At A Glance
Clearance rate of 83.92 per cent (86 per cent last year) with 167 fillies and mares sold for a gross of $51,725,000.
The average was $309,731 (up from $264,229 last year) and the median $120,000 (up from $110,000).
Imperatriz broke the record price for a race filly and/or broodmare in Australia, being sold for $6.6 million. The previous record was $5 million.
Yulong’s partner Zhijun Zhao was the most prolific buyer, taking home seven horses at an average of over $1.6 million and a total of $11.325 million.
Newgate sold the most horses - 30 for an average of over $411,000 and up to $3.5 million.
I Am Invincible was the most prolific stallion with 16 of his daughters selling for an average of $700,000.
Buyers came from New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland,South Australia, Western Australia, New Zealand, Japan, America, Singapore and China.
Platinum Jubilee best of the rest
Part of a big afternoon for Coolmore Stud, Platinum Jubilee (Zoustar) was secured after a prolonged bidding battle for $3.5 million.
Consigned by Newgate on behalf of Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, the G3 Gimcrack S. winner was described by Coolmore’s Tom Moore as “a very important mare.”
“She was the one mare we were pretty keen to get hold of,” he said, noting that “obviously her mother has done more than most can ever hope to do.”
Platinum Jubilee was secured after a prolonged bidding battle for $3.5 million | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
He was of course talking about the high achieving Miss Debutante (Fastnet Rock), the Listed Denise’s Joy S. winner whose first three foals are all stakes winners.
The four times Group 3 winner Queen Of The Ball (I Am Invincible) set the ball rolling for Miss Debutante whilst Platinum Jubilee with her winning debut in the Gimcrack suggesting that this was a broodmare of note.
And the best was still to come, her third foal being this year’s G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon).
“She (Platinum Jubilee) was the one mare we were pretty keen to get hold of... Obviously her mother has done more than most can ever hope to do.” - Tom Moore
Purchased as a yearling by Paul Moroney for $430,000 on behalf of Go Bloodstock, Miss Debutante has a Flying Artie colt and an I Am Invincible filly coming through; missing last spring to Zoustar.
This is a long line of female stakes success, Miss Debutante’s dam the G2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf S. winner More Than Real (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}) - daughter of the five times Listed winner Miss Seffens (USA) (Dehere {USA} whose dam Noise Enough (Can) (Bold Ruckus {USA}) also won at black-type level.
It is this depth of pedigree that made Platinum Jubilee such an appealing prospect to Coolmore who have long term aspirations for her.
Lot 513 - Platinum Jubilee | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“We consider her to be the type of mare to produce not only high priced yearlings for us,” Moore said, “but also stallion prospects.”
A similar story, he said, to Shinzo - the Coolmore bred Golden Slipper winner who returned to the stud to stand - his dual Group 1 winning dam Samaready (More Than Ready) purchased at the Chairman’s in 2020 by Tom Magnier for $1.8 million.
Platinum Jubilee will head straight to Coolmore where she will let down in preparation for her first season at stud with Moore saying that “she has done enough on the track, there is nothing left for her to do.”
Tom Moore
Wootton Bassett (GB) will be Platinum Jubilee’s first mate with Moore saying that “we look forward to presenting her yearlings in the ring.
Coolmore strike again
It was not that long before their purchase of Platinum Jubilee that Coolmore had their hands up for another prized mare - for $2.7 million taking home the G1 1000 Guineas heroine Madame Pommery (No Nay Never {USA}).
Also due to visit Wootton Bassett, the 4-year-old daughter of a full sister to the G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Earthquake (Exceed And Excel) was described by Tom Magnier as “a lovely mare with whom Chris Waller did a great job.”
“We obviously have a number of No Nay Never mares at home and they are good producers,” he said.
Lot 487 - Madame Pommery | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Dabbing at her eyes as emotions took hold, Sophie Baker - who formed the women’s syndicate (consisting of 20 equal owners) that raced Madame Pommery - described the experience of selling a mare for such a big price as “unbelievable.”
