Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
At A Glance
The first day of the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale saw a lower gross with less lots but an increase in key metrics across the board.
With 204 horses catalogued on the first day (down from 230 in 2024), including supplementary entries and three stallion shares, 131 lots sold for a total of $47,574,500, down from $51,725,000 in 2024 for 167 lots sold.
The clearance rate of 81 per cent was similar to the first day in 2024 which had a clearance rate of 84 per cent. The first day concluded with an average of $363,164 and a median of $160,000 – an increase on last year’s figures of $309,731 and $120,000 respectively.
Fourteen lots made $1 million or more, compared to nine on the first day in 2024.
Newgate Farm finished as leading vendor by aggregate, selling 24 mares for a total of $10 million and an average price of $419,000, while Chris Waller topped the vendors by average (2 or more sold) on day 1, selling 11 horses at an average of $864,000.
Coolmore Stud’s Tom Magnier was the leading buyer on day 1, spending $8.7 million on three broodmares, and he was also the leading buyer by average (2 or more bought) spending an average of $2.9 million.
Zoustar was the leading sire by gross with 10 fillies/mares sold for an aggregate of $9.1 million and an average of $917,500, while Savabeel led the averages with two sold at an average of $1.39 million.
Champion Sire, emerging Broodmare Sire - I Am Invincible
It is usually a given that the daughters of high achieving stallions end up doing the job at stud and a look at the current leading broodmare sire charts attests to that with the three stallions leading the way all earning Champion Sire titles.
Fastnet Rock, Redoute's Choice and Snitzel are one, two, three at present and those looking towards the future are taking note of I Am Invincible as he starts to make his presence felt as a broodmare sire.
Currently 20th leading broodmare sire, Yarraman's star has a chance to creep further up with Kimochi (Brave Smash {Jpn}) out of his unraced daughter Summer Fun prominent in markets for the G1 Stradbroke Handicap and due to take her place in this weekend's G1 Kingsford Smith Cup.
I Am Invincible | Standing at Yarraman Park
His sire Invincible Spirit (Ire), who currently sits in fifth placing amongst Great Britain's leading broodmare sires, has had his daughters produce 60 stakes winners with seven of those horses successful at the elite level.
It is still early days for I Am Invincible as a broodmare sire with his first crop daughters only 13. There are eight stakes winners so far with the globe-trotting Asfoora (Flying Artie) joining Kimochi as a Group 1 winner.
Little wonder that daughters of I Am Invincible proved popular on the opening day of the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale with a couple of seven figure results and an average of $393,846 (13 sold).
One of the highlights was Lot 421 Invincible Claire, purchased for $600,000 from the Newgate Consignment by James Bester Bloodstock/Eric Lucas.
Lot 421 - Invincible Claire | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“Any of these champion sires, especially given the mares they continue to get, always end up being leading broodmare sires,” Bester said.
“So she being by I Am Invincible was a big part of our attraction to her.”
“I've always had a soft spot for this family,” he added, noting that his client Eric Lucas is in the ownership the unraced Invincible Clare's G3 Frances Tressady Stakes winning dam Flippant (Hinchinbrook).
“She is a beautiful mare. She was a $2 million yearling so she was always going to make a bit of money here. There would not be too many better types on the sales grounds.”
The most popular I Am Invincible mare was Lot 445, the dual Group winner Moesha, daughter of the multiple Group 1 winner Princess Coup (Encosta de Lago). Tom Magnier paid $1.35 million for her as a mate for Coolmore's Wootton Bassett (GB).
Lot 445 - Moesha | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“A Group performed daughter of I Am Invincible out of a champion mare," is what made her so attractive Magnier said, adding that “she is an ideal mare to go to Wootton Bassett and produce commercial offspring.”
Lot 501 was also well admired, the stakes-placed Written In Code purchased by Watership Down Stud/McKeever Bloodstock for $1.2 million with Too Darn Hot (GB) in mind.
“We might put her back in training for a little while more and see if we can get a Group win,” Johnny McKeever said, describing the daughter of the Group 3 mare Written Dash (Written Tycoon) as “a big, strong girl; a good model for Too Darn Hot.”
Lot 501 - Written In Code | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Other noteworthy results for I Am Invincible included $550,000 for Socrazyinlove purchased by the Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA), $400,000 for the stakes-placed Naifah bought by Silverdale Farm/Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) and $220,000 for the stakes-placed Infatuation who went to Gall Bloodstock/Peter Morgan.
Waller mares shine, Sophie Baker at the helm
The selling of top end mares via the drafts of their trainers is a relatively new phenomenon and one of those well represented at the Gold Coast on Tuesday was Chris Waller.
