More Magic On the Gold Coast

MORE MAGIC ON THE GOLD COAST 
By Rob Burnet, thoroughbrednews.com.au 
Inevitably, the second session of the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale at Bundall on the Gold Coast yesterday was quieter price-wise than the international fervor for the Teeley Assets Dispersal on Wednesday, but business was exceptional once again for Australian domestic buyers. While the buyback rate remained steady from 12 months ago at 11%, all other figures continued to outperform the first two sessions last year. The average upon conclusion of trade yesterday sat at A$146,442, compared to A$71,749 last year, while the gross of A$52,133,500 was up more than A$22 million. 
While trade was strong throughout the day, it took until the very last lot through the ring for the action to reach a climax. The 14-year-old mare Leone Chiara (Aus) (Lion Hunter {Aus}) was a supplementary entry and thus had to wait until last for her turn through the ring, but she made the wait worthwhile when bringing a session-topping A$800,000 from her former trainer Danny O’Brien, with Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox doing the bidding on his behalf. Catalogued as Lot 1491 and consigned by Almavale Bloodstock, Leone Chiara is the dam of Champion 3-Year-Old Star Witness (Aus) (Starcraft {NZ}), who O’Brien trained to victories in the G1 Blue Diamond S. and G1 Coolmore Stud S. O’Brien also trains Leone Chiara’s promising 2-year-old Nostradamus (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro). She was offered in foal to the first crop of Champion 2-Year-Old Sepoy (Aus). 
“Danny O’Brien has trained so much of the family,” Cox said. “He had great success with Star Witness as well as Leone Chiara herself and [Leone Chiara’s Group 2-winning full-sister] Ferocity as well. It was an obvious choice for Danny and his client. Forever and a day she will be the dam of a Group 1 winner and she is also the dam of the highly regarded youngster Nostradamus.” 

No Disguising This Gem… 
One of the highlights of the early part of the session came when Kitchwin Hills’ Mick Malone went to A$750,000 to sign for Lot 835, Disguise (Aus) (Grand Lodge), from the draft of the unreserved Reduction Sale of Kulani Park, in foal to Fastnet Rock (Aus). 
Auctioneer Steve Davis called for $800,000 when he opened the bidding and while he commenced at $400,000, his judgement was close as to where he would end up. 
Malone, sitting in front of the ring, was strong from the outset as Davis set $50,000 bids through to $700,000, which Malone held. A further $25,000 was taken from the left of the ring, but Malone countered immediately and Davis brought proceedings to a conclusion with no further bids eventuating. 
Disguise is the dam of the excellent recently retired 
Appearance (Aus) (Commands {Aus}), trained by the late Guy Walter for Darley. Appearance won four Group 1 races, including the cream of the mares races: the Coolmore Classic, Queen of the Turf S. and Myer Classic, as well as the Canterbury S. this autumn, after which she was retired. 
“She’s a lovely mare in foal to Fastnet Rock. We are a commercial farm and we felt that a mare like that could produce a stallion prospect colt, so we are excited,” said Malone. “We spoke about her a lot. I know the vendor well too, and I just think she is everything we look for. In [Wednesday]’s market it was so hard to get anywhere near these types of mares. 
Malone noted that the farm had a better opportunity to secure the mare by being in the second session. 
“[Wednesday], you never got a chance to get your hand out of your pocket,” he said. “But it is great for Australia and it is great to see, and if this could continue on it is a terrific thing,” he said of the international demand for the Teeley offerings. “For those sorts of mares, for years we have all tried to get a little bit of it, and then there was an opportunity and they jumped on it. When you look at guys coming over from [the U.S.] looking to acquire our sort of bloodstock, it is representative of the pool of bloodstock we have here. The genetic pool we have is massive and from all over the world.” 
Kitchwin Hills is based in the Isis Valley in the Hunter Valley with some 1000 acres as its broodmare nursery. 
It did not take Malone long to add to his purchases when he outlaid a more modest A$180,000 for Lot 851, Emerald Downs (Aus) (Churchill Downs {Aus}), also from the draft of Kulani Park. The twice metropolitan-winning mare out of the Dr Grace (Aus) mare Spirit Of Grace (Aus) was presented in foal to the young sire Smart Missile (Aus). The mare is a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Turffontein (Aus) (by Johannesburg). 

Harron Stays Tuned… 
The early high price of A$750,000 was matched later in the session when agent James Harron secured Lot 990, the multiple group-winning Majestic Music (Aus) (Al Maher {Aus}) for an undisclosed client. Majestic Music was consigned by Newgate Farm as agent. 
A 7-year-old mare by out of Regal Flute (Aus) (Royal Academy), Majestic Music retired from the track with a record of six wins, including the G2 double of Edward Manifold S. and the Yallambee Classic, and earnings of $857,360. Her first foal was a colt by Street Cry (Ire), and she was presented in foal to Pierro (Aus). 
“I am delighted to secure her. She is a fantastic physical specimen, just a beautiful looking mare in foal to Pierro, and how exciting to have one of the mares to his first season,” said Harron. “She will be in the system for a long time and she will visit Pierro again this year, probably, and it just looks just a great mating for her. She is a similar color [near black] to Pierro, and a great shape with great movement to her, so we will be really excited to see the foal.” 
Harron pointed out that Majestic Music had an early cover to Pierro of Sept. 29, which added to his confidence in bidding strongly for her knowing that she had early season foalings and subsequent coverings possible for the next few years. He was to work out a farm for the mare with his private client, but she will stay in Australia. 

A Fashionable Buy… 
Magic Millions co-owner Gerry Harvey bought out his former ownership partner John Singleton from Singleton’s half-share in Lot 866, Fashions Afield (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}), when he signed at A$625,000. 
The two were co-owners of Magic Millions for many years until Harvey and his wife Katie Page took over ownership of the bloodstock and auctioneering company two years ago. Singleton had a line of stock from his Strawberry Hills Stud, with Fashions Afield included, to dissolve the partnership. 
Out of the Wild Again mare Attire, Fashions Afield was an outstanding racehorse, becoming the Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in Australia in 2005. At three she won the G1 Flight S. at Randwick. She was presented in foal to All Too Hard (Aus), and she has had four named foals with two to race, and both are winners. 
Another mare sent through the ring to dissolve a partnership was Lot 1038, the multiple stakes-winning Nocturnelle (Aus) (Elusive Quality). Consigned by Crowningstone as agent, the 5-year-old mare was picked up by Arrowfield Stud for A$600,000. Nocturnelle was offered carrying her first foal by leading sire Snitzel, who stands at Arrowfield.