Book 1 of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale came to a close on Wednesday, returning figures that showed strength at the top of the market but weakness in the lower segments. Last year's top price of A$240,000 was bested eight times this year and the average climbed 13% to a record A$54,328, but the clearance rate was just 69%, compared to 85% last year.
“It was a sale of two tales,” Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox said. “The better horses sold very well as indicated by selling eight lots higher than last year's top price. The other side of the story was a lower than acceptable clearance rate, which is in our own fault for allowing too much of a tail in Book 1. The National Yearling Sale has huge potential and it is our job in the next 12 months to tighten the catalogue so that our buyers are exposed to a consistently better product.”
The top-priced lot of the day was a Written Tycoon (Aus) filly from Kitchwin Hills (lot 2206) picked up by Aquis Farm and Julian Blaxland's Blue Sky Bloodstock, in conjunction with trainer Kris Lees, for A$300,000. The chestnut is the second foal out of the winning More Black Magic (Aus) (More Than Ready), with G1 Railway S. winner Covertly (Aus) (Metal Storm {Aus}) appearing under the third dam. Interestingly, the filly has no inbreeding in the first three generations and is free of Danehill.
Blaxland said she will be the first sent to Lees by Aquis.
“Physically she was the filly of the sale,” Blaxland said. “She looks a real 2-year-old. She's an outcross and Aquis is really happy to be supporting Kris Lees with their first horse together.
The sire is doing a wonderful job and on the market at the yearling sales for the past 12 months, when compared to other fillies of similar quality, she looks great buying.”
David Lucas, acting on behalf of Phoenix Thoroughbreds, continued his spending spree on Wednesday, picking up a More Than Ready filly (lot 2260) and a Zoustar (Aus) colt (lot 2130) for A$280,000 and A$230,000, respectively. The filly from Highgrove Stud is the second foal of Quaintly (Giant's Causeway), a three-time winner in America and from the family of Nureyev and Sadler's Wells, while the colt is the third foal out of the dual stakes winner and Group 1-placed Jersey Lily (Aus) (Catbird {Aus}).
Hong Kong-based Little Kwok Hing Hung partnered with Acing Lead to secure the other two lots to make the top five, with agent Justin Bahen bidding A$250,000 for a Sebring (Aus) colt (lot 2063) and A$230,000 for a son of Dalakhani (Ire) (lot 2039). The Sebring colt is out of a stakes-placed half-sister to Group 1 winner Warhorse (Aus) (General Nediym {Aus}), and the Dalakhani colt is out of an unraced sister to champion Dane Ripper (Aus) (Danehill).
The 116-horse Book 2 of the yearling sale begins at 10 a.m. on Thursday, and is immediately followed by the Magic Millions National Racehorse Sale to bring the curtain down on two weeks of selling on the Gold Coast.
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