The first foal of former champion New Zealand based racemare Avantage was the star act on Day Three of the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale on Thursday.
Presented at the auction by Coolmore Stud, the filly attracted intense interest from various bidders before the sale’s leading buyer David Ellis struck with a A$2.1 million offer.
It was a full circle moment for Ellis given that he purchased Avantage as a yearling and oversaw her illustrious racing career in the Te Akau Racing operation.
Coolmore Stud purchased Avantage when she was offered as a broodmare and now it’s Te Akau who completed that circle with this morning’s purchase.
“We’re just over the moon to have a filly of her quality to train. A lot of people don’t realise that she (Avantage) had her first start as a two-year-old in September and she won that well.
“She raced again in October and she won the Karaka Million. She won a Group One as a two-year-old. She won a Group One at 1200 metres, 1400 metres, 1600 and 2000 metres.”
“She was the complete racehorse and I’ve seen her foal at the stud this year. She is a cracker and the mare is back in foal to I Am Invincible so it has got so much upside and we’re just so proud to have her in the stable to train.”
Ellis said the filly was an “absolute dead-ringer” for Avantage.
“I thought this was as athletic a filly as you’d ever see. If we want to train these top fillies we’ve got to come here and buy them and that is what we’re doing.”
“We’ll take her back to New Zealand. We’ll break her in, assess her and have her ready to race in November/December.”
“This filly has terrific residual value and she’d be an asset for any stud farm (even) if she never races.”
The result delighted the team from Coolmore Stud, who bred and presented the filly on the Gold Coast.
“She’s just been special ever since she was born at the farm,” Coolmore’s Tom Magnier said.
“I was delighted for the lads, they obviously gave a lot of money for the mare but it’s great when you can buy something off David Ellis and he comes back and buys off us.”
“I just hope for David and Karyn and all the Te Akau team that this filly does great things for him. You never know, we might be back returning the favour at the end.”
“Wootton Bassett is an exceptional stallion,” Magnier added.
Magnier turned from happy vendor to delighted buyer later in the day when he went to A$1.6 million to secure a colt by Wootton Bassett.
The colt, catalogued as Lot 666, was presented as part of the Segenhoe Stud draft and is the fourth seven figure seller at the sale for the Camilleri family’s Fairway Thoroughbreds.
The A$1.6 million colt is the second foal for the Morphettville Guineas winning Exceed and Excel mare Fiera Vista. He hails from the family of Silent Witness.
Magnier said he was thrilled with the results for the first Australian crop of Wootton Bassett.
“It is great to see it,” Magnier said. “The best breeders around the country have gone to this horse.”
“John Camilleri is a very smart breeder and he is in Wootton Bassett. The best trainers, the best trainers’ agents, breeders, they’re all linked in to this stallion.”
“Just a real quality horse,” Magnier said of Lot 666. “Very athletic and loads of quality. In fairness all the team really liked this horse and it is a credit to Peter (O’Brien) and John Camilleri.”
A little earlier in the afternoon Rosemont Stud and Suman Hedge teamed up with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott to buy the Extreme Choice-Euroboss colt (Lot 644) for A$1.45 million.
A member of the Newgate Farm draft, the colt came close to yesterday’s record breaking A$1.6 million colt by Extreme Choice.
“He was a horse that through the week there was a lot talk of amongst my colleagues and trainers, so we were really just hopeful more than anything to get him.”
“Obviously, we had to push ourselves to the limit, but we’re really happy to secure him.”
Hedge is a fan of Extreme Choice and said his achievements from small numbers so far has been impressive.
“There’s obviously a limited number of them that are available.”
“The horse has done an incredible job at stud and I think also as the sale progresses and you see other colts going through, it sets some benchmarks for the ones that you like.”
“With the one going through yesterday really well, we knew this one was going to be quite a challenge to get, but we’re really happy to get him.”
“With the type that he is, he looks a really fast horse, so hopefully it will work out.”
“It’s a real challenge because there are a number of other groups that are trying to do that and not just the established stallion groups, there are just some wealthy people there that are capable of buying these colts and it’s all competition.”
“Ciaron (Maher) bought one that we really like for a tonne of money, so it is hard and there’s only so many (by the sire) that are here as well.”
