“Something for everyone” said Nick Taylor as he proudly presents Riverstone Lodge's inaugural Magic Millions draft, a group of eight eye-catching and well-related yearlings ready to be shown off from stable QA.
Lot 270 - Home Affairs x Ciarlet (Northern Meteor) (bay colt)
By the sale’s most anticipated first-season sire whose weanlings sold so exceptionally well, this colt is bred on the same I Am Invincible/Northern Meteor cross as the stakes winners Charm Stone (I Am Invincible), Taunting (Brazen Beau) and Najmaty (I Am Invincible).
A half-brother to the promising last-start winning Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained Verbil (Fastnet Rock), he is out of a city-winning sister (herself a $375,000 yearling) to Zoustar, making him not only an exciting prospect for the track but for beyond as well; this is some stallion's pedigree!
One with exciting line breeding as well, Northern Meteor's sire Encosta De Lago hailing from the same prolific Rolls (USA) (Mr Prospector {USA}) as Home Affairs damsire Flying Spur; noting that Home Affairs' influential fifth dam Fanfreluche (Can) (Northern Dancer {Can}) is Rolls' grandam.
Ciarlet's (Northern Meteor) 3-year-old Until Dawn (Pierro) is a member of the Ciaron Maher stable whilst her $200,000 2-year-old is a son of Wootton Bassett (GB).
Lot 299 - Stay Inside x Crystal Dynasty (Tavistock {NZ}) (bay colt)
Another by an exciting first-season sire, a G1 Golden Slipper S. hero, this colt bred on the same Redoute's Choice/Tavistock (NZ) combination as the Group 1 gallopers Mercurial (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) and Gypsy Goddess (NZ) (Tarzino {NZ}) is the first foal (her second is an Alabama Express filly) for a lightly raced two-time winner.
His dam is a half-sister to the Listed winner Crystal Bound (Not A Single Doubt) out of a city-wining Zabeel (NZ) half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Zarita (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) and the Group winners Run Like The Wind (NZ) (Pins) and Joy And Fun (NZ) (Cullen). The latter has been a superb international galloper, winning stakes races in Hong Kong and Dubai.
Lot 370 - So You Think (NZ) x Estijmaam (Exceed And Excel) (bay/brown colt)
Eight of his high-achieving sire's 11 Group 1 winners are out of mares with Danehill (USA) influence, giving this well-related colt a great start.
He is a half-brother to the Flemington juvenile winner Zestiman (Zoustar) out of an unraced mare (a $400,000 yearling) whose stakes-placed dam Sean Baile Mor (Cape Cross {Ire}) won four races.
This is a strong international family, its members including the Group 1 winners Gozzip Girl (USA) (Dynaformer {USA}), Kingsbarns (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}) and Brocco (USA).
Lot 508 - Wild Ruler x Incredulous Dream (Press Statement) (grey colt)
Everyone has been impressed by the progeny of his first-season sire, a Group 1 son of Snitzel, and they are bound to prove popular in the Magic Millions sales ring.
This fellow is the first foal (her second is a Justify {USA} colt and she was served by Zoustar in the spring) for a Listed-winning half-sister to the dual Group 2 winner Global Exchange (Dundeel {NZ}).
A member of the prolific Audrey Joan (GB) (Doutelle {GB}) family, he boasts amongst his relations the Group winners Simply Believe (Kenmare {Fr}) (his third dam), Faith Hill (Danehill {USA}), So Si Bon (So You Think {NZ}) and Yonce (NZ) (Proisir).
There has already been a Group 1 winner, the Hong Kong-based Invincible Sage (Thronum) bred on this interesting Snitzel/Hinchinbrook cross; noting that the former's dam Snippet's Lass (Snippets) is the latter's dam, providing for a 3 X 4 cross.