Bred by Coolmore and sold to Waller Racing and Mulcaster Bloodstock for $150,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions, Madame Pommery gave her owners great thrills on the track and now off - those present celebrating with champagne as they bid farewell to their mare.
Two of those owners - Sue Ban Duuren and Marie Lyons - know what it is like to win the big races; with their husbands kicking off their racehorse owner hobby with racing horses in the country, gradually getting involved in better horses - able to head to town.
Tom Magnier | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
And the quality of their horses continued to increase, leading them to a place they never imagined they’d end up - in the winner’s circle next to royalty as they cheered home their champion sprinter Nature Strip (Nicconi) to victory at Royal Ascot.
Racing a horse with a group of women has been, they said, an exciting experience that has seen great friendships formed - those at the sales following up their champagne with plans of a big night out!
Madame Pommery’s dam Cancel (Exceed And Excel) - also dam of the Group 3 placed Moet Down (Pierro) - was served last spring by St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) having foaled a Home Affairs colt in early November. Her Wootton Bassett yearling colt sold at Easter for $260,000 - also to Waller and Mulcaster.
Chain Of Lightning sale completes a circle
Vin Cox remembers a drive to Boscobel Stud a couple of decades ago, making the trip with Stuart Ramsey with the intention of buying the young broodmare Mardi’s Magic (Kenny’s Best Pal).
As the winner of four races including the G2 Magic Night S., she was a lovely prospect and whilst it was not difficult to predict that she would fare well at stud - as she did with her eight winners from nine to race - nobody involved could have foreseen the journey she would take her connections on.
A journey which culminated in her granddaughter Chain Of Lightning (Fighting Sun) selling for $2.5 million on Tuesday - and who to? Vin Cox to the fore on behalf of Zhijun Zhao.
Lot 430 - Chain Of Lightning | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“It seems serendipitous,” Cox said, delighted to secure the talented grey whose dam Magic Art (Perugino {USA}) and sire Fighting Sun were bred by Ramsey.
Making Chain Of Lightning a rather special mare - Ramsey emotional when she won the G1 T.J Smith S. early last month. Peter Moody felt that moment as well - Ramsey one of his foundation clients whilst the win was the first elite level success for his training partner Katherine Coleman.
And so it is music to Moody and Coleman’s ears that Chain Of Lightning’s new owners intend to continue her campaign with the stable.
Also the winner of three Group races, Chain Of Lightning is a descendant of the famed matriarch La Troienne (Fr) (Teddy {Fr}) from the same branch of this prolific family as the five times Group 1 winner Racing To Win (Encosta de Lago) and last year’s G2 Autumn S. winner Glint Of Silver (Rubick).
Lot 430 - Chain Of Lightning sold for $2.5 million to Vin Cox on behalf of Zhijun Zhao | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Chain Of Lightning’s dam Magic Art - a city placed Bairnsdale winner from just four starts - was sold online last year for $20,000, purchased by Hall Of Fame Bloodstock. She was served last spring by Jacquinot having missed the previous season to Magna Grecia (Ire)
Her 2-year-old (a $375,000 Easter graduate) by the latter is called Jaddaf and is a yet to race member of the Anthony & Sam Freedman stable.
Ruthless Dame to Japan
Northern Farm’s Shingo Hashimoto was a relieved man after securing last year’s G1 Robert Sangster S. winner Ruthless Dame (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) right at the end of the day - noting that he’d not had much luck earlier in the sale or even before that - unsuccessfully bidding on a number of mares at the Chairman’s Sale as well.
“It is a very strong market,” he said - “it is not easy to get the good mares.”
Shingo Hashimoto secures Ruthless Dame (NZ) for $2 million from Ciaron Maher Racing | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
But Ruthless Dame is certainly one of those and after buying her for $2 million from Ciaron Maher Racing, Hashimoto is looking forward to getting her back to Japan with a stallion yet to be decided.
