A stunning Too Darn Hot colt led the way as eight yearlings sold for A$1 million or more on Day Two of the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale on Wednesday.
Leading Melbourne trainer Ciaron Maher went to A$1.9 million to secure the Too Darn Hot colt, a half brother to As Time Goes By.
“With the nice colts you always do (have to pay a premium). We probably had to go a little bit more than what we thought, it was very competitive.”
“He’s really well bred, from a good farm, good breeder.”
“The sire has done really well in Europe and we’ve got a few Too Darn Hots in the stable that are starting to hit their straps now, and he has a really good damline.”
“He’s a great physical, he’s got a really good mind on him and obviously ticks all the right boxes.”
“There’s a crew there (for ownership in the colt). There’s still a little bit to go and be finalised.”
“The sale has been really buoyant. I thought it might be a little bit soft given the climate we’re in, but they have a way of bucking the trend and there has certainly been very good buying.”
Maher’s Head of Bloodstock Will Bourne said the colt’s looks and his pedigree impressed the stable.
“It was the way he moved that really took our eye. Such an athlete. He had that bit of Dubawi about him – that square chest.”
“We’ve bought a few Too Darn Hots that go well and they’re really starting to step up in their two-year-old season.”
Segenhoe’s Peter O’Brien knew the colt was popular with prospective buyers but admitted to being pleasantly surprised.
“I’ve never had a horse in my entire life that had so many people on him.”
“He’s a beautiful animal. For want of a better word, he’s a real trainer’s horse – great balance, great action.”
“We never, ever expected him to make that amount of money, but obviously he deserved it.”
The sale of the A$1.9 million colt capped an incredible day for the Camilleri family’s Fairway Thoroughbreds – breeders of Magic Millions sold stars including Winx and Vancouver.
“John is always about quality. He’s got quality mares and sends them to quality stallions.”
“He’s a pleasure to deal with. He’s got some of the best mares in the country, breeds them to the best stallions and he deserves the results.”
“He’s got three A$1 million horses today and it’s a big day for him,” O’Brien summed up.
Another of the Fairway bred and Segenhoe Stud consigned colts to star in the ring today was the Snitzel colt from the stakes performed All Too Hard mare Warranty.
That colt, catalogued as Lot 350, was sold to Coolmore’s Tom Magnier for A$1.75 million.
“He was a real quality horse,” a delighted Magnier said. “When we saw him at the farm we liked him a lot and he’s been very professional here at the sale.”
“He was the star colt of the week and we’re delighted to get him.”
“This horse just ticked every box. He’s got quality, he’s got pedigree, he’s got looks and everybody on the sales ground has been talking about this horse all week.”
“Obviously this horse goes to Chris (Waller) and Chris will work his magic,” Magnier added.
The previous lot in the ring made his own piece of history when selling to James Harron for A$1.6 million.
The colt from Missy Cummings’ half sister Wanted Lady smashed the record for the highest selling youngster Newgate Farm’s sire sensation Extreme Choice.
“It’s been a really strong sale but you can see the quality is rising to the top,” Harron pointed out. “It’s where a lot of people want to play and there are some fantastic, quality lots here.”
“Extreme Choice is freakish in what he’s done, not just with racehorses, but he’s already got good sons at stud with really legitimate chances.”
“He was one that we identified that we really loved as a physical type and we’re very pleased to get him.”
“He’s that two-year-old shape, he’s strong, he’s well-balanced and he showed a really good, willing attitude throughout the sale.”
“The Extreme Choice factor is what puts the price tag on, but I just loved hm as an individual,” Harron added.
The colt was presented at the auction by the Milburn Creek on behalf of breeder Luke Wilkinson – the man who purchase his sire Extreme Choice as a yearling for the Mick Price stable.
“It was unbelievable – it will change my life, again,” Wilkinson said. “The horse that did it once before is going to do it again.”
The sale’s leading buyer by spend, New Zealand based David Ellis, added the highly admired Snitzel-Vaujany colt to his portfolio of purchases – securing him for A$1.3 million from the Blue Gum Farm draft.
“We thought that he was just one of the most beautiful colts you’d (have seen) in 10 years.,” Ellis said moments after the gavel fell.
“He’s a ripper and it was interesting that John O’Shea was the underbidder and he came up to me and said ‘this is the best Snitzel I have ever seen, can you go back to New Zealand quickly please.”
“We’re just thrilled to have horses like this to train in our stable at Cranbourne. He’ll go home, he’ll get broken in to race this time next year.”