Lot 514 - Home Affairs x Inthemidstofbiz (USA) (Fed Biz {USA}) (bay colt)
He is bred on the same I Am Invincible/Giant's Causeway (USA) cross that produced the mighty mare Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) as well as fellow Group 1 winner Move To Strike (I Am Invincible) and five other stakes winners amongst 26 winners; that's some black-type strike rate!
The first foal for an imported Group 2 and Listed winner who made her way through the Magic Millions ring as a $525,000 broodmare in 2023, he is a grandson of the juvenile stakes winner Midst who is in turn granddaughter of the stakes winner Acquire (USA) (Spectacular Bid {USA}).
This is a family of horses who know how to get to the line, his dam winning seven of her 18 starts and his grandam three of eight. And each of Inthemidstofbiz's (USA) (Fed Biz {USA}) first four dams boast 100 per cent winner to runner strike rates; between them represented by 25 runners for 25 winners!
Lot 543 - Too Darn Hot (GB) x Jest Excel (Exceed And Excel) (bay/brown filly)
With her in-form sire not shuttling last spring, his yearlings are going to be in great demand and this filly is bred on the already proven Too Darn Hot (GB)/Exceed And Excel cross which has a stakes winner and two stakes placegetters amongst its first four winners.
Too Darn Hot is excelling with mares with strong Frizette (USA) (Hamburg {USA}) family (from which he hails) influence and this filly ticks that box with close up strains of its members Lomond (USA), Roan Rocket (Ire) and Shecky Greene (USA).
He is a son of a speedy three-time winner (twice over 900 metres at the Gold Coast) whose 2-year-old Excelboom (Spirit Of Boom) is a member of the Tony Gollan stable having fetched $160,000 at this sale last year.
Jest Excel is a half-sister to the G1 Maribyrnong Plate winner Jiang (Testa Rossa) from a family which has already been represented by a R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner in Karuta Queen (Not A Single Doubt) whose daughter Bezique (Spirit Of Boom) is racing so well. Also from this family is the G1 Caulfield Guineas hero Vitalic.
Lot 697 - Home Affairs x Mumbai Rock (Fastnet Rock) (bay colt)
Bred on the successful I Am Invincible/Fastnet Rock cross (seven stakes winners), he is out of a proven, high-class broodmare; the city-placed 2-year-old winner Mumbai Rock (Fastnet Rock) who has done a great job with five winners amongst her first six runners.
Two of those are stakes winners; the G3 Red Roses S. winner Mumbai Muse (Zoustar) and the Japanese Listed winner Jazz Etude (by Home Affairs' sire I Am Invincible) whilst another two are stakes-placed; Mumbai Jewel (I Am Invincible) and Splendoronthegrass (So You Think {NZ}).
Producing another I Am Invincible filly in the spring, Mumbai Rock is a daughter of the G1 Spinaway S. winner Mani Bhavan (USA) (Storm Boot {USA}) who is one of the three stakes winners for the excellent broodmare Rehear (USA) (Coronado's Quest {USA}).
Lot 959 - Zoustar x Snitty Kitty (Snitzel) (bay/brown colt)
This fellow's high-class sire; who had more winners than any other stallion in the world in 2023, has fared extra well with Snitzel mares... 12 winners from 15 runners with four of those being stakes winners.
They are amongst nine Zoustar stakes winners line-bred to his damsire Redoute's Choice who is 3 X 3 here.
He is the third foal for a very classy and very fast mare; Snitty Kitty (Snitzel) winning six of her 18 starts including the G2 Caulfield Sprint and the Listed BRC Lightning H. Competitive in Group 1 company, she was nabbed right on the line by Russian Revolution (Hellbent third) in the G1 Oakleigh Plate.
Snitty Kitty, whose yet to race first foal Zoucat (Zoustar) is a member of the Ciaron Maher stable, is out of a half-sister to the dual Group and two-time Listed winner Delbrae (Thunder Gulch {USA}) and the dam of the Group 3 sprinter Beirut (Lonhro) from the prolific “Leica” family.