“We haven’t really thought about that yet,” he said, adding that he was “very excited to get such a nice mare who was able to win one of Adelaide’s most prestigious sprinting races.”
It was that talent that attracted Northern Farm to the granddaughter of the Group 2 mare Lady Dehere (USA), Hashimoto noting that “speed is important in Japan and the Australian sprinting mares are doing very well there.”
“(I am) very excited to get such a nice mare who was able to win one of Adelaide’s most prestigious sprinting races.” - Shingo Hashimoto
Ruthless Dame was bred by Go Bloodstock and was a bargain buy for Ciaron Maher who purchased her for $90,000 at the 2021 Karaka Yearling Sale. Her stakes placed dam Ruthless Lady (NZ) (Keeper) was served last spring by Proisir after foaling a Sword Of State filly.
Coolmore love Justify
“I have never had more belief in a stallion than I do in Justify (USA),” James Bester declared after Coolmore purchased for $1.4 million that stallion’s lightly raced and talented daughter Legacies.
Sold by her breeders Rosemont Stud, the Listed Anzac Day S. winning Legacies had Bester swooning - “she is an outstanding type with an outstanding action - she has a huge over-step and just glides over the ground; I thought on physique she was the best mare in the sale.”
“And she still has upside,” he said - Coolmore and partner Robert McClure to decide whether she races on, Bester taking notice of her form lines - “one of the things we like about her race record is the horses she has beaten have gone on to Group 1 wins. And we consider her to be that class.”
Coolmore purchased Legacies for $1.4 million | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“She has a lovely temperament,” he added - “right through all the inspections she put her head down and marched on.”
Rosemont’s Anthony Mithen said that the sale of Legacies was part of the stud’s strategy to make it known that they were “sellers, not just collectors of quality stock.”
“This is a strong sign of the direction our business is taking,” he said - “we have to make sure people know that we are viable vendors and this is our flag in the ground moment.”
“She has a lovely temperament... Right through all the inspections she put her head down and marched on.” - James Bester
Legacies was bred by Rosemont with Mithen keen to give credit to his partner and brother-in-law Nigel Austin - “he is good not only at selling clothes,” he joked about the Cotton On founder and owner - “but he is also good and sending mares to Justify.”
“He has always loved the stallion so we have backed him and it is nice to see the rewards.”
Legacies’ imported dam Abyssinie (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) was sold online a couple of years ago, again served last spring by Justify after foaling a filly by Strasbourg.
Ulanova - mares like her are hard to buy
Sold by Sledmere Stud for $1.2 million to bloodstock agent Andrew Williams, Ulanova (NZ) (Santos) did her bit on the track for her owners and continued to give with this good sales ring result.
Bred by Ancroft Stud and purchased by Mick Wallace for $150,000 at the 2022 Karaka Yearling Sale, she did a great job winning three of her nine starts including the G1 Sistema S. and the G3 Taranaki 2YO Classic.
“She is a beautiful mare with plenty of quality and scope,” Williams said, “and she is a granddaughter of I Am Invincible from a big family.”
“She (Ulanova) is a beautiful mare with plenty of quality and scope... And she is a granddaughter of I Am Invincible from a big family.” - Andrew Williams
“Mares like her are hard to buy,” he continued - “especially mares who look like her.”
Purchased on behalf of a partnership, Ulanova will remain in Australia with a stallion yet to be chosen, though a proven horse is likely.
Ulanova is a daughter of the Group 3 placed The Fairy’s Kiss (Elusive Quality {USA}) who has produced another five winners including the Listed Merson Cooper S. winner Steal My Kisses (I Am Invincible) and two stakes placed winners.
Andrew Williams
Missing last year to I Am Invincible, she foaled a Proisir filly in September. Her dam is the four times Group winner Ballet Society (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), also dam of the four time Group winner Dame Giselle (I Am Invincible).