“There’s no point trying to win Magic Millions, Golden Slipper races if you don’t start with the right horses. So we’ve come here to buy them, we’ve got a colts syndicate and a fillies syndicate and we’re really happy,” Ellis added.
The sale gross has now crossed over the $100 million barrier with 349 lots selling at an impressive average of A$291,441. The clearance rate is 85 per cent.
“Eight million-dollar lots is great for any sale on any one day and there is an insatiable thirst for quality,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said.
“We’re thrilled for some of our best supporters achieving great money in the ring today like Blue Gum, Luke Wilkinson, the Camilleris and more.”
“I thought it took a while to find its feet early today but a clearance race of 85% and an average of A$291,000 is close to last year.”
“Having our gross up around A$8 million on last year is a great result.”
“At this stage we have offered 30 more lots than last year and at the end of Book One it will be 41. Some buyers haven’t bought yet so there is more to come with the momentum there.”
“Our vendors are realistic and trying to meet the market expectations.”
“Today will be hard to beat for the rest of the sale but the next few days will be solid. There are still many highlights to come.”
“The top end was fantastic and to continue on the momentum with a gross that is up, we judge ourselves on these statistics and most vendors would be walking out of here pleased,” Bowditch added.
To view the results of the sale or to make an offer on a passed in lot click here.
SALE STATISTICS
(D1-2 2023 in brackets)
Lots Catalogued: 450 (420)
Lots Sold: 349 (320)
Lots Passed In: 60 (48)
Lots Withdrawn: 39 (52)
Sale Gross: A$101,713,000 (A$94,010,000)
Top Price: A$1,900,000 (A$2,600,000)
Average Price: A$291,441 (A$293,781)
Median Price: A$220,000 (A$230,000)
Sold %: 85 (87)
DAY TWO TOP SELLERS
A$1,900,000 – Too Darn Hot-A Time for Julia colt (Lot 392)
Vendor: Segenhoe Stud (As Agent for Fairway T’breds) / Buyer: Ciaron Maher B’stock (Vic)
A$1,750,000 – Snitzel-Warranty colt (Lot 350)
Segenhoe Stud (As Agent for Fairway T’breds) / Tom Magnier (NSW)
A$1,600,000 – Extreme Choice-Wanted Lady colt (Lot 349)
Milburn Creek (As Agent) / James Harron B’stock Colts Partnership (NSW)
A$1,300,000 – Snitzel-Vaujany colt (Lot 332)
Blue Gum Farm (As Agent) / DC Ellis CNZM (NZ)
A$1,000,000 – Ole Kirk-Supara filly (Lot 260)
Newhaven Park (As Agent) / Griffiths de Kock Racing/Peter Ford T’breds/Brookdale Racing
A$1,000,000 – I Am Invincible-Vezalay filly (Lot 335)
Widden Stud (As Agent) / Highway Farm (Vic)
A$1,000,000 – Zoustar-Villami colt (Lot 339)
Segenhoe Stud (As Agent for Fairway T’beds) / James Harron B’stock Colts Partnership (NSW)
A$1,000,000 – I Am Invincible-Arcadia Queen colt (Lot 442)Arrowfield Stud (As Agent) / Hawkes Racing (NSW)
LEADING BUYERS
(ranked by total spend)
- A$4,715,000 – DC Ellis CNZM – 8 lots
- A$4,690,000 – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott/Kestrel T’breds – 14 lots
- A$4,665,000 – Ciaron Maher B’stock – 8 lots
- A$3,375,000 – James Harron B’stock Colt Partnership – 3 lots
- A$2,945,000 – China Horse Club/Newgate/Go B’stock/Trilogy – 6 lots
LEADING SIRES
(ranked by average – 3 or more sold)
- A$701,250 – Too Darn Hot – 4 sold
- A$653,571 – I Am Invincible – 14 sold
- A$649,167 – Extreme Choice – 6 sold
- A$580,294 – Snitzel – 17 sold
- A$443,333 – Justify – 3 sold
LEADING VENDORS
(ranked by gross)
- A$8,785,000 – Newgate Farm – 27 sold
- A$8,460,000 – Segenhoe Stud – 11 sold
- A$5,770,000 – Widden Stud – 15 sold
- A$5,725,000 – Yarraman Park Stud – 16 sold
- A$5,720,000 – Arrowfield Stud – 19 sold
LEADING VENDORS
(ranked by average – 3 or more sold)
- A$769,091 – Segenhoe Stud – 11 sold
- A$670,000 – Milburn Creek – 6 sold
- A$515,000 – Blue Gum Farm – 4 sold
- A$455,000 – Kulani Park – 5 sold
- A$401,250 – Waikato Stud – 4 sold
