregnancy to Justify is Lot 876, My Obsession (Lonhro). The three-time winner will be offered by Twin Hills Stud and is a proven producer, with her daughter Vagrant (Pariah) winning the G3 Geoffrey Bellmaine S.

Frankel fever

Anytime and anywhere the name Frankel (GB) is uttered, whether in relation to a foal, yearling, weanling, or a mare carrying to the champion, people sit up and take notice. The son of Galileo (Ire) flexed his muscles on Sunday when a colt by him from the G1 The Thousand Guineas winner Amicus (Fastnet Rock) topped the opening session of the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale at $500,000.

Four mares in foal to Frankel are set to go through the ring across Tuesday and Wednesday. First up is Lot 772, Grande Dame (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), presented by Coolmore Stud. She is a Listed winner and Group 1-placed in the G1 Sun Chariot. She is closely related to the recent Group 3 winner Sajir (Fr) (Make Believe {GB}).

Next is Lot 840, Lolloping (USA) (War Front {USA}), on account of the Newgate Consignment. Lolloping has an Australian connection as a daughter of Bounding (Lonhro), a Champion Sprinter in New Zealand, who won the G1 Railway S. Bounding is a half-sister to the late G1 The Derby at Epsom Downs victor Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Lot 879, Natural Colour (GB), a North American Listed winner by the great Exceed And Excel, is another highlight. Natural Colour is from the Sinndar (Ire) mare Safiyna (Ire), a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Sageburg (Ire) (Johannesburg {USA}).

Rounding out the mares in foal to Frankel, and also part of the Newgate Consignment, is Lot 1060, Rodina (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). Although unraced, Rodina arrived at the Bundall complex with an outstanding pedigree. Her second dam, Intercontinental (GB) (Danehill {USA}), was the Champion Turf Female in North America and is a daughter of the great producer Hasili (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}).