Another great result for Ramsey
Going through the ring immediately after Legacies, Life Lessons (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) was another to attract seven figure bidding - sold by Kenmore Lodge on behalf of Ramsey Pastoral to Zhijun Zhao for $1 million.
The same seller and buyer combination as Chain Of Lightning, Life Lessons caught Vin Cox’s eye having “won a very good race (the G2 Rose Of Kingston S.) at Flemington with Group 1 performance.”
At her latest outing finishing off gamely to run third in the G1 Empire Rose S. won by Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai), Life Lessons has the pedigree to support her performance - her dam Brockman’s Lass (Encosta de Lago) a Group 3 and triple Listed winner.
Lot 483 - Life Lessons | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“It is a good, solid Australian colonial family,” Cox said, “and the prospect of getting nice foals and good racing stock out of her is good.”
Cox was happy to buy another nice mare from Stuart Ramsey - “he is one of the great guys of the industry and he is a very good breeder who races a lot of good horses.”
Purchased by Ramsey for $45,000 at the 2015 National Broodmare Sale, Brockman’s Lass was served last spring by Ellsberg.
International flavour
With American buyers active at the weanling sales, they were again in action with the mares - Kentucky based Mt Brilliant Farm laying down $1 million for a Wootton Bassett (GB) half-sister to the Hong Kong star Golden Sixty (Medaglia d’Oro {USA}).
No stranger to the Australian industry with several mares located in the Hunter Valley, Hutton Goodman said “we love the filly, she’s got a beautiful pedigree - she is by Wootton Bassett; it doesn’t come any better than that and we are thrilled.”
“We thought we’d have to pay about that - it was at the high end but we knew she’d be a lot of money with that pedigree.”
“We love the filly (Lot 586), she’s got a beautiful pedigree - she is by Wootton Bassett; it doesn’t come any better than that and we are thrilled.” - Hutton Goodman
“It is hard to buy yearlings like her and she ticked all of our boxes. There is a lot of American stuff in there which will help us if we eventually bring her home.”
The 2022 born filly is a half-sister to six winners - Golden Sixty of course the start but her Group 2 winning dam Gaudeamus (USA) (Distorted Humor {USA}) has also produced two stakes placegetters and two metropolitan winners.
Like Golden Sixty, she was bred by Element Hill and was part of their unreserved dispersal.
New trainers for Kristilli
G2 Percy Sykes S. winner Kristilli (Hellbent) heads to the Cranbourne stables of Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr after she was secured by a partnership led by Sheamus Mills for $925,000.
“I must admit that I did not realise she was been sold as a racing and breeding proposition,” Mills said - “I loved her on type as a broodmare prospect.’
“But I had a look at her race record and realised that she has form around the elite Sydney 3-year-old fillies, the sort of form people love to buy yearlings out of.”
“But I had a look at her (Lot 594) race record and realised that she has form around the elite Sydney 3-year-old fillies, the sort of form people love to buy yearlings out of.” - Sheamus Mills
“She vetted well so she will go to Victoria - I really like to give them a spin the other way around, I like the idea of getting them on the other leg and seeing if that can kick them into gear.”
“I thought that anything under a million dollars was something I would be comfortable with - she is a lovely long term prospect and I feel pretty safe about her.”
Kristilli is out of the two times winner Sognani (Magic Albert) from the family of this season’s Group 1 winner Lady Laguna (Overshare).
Sheamus Mills | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
That mare has been a regular visitor to Hellbent and her 2-year-old Anarita by him ran second just yesterday in a Gosford trial for the Annabel Neasham stable.
Platinum Jubilee's owners reinvest
As part of the Valerie partnership which enjoyed great success selling Platinum Jubilee earlier in the day, Steve Bacon and Murray Murdoch were in a great mood and one excellent way to celebrate their windfall was to buy a horse!
