Widden Stud's Star Witness (Aus) (Starcraft {NZ}) has enjoyed a red-hot streak on the racetrack, headed by Global Glamour (Aus), the winner of two Group 1s in the space of a week, and a pair of Group 2 winners in Australia and South Africa over the weekend. The dual Group 1-winning sprinter supplied the session-topping lot on the opening day of the Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YOs in Training Sale on Tuesday, and followed up with the sale topper on Wednesday in the form of lot 346, a supplementary entry from Washpool Lodge that was picked up by local trainer Bryan Guy for A$450,000. The colt is the second living foal out of the two-time winner High Aspirations (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}).
“He's a very strong colt,” said Guy. “He was one of those horses you couldn't help but like. I'm delighted to have been able to purchase him–a great type of horse who breezed terrific and looks a great prospect. The way he walked showed a real purpose to be a racehorse.”
The Star Witness colt was the star turn in a sale that saw a record gross of A$10,369,000, but declines in average and clearance rate. The record gross was returned by 292 lots sold from 346 catalogued, which was up from the 165 of 214 sold last year. The buyback rate was 27.4%, compared to 18.8% 12 months ago, while the average dipped 22.4% to A$48,910.
“There were buyers at every level at this sale,” Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox said. “This led to our leading consignors being well rewarded. The Gold Coast's own training partnership of Bryan and Daniel Guy purchased the top lot for A$450,000, again highlighting that the optimum dollar is delivered at Magic Millions. The leading international jurisdiction by spend was Singapore with 34 lots at a spend of A$2.17 million, while buyers from Macau (19 lots), South Korea (16), Hong Kong (12) and China (10) were also very active.”
The day's second highest-priced lot is also set to stay in Queensland. Lot 274, a son of So You Think (NZ) also consigned by Washpool Lodge, was picked up by Les Kelly for A$220,000.
Star Witnesses Widden barnmate Your Song (Aus) had a first-crop son sell for A$130,000 on Wednesday when lot 322 was picked up by Segenhoe Thoroughbreds from the Attunga Stud draft.
The 2-year-old sale was followed by the 31-horse Spring Racehorse Sale, where the Godolphin draft accounted for the top four prices, headed by the twice-raced Fallacy (Aus) (Commands {Aus}) (lot 401), who was bought by Waterford Bloodstock for A$43,000. The 3-year-old filly is a half-sister to the stakes-winning Premardal (Aus) (Shamardal) and is out of a half-sister to champions Arazi and Noverre.
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