The champion trainer took a dozen mares to the opening session with the stable's Sophie Baker on hand to oversee proceedings.
Lot 503 - Zougotcha | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
It was an excited Baker who was keen to thank everyone at the stables after the very successful sale of the triple Group 1 winner Zougotcha (Zoustar) who Tom Magnier secured for a sale topping $5.25 million.
“It has been a big week and that was overwhelming, I am not usually like this!” she said as the emotion of the moment sank in.
“There is a huge team behind this, everyone at the stables; Chris, Charlie, the jockeys, everyone who has been looking after these mares over the years. They have made this all possible.”
Sophie Baker | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“Our staff here have done a great job, they have been under pressure,” she said whilst noting that the star herself was as laid back as always.
“Zougotcha has been easy; she has eaten all her food, she is happy, bright, healthy' she looks outstanding and she paraded beautifully.”
“Zougotcha has been easy; she has eaten all her food, she is happy, bright, healthy' she looks outstanding and she paraded beautifully.” - Sophie Baker
Another triple Group 1 winner in Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) also attracted strong bidding, sold to Yu Long Investments for $2.7 million with the farm's Sam Fairgray noting that “Mr Zhang was very impressed when he saw her.”
“She is a beautiful type and it is exciting to have her in our broodmare band.”
Laughing as he said “she doesn't need to take on Via Sistina,” Fairgray announced that Atishu will head “straight to the breeding barn.”
“She (Atishu) is a beautiful type and it is exciting to have her in our broodmare band.” - Sam Fairgray
Alabama Express is her likely mate, Fairgray saying that “I think it is a really nice cross and physically they suit.”
“Savabeel is a fantastic stallion and a great broodmare sire and she is from a great family. And if she leaves a yearling that looks like her, it is going to prove very popular at the sales.”
Lot 517 - Atishu (NZ) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Other good results for the Waller stable included $550,000 for the dual city winner Makena (Zoustar), $270,000 for the stakes-placed Super Chilled (Churchill {Ire}), $240,000 for the unraced Analicia (Zoustar) and $170,000 for the lightly raced placegetter Humid (Snitzel).
Stakes winning mares popular, how did they compare to the sale average?
Stakes-winning form has of course always been highly regarded by buyers and mares earning that much sought after black-type are in as great demand, if not more, than ever.
Eight off the track Group 1-winning mares made their way through the ring on Tuesday, as well as eight Group 2 mares, five Group 3 mares and seven Listed winners.
It is an interesting exercise to compare how well fancied those mares were compared to the sale overall, one which saw an average of $370,159 for the 123 sold.
Lot 540 - Climbing Star (NZ) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Seven of the eight Group 1 mares found new homes including two to Tom Magnier; Zougotcha (Zoustar) for $5.25 million and Climbing Star (NZ) (Zoustar) for $2.1 million.
Yu Long Investments put their hand up for two of the elite level winners; Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) for $2.7 million and the last start G1 South Australian Derby winner Femminile (Dundeel {NZ}) for $1.5 million.
The Group 1 girls achieved an average of over $2.3 million; 6.2 times the average.
Lot 561 - Femminile | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
All but one of the eight Group 2 winners were sold with Katsumi Yoshida successfully bidding on two; paying $1.6 million for Revolutionary Miss (Russian Revolution) and $1.1 million for Alsephina (Star Turn) whilst Tom Magnier and Yulong were again in action with the $1.35 million mare Moesha (I Am Invincible) and the $1 million purchase See You In Heaven (Divine Prophet).
Those eight mares sold for an average of $1 million; 2.7 times the average.
Four of the five Group 3 mares were sold headed by the $850,000 purchase Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard) for Cameron Cooke Bloodstock and the $800,000 mare Drifting (Zousain) to Bahen Bloodstock.
They averaged $550,000; 1.48 times the average.
Lot 567 - Skirt The Law | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Six of the seven Listed off the track mares sold, headlined by the RL Magic Millions 2Y0 Classic winner Skirt The Law (Better Than Ready) who Widden Stud/Double R Thoroughbreds sceured for $1.35 million.
Those mares averaged over $580,000; 1.56 times the average.
Barry Bowditch delighted with ‘electricity in the ring’
“It was an unbelievable day,” Magic Millions' Barry Bowditch said, noting that “there was great confidence and electricity in the ring from the very start.”
“The first two hours of the sale set a great tone, that it was a genuine market with horses buyable at all ends market.”
“It was an unbelievable day, there was great confidence and electricity in the ring from the very start.” - Barry Bowditch
“It was great to see a huge cross section of buyers,” he continued, noting that eight different buyers took home the 14 seven figure mares.
