Young Sires Popular on the Gold Coast

By Rob Burnet 
The second day of the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale on the Gold Coast Monday carried on in a similar manner to the first, with strong demand for lots and, in particular, the progeny of first-season sires. 
It was no surprise that the leading filly of the sale–and yesterday's session-topper–was lot 331, a daughter of Snitzel (Aus) out of the five-times winning Dehere mare Fashion Rocks (Aus) out of the draft of The Old Crossing. There were just three weanlings offered by the leading sire in the sale, and with Snitzel's fee now at A$88,000, the filly was out of her box for multiple inspections before her time in the ring. 

Bidding commenced at A$100,000 and from the outset the filly was on the market, with bids increasing in A$20,000 increments. At A$220,000 the bids went to A$10,000, but the price climbed just as quickly to A$300,000. With one final A$10,000 bid, John Hutchinson from Scone Bloodstock was able to sign for the filly on behalf of a client for A$310,000. 

“She is a beautiful filly,” Hutchinson said. “Probably the most admired filly of the sale–certainly for us she was. She's by the gun stallion, she's the first foal of a good mare and the grandam was a really good mare and she looked like all the good Snitzel fillies, like [Group 1 winner] Snitzerland. We're pleased to buy her.” 

It is likely that the filly will be raced and not re-offered as a yearling. 

The sale maintained the strong growth of the weanling market at the Gold Coast over the last three years, with the sale average of A$60,038 up 37.8% from last year, which included the Teeley Dispersal. The 2014 average was up 34% from the 2013 sale. 

There were 96 fewer lots catalogued this year for $415,500 less gross receipts of $14,829,500 over last year's sale gross of $15,245,000. The buyback rate was up to 20.8% from last year's 13%, with the quality of the Teeley Unreserved Dispersal no doubt influencing that figure. 

Young Sires Prove Popular… 
Bloodstock agent James Harron had paid A$500,000 for a Medaglia d'Oro colt out of the Wood Nook Farm Dispersal as the top lot Sunday, and he opened selling Monday when securing the very first lot through the ring, lot 216–a colt by Pierro (Aus) out of the Honour And Glory mare Walk Alone (Aus) out of the draft of Rothwell Park for A$280,000. This was the third foal of the stakes winner Walk Alone with both earlier foals, You'll Never (Aus) (Commands {Aus}) and Coventry (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}), winners. You'll Never has an opportunity to extend his six-win career at Rosehill Saturday if trainer Chris Waller accepts with him for the Octagonal H. 

It should come as no surprise that Harron was interested in the Pierro colt, as he purchased that multiple Group 1-winning sire as a yearling with trainer Gai Waterhouse. Waterhouse trained Pierro, who now stands at Coolmore Stud in the Hunter Valley, for Greg and Donna Kolivos, and they will race the colt signed for by Harron. 

Later in the session there was a run of sales that typified the interest in the young sires on offer. Vinery's All Too Hard (Aus) was represented by the sale of lot 243, a bay colt out of the three-time winning Ashkalani (Ire) mare Ashenti (Aus). The colt is a half-brother to the Group 2 winner Riva De Lago (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}), and further back is the G1 Sires' Produce winner Not Related (Aus) (Family Ties {Aus}). 

Henley Park's Marc and Sarah Devcich signed for the colt through their Devcich Bloodstock, and he will be presented as a yearling. 

The following lot (lot 244) was a Pierro colt out of the Charge Forward (Aus) mare Assail (Aus), from the draft of Newgate Farm, and he was signed at A$260,000 by Magic Millions as agent. 

Lot 248 presented another colt by Pierro, out of the Danehill Dancer (Ire) mare Ballerina Girl (Aus), from the draft of Coolmore Stud. The colt was signed for by Karl Brown Bloodstock for A$100,000. 

The next lot was a colt by Foxwedge (Aus) out of the Group 3-winning Barathea (Ire) mare Bardego (Aus), out of the draft of Donnybrook Estates. The colt is the half-brother to Listed Black Opal S. winner Delago Bolt (Aus) (Delago Brom {Aus}). Muskoka Farm signed for the colt at A$155,000. 

There was international representation later in the session when lot 435, a colt by Fastnet Rock (Aus) out of the South African mare Sweet Sanette (SAf) entered the ring, as part of the weaning supplementary, from the draft of Coolmore Stud. 

Sweet Sanette, by Jallad, won eight times, including the G3 Turffontein Sycamore Sprint, and she was third in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. Her third dam is the champion 2-year-old filly in South Africa, Scented Royal (SAf) (Royal Prerogative {SAf}). 

Bloodstock agent Mark Pilkington signed for the colt under the banner of Magic Millions, as agent, at A$300,000 after bidding from all sides of the ring. The colt may be kept for racing. 

Magic Millions Managing Director was upbeat about the results of the two-day sale. 

“It continued on exactly the way we left off [Sunday],” he said. “We're sitting on an average just over A$60,000, which is just sensational. The gross is over $14.8 million, but what is an interesting statistics is that the median price is about the same as the average price two years ago–so that is how far this sale has moved and it sits right up there with the best weanling sales in the world.” 

Cox added, “There was great competition from all parts of the world. Investors from South Africa, Ireland, America, New Zealand and of course domestically. We're all very happy with it.” 

Click here for a video review of the session. 

The Broodmare Sale commences at the Bundall complex on Wednesday.