“The supply and demand affects the prices, but you just put your best foot forward and especially on the ones that you really stretch yourself to and he was clearly one that we really wanted badly so we put everything we could into getting it done.”
“To have Waterhouse/Bott in the team to try and secure the horse, that was really helpful as well, so we’re glad that it’s going to go to a great stable.”
After today’s third day of selling the sale gross has soared to over A$155 million for 536 lots sold at an average price of A$289,810. The clearance rate sits at more than 85 per cent.
“I’m pleased with today. At times we were passing in more horses that we’d have liked but overall the stats are in line with yesterday.”
“When a good colt or filly walks into the ring there’s a lot of action. Five million-dollar colts went through the ring today, and 17 overall.”
“Kudos to the vendors continuing their willingness to meet the market.”
“There are a lot of good quality local stallions but when a good one walks in from overseas there is still good money there.”
Bowditch said he was looking forward to Day Four of the sale, which commences at 10am (Qld time) tomorrow.
“The average may hold but the clearance may go up – 85% is very satisfactory.”
“We are aware that things aren’t easy for some people but there is evidence that racing is still great here in Australia and the fundamentals are still there.”
“The market is very much where I thought it would be,” Bowditch added. “All in all it is a good, healthy horse sale.”
To view the results of the sale or to make an offer on a passed in lot click here.
SALE STATISTICS
(2023 Days 1-3 in brackets)
- Lots Catalogued: 690 (655)
- Lots Sold: 536 (504)
- Lots Passed In: 93 (75)
- Lots Withdrawn: 58 (76)
- Sale Gross: A$155,338,000 ($154,345,000)
- Top Price: A$2,100,000 ($2,700,000)
- Average Price: A$289,810 ($306,240)
- Median Price: A$220,000 ($230,000)
- Sold %: 85.2 (87)
DAY THREE TOP SELLERS
A$2,100,000 – Wootton Bassett-Avantage filly (Lot 454)
Vendor: Coolmore Stud (As Agent) / Buyer: DC Ellis CNZM (NZ)
A$1,600,000 – Wootton Bassett-Fiera Vista colt (Lot 666)
Segenhoe Stud (As Agent for Fairway T’breds) / Tom Magnier (NSW)
A$1,450,000 – Extreme Choice-Euroboss colt (Lot 644)
Newgate Farm (As Agent) / Rosemont Stud/Suman Hedge B’stock/Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott (Vic)
A$1,150,000 – I Am Invincible-Eloping filly (Lot 623)
Segenhoe Stud (As Agent) / Belmont B’stock Agency (Vic)
A$1,000,000 – Frankel-Cercle d’Or filly (Lot 513)
Yarraman Park Stud (As Agent) / Matt Houldsworth/Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott (NSW)
LEADING BUYERS
(ranked by total spend)
A$6,965,000 – DC Ellis CNZM – 10 lots
A$5,790,000 – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott/Kestrel T’breds – 17 lots
A$4,535,000 – James Harron B’stock Colt Partnership – 5 lots
A$4,385,000 – Ciaron Maher B’stock – 14 lots
A$4,250,000 – Tom Magnier – 3 lots
LEADING SIRES
(ranked by average – 3 or more sold)
A$825,000 – Frankel – 4 sold
A$688,333 – Extreme Choice – 9 sold
A$618,750 – I Am Invincible – 24 sold
A$591,667 – Too Darn Hot – 6 sold
A$542,273 – Snitzel – 22 sold
LEADING VENDORS
(ranked by gross)
A$13,720,000 – Newgate Farm – 37 sold
A$13,195,000 – Segenhoe Stud – 20 sold
A$9,485,000 – Yarraman Park Stud – 23 sold
A$9,180,000 – Coolmore Stud – 30 sold
A$8,640,000 – Widden Stud – 25 sold
LEADING VENDORS
(ranked by average – 3 or more sold)
A$659,750 – Segenhoe Stud – 20 sold
A$621,250 – Milburn Creek – 8 sold
A$421,000 – Rosemont Stud – 5 sold
A$412,391 – Yarraman Park Stud – 23 sold
A$392,778 – Kulani Park – 9 sold