“No one buyer really dominated the market,” he said, adding that he was “delighted” at the price fetched for the day's star Zougotcha (Zoustar).
Barry Bowditch | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“There was spirited bidding on her and we are rapt for Chris Waller and his team, they bought an outstanding group of mares here today and they were rewarded accordingly.”
“There was a fantastic thirst for quality today,” Bowditch said, “and we'd like to thank the vendors for their support.”
“It is a very competitive market and to secure a catalogue of this depth and quality was an outstanding effort. I am rapt for my team who worked unbelievably hard.”
“It is a very competitive market and to secure a catalogue of this depth and quality was an outstanding effort. I am rapt for my team who worked unbelievably hard.” - Barry Bowditch
Bowditch was happy with all the figures and statistics; “there were good, solid increases where it matters. The average and median was strong and the clearance rate was excellent.”
And there is, Bowditch said, more to come.
“There are plenty of highlights tomorrow, a fantastic group of quality young mares with fanatatic covers and I think we will see opportunites for all types of buyers.”
Top Lots (Day 1)
| 503 | Zougotcha (AUS) | Zoustar (AUS) | Chris Waller Racing, Sydney, NSW (As Agent) | No | Tom Magnier | NSW | 5250000 |
| 517 | Atishu (NZ) | Savabeel (AUS) | Chris Waller Racing, Sydney, NSW (As Agent) | No | Yu Long Investments (Australia) Pty Ltd | VIC | 2700000 |
| 563 | Lady Laguna (AUS) | Overshare (AUS) | Newgate Consignment, Aberdeen, NSW (As Agent) | No | James Harron Bloodstock Pty Ltd | NSW | 2500000 |
| 540 | Climbing Star (NZ) | Zoustar (AUS) | Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW (As Agent) | No | Tom Magnier | NSW | 2100000 |
| 466 | Revolutionary Miss (AUS) | Russian Revolution (AUS) | Yarraman Park Stud, Scone, NSW (As Agent for Triple Crown Syndications) | No | Katsumi Yoshida | JAPAN | 1600000 |
| 561 | Femminile (AUS) | Dundeel (NZ) | Newgate Consignment, Aberdeen, NSW (As Agent) | No | Wei Jiaoqi | VIC | 1500000 |
| 445 | Moesha (AUS) | I Am Invincible (AUS) | Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW (As Agent) | No | Tom Magnier | NSW | 1350000 |
| 567 | Skirt the Law (AUS) | Better Than Ready (AUS) | Eureka Stud, Cambooya, Qld (As Agent) | No | Widden Stud | NSW | 1350000 |
| 501 | Written in Code (AUS) | I Am Invincible (AUS) | Yarraman Park Stud, Scone, NSW (As Agent) | No | Watership Down Stud/McKeever Bloodstock | UNITED KINGDOM | 1200000 |
| 510 | Alsephina (AUS) | Star Turn (AUS) | Newington Farm Premium Consignment, Canungra, Qld (As Agent) | No | Katsumi Yoshida | JAPAN | 1100000 |
Top 10 vendors by gross (Day 1)
| Newgate Consignment, Aberdeen, NSW | 24 | 3 | 0 | $419,792 | $10,075,000 |
| Chris Waller Racing, Sydney, NSW | 11 | 5 | 1 | $864,545 | $9,510,000 |
| Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 7 | 13 | 4 | $730,000 | $5,110,000 |
| Yarraman Park Stud, Scone, NSW | 8 | 3 | 2 | $532,500 | $4,260,000 |
| Newington Farm Premium Consignment, Canungra, Qld | 16 | 1 | 3 | $248,625 | $3,978,000 |
| Eureka Stud, Cambooya, Qld | 9 | 0 | 1 | $240,778 | $2,167,000 |
| Glenesk Thoroughbreds, Mount Vincent, NSW | 8 | 2 | 1 | $220,625 | $1,765,000 |
| Attunga Stud, Scone, NSW | 5 | 2 | 1 | $334,000 | $1,670,000 |
| Baystone Farm, Gnarwarre, Vic | 6 | 0 | 1 | $220,000 | $1,320,000 |
