The 2006 Conrad Jupiters Magic Millions Yearling Sale concluded four days of
select sessions on Sunday with smashing success. The Premier stand closed with a
22.3 percent increase in gross — up A$14.5 million on last year — and an average
of A$140,1236 for the 572 sold, representing a 19.5 percent rise.
“This is as good as it gets,” said Magic Millions Managing Director David
Chester. “The market worldwide is strong. Magic Millions has not waved a magic
wand, but we have worked hard to get the international buyers here and to look
after our domestic buyers.”
While colts considered to be glittering stallion prospects dominated the
upper end of the market at Magic Millions, Sunday’s final Premier session saw
the focus switch firmly to fillies. South African trainer Charles Laird,
purchasing for owner/breeder Markus Jooste, contributed to the sparkling results
for Coolmore’s star freshman Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) when he gave A$825,000 for
a filly from the Sadler’s Wells mare Uberfrau.
“We are just very grateful to Markus for being such a major supporter of our
yard and enabling us to secure some nice horses that will eventually go to his
two Cape studs,” said Laird. Laird was among half a dozen South African buyers
leading the international bench, spending a total of A$5,250,000 on 19 horses.
Aushorse chairman John Messara, of Arrowfield Stud, said the Inward Buyer
Scheme, run as a joint initiative between the commercial breeders’ body and
Magic Millions, had brought about 80 purchasers down who spent more than A$12
million on some 80 horses.
“It has worked really well and it is something we must continue,” Messara
commented. “I think this sale has found a very high level for itself now and,
frankly, I believe that this year it rose to the level of Easter which hitherto
hadn’t occurred. This is something new. Last night, you were well and truly at a
sale equivalent to Easter. One up, all up, it bodes well for the year.”
Immediately after the sale, Magic Millions’ Chester said he met with the
powerful Aushorse board, comprising major consignors Coolmore, Arrowfield,
Newhaven, Widden, Highgrove and Lindsay Park.
“They are over the moon, and they have said to me for the first time they
have the confidence to take any yearling here and get their money,” Chester
said. “In the past, they have tended to take their best yearlings to Sydney, but
they have now said they will bring them up here and sell them in January, and
that is the best news I have had throughout this sale.”
“I would commend Magic Millions on bringing so many international buyers
down,” said Adam Sangster of Collingrove Stud, “and the local market was
pretty strong. The whole promotion was exceptional. More people from around the
world should come down here and have a look at the sale and have a holiday at
the same time. Bringing out an international auctioneer (Ronan Griffin from
Goffs) was a good thing as these auctioneers are a bit like movie stars, selling
our product.”
“It has been pretty competitive, a typical Magic Millions sale,” said Rob
Slade, syndicator for Australian trainer Lee Freedman. “We have found it fairly
affordable to buy. We missed a couple on the first day, but you are never going
to get everything you want to buy. It has been a good strong sale, and we
believe we have bought some lovely, athletic horses. Every year, racing is being
promoted better, and the fact that Makybe Diva (Desert King) has won three
Melbourne Cups (Aus-G1) in a row brings new people to racing. The industry is
pretty buoyant.”
“The quality is improving and the prices are getting dearer and dearer,”
commented Clarry Conners, trainer of Mirror Mirror (Dehere), winner of
Saturday’s $A1 million juvenile race
for Magic Millions graduates.
“This is better than Easter,” boasted Magic Millions Principal Gerry Harvey.
“The two vendors who brought the best horses and got the best results are Harvey
and Singo and we have set the pace and it has paid off for us and other vendors
have found out we were right and they were wrong.”
Buyers flocked to yearlings by a vintage crop of first season stallions at
Magic Millions with Rock of Gibraltar emerging as leading freshman on average
ahead of Darley’s Elusive Quality.
“Rock of Gibraltar has obviously been the highlight of the sale, with
yearlings selling over A$1 million,” said Coolmore’s Michael Kirwan. “He was a
fabulous racehorse, arguably the best racehorse by Danehill, so they had to make
their money, but they probably made more than everyone thought they would.”
Charles Laird, who bought a Rock of Gibraltar colt out of Ruby Clipper for
A$1,025,000 as well as fillies by ‘The Rock,’ said, “We are very keen on Rock
of Gibraltar. He was a great racehorse and the best son of Danehill. If he fires
in Europe, who is to say if we will have the chance to buy more?”
Kirwan said youngsters by Coolmore freshmen Johannesburg and Choisir
also sold very well.
“Rock of Gibraltar has obviously been the highlight of the sale for us,”
Kirwan observed, “but Johannesburg and Choisir were also very
well-received; the first season sires were popular with everyone. No doubt the
catalog was
better, the individuals were better, the South Africans were very strong; if
they want a horse they get them, and everyone is bullish about buying and
selling.”
Also fulfilling high expectations was Elusive Quality, who has already
enjoyed great success in the United States with the likes of Kentucky Derby (G1) hero
Smarty Jones.
“Elusive Quality’s results reflect a strong sale overall, but he has had some
lovely horses sold and we are delighted with the way they are selling here,”
said Darley Australia manager Olly Tait. “This is the start of the sale season
for him and he has some very nice yearlings in at Easter.”
Arrowfield’s Messara was thrilled with several A$300,000-plus horses by
Hussonet, whose progeny were sought after by leading trainers. “He is selling
off a A$22,000 fee, so it is a sensational result, but he is a proven sire; how
many can say they have 19 Group 1 winners?” Messara said.
Hong Kong buyers were relatively quiet this year, although the HKJC purchased
10 yearlings for A$1,615,000 for its breeze-up sale in December. Magic Millions’
Chester said stringent X-ray rules introduced by HKJC made it prohibitive for
trainers to purchase yearlings and they were now leaning toward horses that had
trialed or raced.
“Regulations to get into Hong Kong have made it very difficult for yearling
buyers,” he said.
A further 220 horses will be offered on Monday in an open session, and
Chester said the buying bench would include 17 Koreans, as well as purchasers
from the Philippines and Macau. The sale continues on Wednesday and Thursday
with horses that are aimed at Queensland country buyers.