The Magic Millions National Sale got underway on the Gold Coast Sunday with the first of two sessions of weanlings, and it was offerings from the dispersal of Wood Nook Farm that dominated proceedings. That operation was responsible for the three top-priced lots, headed by a A$500,000 son of Medaglia d'Oro.
On paper, this year's opening day outperformed last year's, where weanlings from the Teeley dispersal took center stage. Upon conclusion of trade Sunday, the average jumped 41.5% to A$61,628. A total of 215 youngsters changed hands for A$8,936,000, compared to 264 sold for A$8,276,500 last year. The buyback rate was a dark spot, however, jumping to 25.6% from 17%.
The halfway mark of trade Sunday saw a sudden flurry of activity when the Wood Nook weanlings were presented, and it was lot 111, a colt by Medaglia d'Oro out of the Group 3-placed Starfish (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), who commanded the most attention, and was eventually hammered down to agent James Harron for A$500,000. Starfish, herself a daughter of the G1 Australia S. victress Stella Cadente (Aus) (Centaine {Aus}), has produced the Group 2-placed Wolf Cry (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) as well as the winning Glenbawn Dame (Aus) (Shamardal), who has won again since the printing of the catalogue. The Medaglia d'Oro colt is her fourth foal. That Darley shuttler has gained acclaim this season as the sire of G1 Golden Slipper winner Vancouver (Aus), and Harron expressed delight with both his new colt and his sire.
“He's an exceptional colt,” Harron said. “He's by a great stallion who's making headway in Australia, including the champion 2-year-old in Vancouver and plenty of other top performers. He's doing it in both hemispheres. [The colt] was a stand out for us and I'm pleased to have got him.”
Medaglia d'Oro was also the sire of a A$280,000 filly (lot 154) purchased by Solis/Litt Bloodstock. Consigned by Yarramalong Park, the bay is out of See the Music (Aus) (Flying Spur {Aus}), an unraced full-sister to three-time Group 1 winner Mentality (Aus). Solis and Litt will also take home lot 15, a colt by Foxwedge (Aus) from Newgate Farm. That youngster is from the family of Grade I winners Buryyourbelief, Discreet Cat, Discreetly Mine and Awesome Maria.
The first-crop weanlings by another Golden Slipper winner, Pierro (Aus), are highly sought after, and it was a bay colt by that young Coolmore sire (lot 109) who made the day's second-highest price of A$300,000 two lots before the session topper entered the ring. The third foal out of the G2 Wakeful S. winner Rocha (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus})–who has also produced a winner by Medaglia d'Oro and is herself out of the G1 Australian Oaks winner Larrocha (Aus) (Danehill)–was purchased by Segenhoe Stud. The page boasts plenty of black-type, as it is also the family of G1 Victoria Derby winner Blackfriars (Aus) (Danehill).
“He probably made a bit more than we wanted to pay, but in this market the good types with the pedigree are popular,” Segenhoe's Peter O'Brien said. “We like Pierro and we're delighted to have him.”
Sandwiched between that pair from the Wood Nook dispersal was a son of the ever-reliable Fastnet Rock (Aus) (lot 110), who fetched A$280,000 from Amarina Farm, which also shelled out A$220,000 earlier in the day for a filly by another proven sire in More Than Ready.
Pierro ended the session as leading sire by average (three or more sold), with six sold of 12 catalogued at a A$196,667 average. Fastnet Rock was next with five of eight sold for an average of A$184,000, followed by Pierro's old racetrack rival All Too Hard (Aus) with five of nine sold for a A$180,000 average.
Reflecting on the opening day of trade, Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox said, “It's been quite spectacular. The gross of almost A$8.8 million is higher than last year's day one gross with 50 fewer horses being offered.”
“It's a stunning set of statistics,” Cox added. “Our average is up over 40% on last year and over 70% on the sale the previous year. The top three lots of the day were from Wood Nook Farm. We're flattered to have been chosen by Bob and Rosemary Scarborough to hold their dispersal sale and we hope that we did the weanling section justice.”
Click here for a video review of the opening session.
The second and final weanling session of the Magic Millions National Sale takes place Monday beginning at 10 a.m. local time. For catalogues, results and live streaming, visit www.magicmillions.com.au.
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