| Vinery Stud, Scone, NSW | 1 | 8 | 0 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
Top 10 vendors by average (2 or more sold) (Day 1)
| Chris Waller Racing, Sydney, NSW | 11 | 5 | 1 | $864,545 | $9,510,000 |
| Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW | 7 | 13 | 4 | $730,000 | $5,110,000 |
| Yarraman Park Stud, Scone, NSW | 8 | 3 | 2 | $532,500 | $4,260,000 |
| Newgate Consignment, Aberdeen, NSW | 24 | 3 | 0 | $419,792 | $10,075,000 |
| Attunga Stud, Scone, NSW | 5 | 2 | 1 | $334,000 | $1,670,000 |
| Ciaron Maher Racing, Melbourne, Vic | 2 | 1 | 0 | $325,000 | $650,000 |
| Newington Farm Premium Consignment, Canungra, Qld | 16 | 1 | 3 | $248,625 | $3,978,000 |
| Bhima Thoroughbreds, Scone, NSW | 3 | 6 | 1 | $245,000 | $735,000 |
| Eureka Stud, Cambooya, Qld | 9 | 0 | 1 | $240,778 | $2,167,000 |
| Glenesk Thoroughbreds, Mount Vincent, NSW | 8 | 2 | 1 | $220,625 | $1,765,000 |
Top buyers by gross (Day 1)
| Tom Magnier | 3 | $2,900,000 | $8,700,000 |
| Yu Long Investments (Australia) Pty Ltd | 3 | $1,733,333 | $5,200,000 |
| Katsumi Yoshida | 3 | $1,233,333 | $3,700,000 |
| James Harron Bloodstock Pty Ltd | 1 | $2,500,000 | $2,500,000 |
| Nocab Racing Pty Ltd/Kestrel Thoroughbreds | 3 | $520,000 | $1,560,000 |
| Newgate Bloodstock | 4 | $387,500 | $1,550,000 |
| Silverdale Farm/Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) | 3 | $508,333 | $1,525,000 |
| Cameron Cooke Bloodstock | 2 | $737,500 | $1,475,000 |
| Widden Stud/Double R Thoroughbreds | 1 | $1,350,000 | $1,350,000 |
| Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) | 5 | $265,000 | $1,325,000 |
Top buyers by average (2 or more bought) (Day 1)
| Tom Magnier | 3 | $2,900,000 | $8,700,000 |
| Yu Long Investments (Australia) Pty Ltd | 3 | $1,733,333 | $5,200,000 |
| Katsumi Yoshida | 3 | $1,233,333 | $3,700,000 |
| Cameron Cooke Bloodstock | 2 | $737,500 | $1,475,000 |
| Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ) | 2 | $640,000 | $1,280,000 |
| Nocab Racing Pty Ltd/Kestrel Thoroughbreds | 3 | $520,000 | $1,560,000 |
| Silverdale Farm/Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) | 3 | $508,333 | $1,525,000 |
| Arrowfield Pastoral Pty Ltd | 2 | $455,000 | $910,000 |
| Bahen Bloodstock | 2 | $420,000 | $840,000 |
| Astute Bloodstock (FBAA)/Two Bays Farm | 2 | $405,000 | $810,000 |
Leading sires by gross (Day 1)
| Zoustar | 10 | 4 | 0 | $917,500 | $9,175,000 |
| I Am Invincible | 13 | 3 | 1 | $393,846 | $5,120,000 |
| Savabeel | 2 | 0 | 1 | $1,395,000 | $2,790,000 |
| Overshare | 1 | 0 | 0 | $2,500,000 | $2,500,000 |
| Russian Revolution | 7 | 1 | 0 | $307,857 | $2,155,000 |
| Written Tycoon | 6 | 2 | 0 | $325,833 | $1,955,000 |
| Star Turn | 2 | 1 | 0 | $912,500 | $1,825,000 |
| Dundeel (NZ) | 1 | 1 | 2 | $1,500,000 | $1,500,000 |
| Better Than Ready | 1 | 2 | 0 | $1,350,000 | $1,350,000 |
| Hellbent | 4 | 1 | 2 | $315,000 | $1,260,000 |
Sires by average (2 or more sold) (Day 1)
| Savabeel (AUS) | 2 | 0 | 1 | $1,395,000 | $2,790,000 |
| Zoustar (AUS) | 10 | 4 | 0 | $917,500 | $9,175,000 |
| Star Turn (AUS) | 2 | 1 | 0 | $912,500 | $1,825,000 |
| Too Darn Hot (GB) | 2 | 0 | 0 | $612,500 | $1,225,000 |
| All Too Hard (AUS) | 2 | 0 | 0 | $580,000 | $1,160,000 |
| More Than Ready (USA) | 2 | 5 | 0 | $560,000 | $1,120,000 |
| Divine Prophet (AUS) | 2 | 0 | 0 | $513,750 | $1,027,500 |
| I Am Invincible (AUS) | 13 | 3 | 1 | $393,846 | $5,120,000 |
| Not a Single Doubt (AUS) | 2 | 1 | 0 | $340,000 | $680,000 |
| Written Tycoon (AUS) | 6 | 2 | 0 | $325,833 | $1,955,000 |