And Sicilian (I Am Invincible) was just the horse for them as they were already part-owners, happy to increase their stake in the classy 3-year-old - part of the group with Widden Stud purchasing her for $900,000.
“We love her physically,” said Widden’s Antony Thompson, “and we think that she is the ideal mare for Zoustar.”
“We love her physically... And we think that she is the ideal mare for Zoustar.” - Antony Thompson
“She is that quality, fast sort of Vinnie who suit Zoustar - I Am Invincible provides the strength and Zoustar puts that big action into them.”
The Zoustar/I Am Invincible cross is still in its early days but of the first eight runners, seven are winners.
Bred by Yarraman and the Cope family, Sicilian was purchased by the Waterhouse & Bott stable and Kestrel Thoroughbreds for $650,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions. She has won two of her eight starts - both at metropolitan level - and has been stakes placed twice.
Barry Bowditch and Antony Thompson | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Her Group 3 placed dam Pursuits (Lonhro) - a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Jorda (Exceed And Excel) from the family of She’s Extreme (Extreme Choice) - was served last spring by Home Affairs. She slipped to that same stallion the previous year whilst her Bivouac yearling colt fetched $160,000 - bought by Prime Thoroughbreds - in January.
Speaking of that Zoustar/I Am Invincible cross - its first stakes performer is the G3 Blue Diamond Preview runner-up Zousuko (Zoustar) who was purchased for $800,000 by Bruce Perry for Cressfield Stud’s Bruce Neill.
“She is a cracking filly,” Perry said - “a quality specimen from a current family and type is so important these days.”
Magic Millions happy
Magic Millions’ Barry Bowditch was all smiles at the end of a big day of selling - “we had a seriously good average and clearance rate and we sold more fillies and mares for over a million dollars than we did last year.”
Particularly pleasing he said, was how many of the big sellers also made their way through the Magic Millions ring as yearlings.
“It shows the evolution of our sales process,” he said - “and it creates confidence in the January sale, that the fillies being purchased there can turn out to be great long term investments."
Top lots
| Lot 587 - Imperatriz | M | $6,600,000 |
| Lot 513 - Platinum Jubilee | F | $3,500,000 |
| Lot 487 - Madame Pommery | M | $2,700,000 |
| Lot 430 - Chain of Lightning | M | $2,500,000 |
| Lot 624 - Ruthless Dame | M | $2,000,000 |
| Lot 482 - Legacies | F | $1,400,000 |
| Lot 566 - Ulanova | F | $1,200,000 |
| Lot 483 - Life Lessons | M | $1,000,000 |
| Lot 586 - Wootton Bassett x Gaudeamus | F | $1,000,000 |
| Lot 594 - Kristilli | F | $925,000 |
Top buyers
| Zhijun Zhao | 7 | $1,617,857 | $6,600,000 | $11,325,000 |
| Coolmore Stud | 3 | $2,533,333 | $3,500,000 | $7,600,000 |
| Widden Stud | 5 | $487,000 | $900,000 | $2,435,000 |
| Katsumi Yoshida | 1 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Panthalassa Syndicate | 6 | $308,333 | $500,000 | $1,850,000 |
| Astute Bloodstock (FBAA)/Two Bays Farm | 3 | $481,667 | $725,000 | $1,445,000 |
| Steve Morley Bloodstock/Glenlogan Park | 6 | $222,000 | $650,000 | $1,332,000 |
| Mitchell Bloodstock (FBAA) | 5 | $252,500 | $750,000 | $1,262,500 |
| Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) | 1 | $1,200,000 | $1,200,000 | $1,200,000 |
| Mt Brilliant Farm | 1 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
Vendors by aggregate
| Newgate Consignment, Aberdeen, NSW | 30 | $411,633 | $3,500,000 | $12,349,000 |
| Te Akau Stud, Ngaruawahia, NZ | 1 | $6,600,000 | $6,600,000 | $6,600,000 |
| Kenmore Lodge, Wyreema, Qld | 10 | $521,500 | $2,500,000 | $5,215,000 |
| Yarraman Park Stud, Scone, NSW | 13 | $344,231 | $925,000 | $4,475,000 |
| Chris Waller Racing, Sydney, NSW | 4 | $937,500 | $2,700,000 | $3,750,000 |
| Ciaron Maher Racing, Melbourne, Vic | 8 | $427,188 | $2,000,000 | $3,417,500 |
| Rosemont Stud, Gnarwarre, Vic | 4 | $546,250 | $1,400,000 | $2,185,000 |
| Element Hill (Unreserved Dispersal), Innisplain, Qld | 6 | $314,667 | $1,000,000 | $1,888,000 |
| Sledmere Stud, Scone, NSW | 2 | $925,000 | $1,200,000 | $1,850,000 |
| Bhima Thoroughbreds, Scone, NSW | 5 | $237,600 | $725,000 | $1,188,000 |
Vendors by average (3 or more sold)
| Chris Waller Racing, Sydney, NSW | 4 | $937,500 | $2,700,000 | $3,750,000 |
| Rosemont Stud, Gnarwarre, Vic | 4 | $546,250 | $1,400,000 | $2,185,000 |
| Kenmore Lodge, Wyreema, Qld | 10 | $521,500 | $2,500,000 | $5,215,000 |
| Ciaron Maher Racing, Melbourne, Vic | 8 | $427,188 | $2,000,000 | $3,417,500 |
| Newgate Consignment, Aberdeen, NSW | 30 | $411,633 | $3,500,000 | $12,349,000 |
| Yarraman Park Stud, Scone, NSW | 13 | $344,231 | $925,000 | $4,475,000 |
| Element Hill (Unreserved Dispersal), Innisplain, Qld | 6 | $314,667 | $1,000,000 | $1,888,000 |
| Vinery Stud, Scone, NSW | 3 | $245,000 | $325,000 | $735,000 |
| Bhima Thoroughbreds, Scone, NSW | 5 | $237,600 | $725,000 | $1,188,000 |
| Attunga Stud, Scone, NSW | 7 | $146,429 | $360,000 | $1,025,000 |
Sires by aggregate
| I Am Invincible | 16 | $700,000 | $6,600,000 | $11,200,000 |
| Zoustar | 8 | $683,125 | $3,500,000 | $5,465,000 |
| Tavistock | 5 | $645,500 | $2,000,000 | $3,227,500 |
| No Nay Never | 1 | $2,700,000 | $2,700,000 | $2,700,000 |
| Fighting Sun | 1 | $2,500,000 | $2,500,000 | $2,500,000 |
| Justify | 3 | $653,333 | $1,400,000 | $1,960,000 |
| Snitzel | 7 | $256,571 | $675,000 | $1,796,000 |
| Russian Revolution | 6 | $281,667 | $580,000 | $1,690,000 |
| Savabeel | 2 | $662,500 | $750,000 | $1,325,000 |
| Santos | 1 | $1,200,000 | $1,200,000 | $1,200,000 |
Sires by average (3 or more sold)
| I Am Invincible | 16 | $700,000 | $6,600,000 | $11,200,000 |
| Zoustar | 8 | $683,125 | $3,500,000 | $5,465,000 |
| Justify | 3 | $653,333 | $1,400,000 | $1,960,000 |
| Tavistock | 5 | $645,500 | $2,000,000 | $3,227,500 |
| Hellbent | 3 | $383,333 | $925,000 | $1,150,000 |
| Trapeze Artist | 3 | $285,000 | $700,000 | $855,000 |
| Russian Revolution | 6 | $281,667 | $580,000 | $1,690,000 |
| Rubick | 3 | $268,333 | $380,000 | $805,000 |
| Snitzel | 7 | $256,571 | $675,000 | $1,796,000 |
| Capitalist | 6 | $195,000 | $650,000 | $1,170,000 |
