The curtain came down on a record breaking 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale on Monday with another successful day’s selling at Australia’s holiday playground.
A colt by Deep Field topped the day at A$270,000 with the Book Two and Book Three sales helping push the sale gross to over A$242 million – smashing last year’s record of A$211 million – again becoming the highest grossing yearling sale in Southern Hemisphere history.
Today’s top seller, a half brother to stakes gallopers Nieta and Tumbler and four other winners, was presented at the sale by Grandview and was purchased by Wattle Bloodstock for an international client.
Wattle Bloodstock’s Peter Twomey said he’d missed a number of quality colts during the week and was pleased to strike with the Deep Field colt from Brookton Flash.
“He’s a nice moving horse and has a great attitude,” Twomey said. “He’s a pretty straight forward style of horse.”
“The sire is going well here in Australia as well as across Asia.”
“The mare has produced a couple of black type horses and a few other nice winners by a range of stallions and now she’s produced a good colt by Deep Field.”
“He looks to be a three-year-old style of horse and that’s what we’re wanting with him – to race at three and older,” Twomey added.
Local trainer John Morrisey went to $210,000 to secure the second top seller, the Performer half brother to outstanding local juvenile Perfect Mission from the draft of Hopetoun Farm.
Morrisey also snapped up the Headwater-Bring Me Love colt, offered by Kenmore Lodge, for A$170,000, the same price that Desleigh Forster paid for the Encryption-I Am Poppy colt from Eureka Stud.
Across the Book Two auction of the sale over A$12.6 million was traded for 217 lots sold at an average price of almost A$58,000 and an impressive 85 per cent clearance.
“It has been the most remarkable sale,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch reported. “To have grossed A$31 million more than last year with a slightly smaller catalogue is amazing.”
“We had a great catalogue of yearlings across all levels of the market and buyers certainly appreciated the quality youngsters presented by vendors.”
“Under the circumstances we are working with at present the logistics of conducting the sale has been an incredible challenge. I couldn’t be more proud of the Magic Millions team.”
“We are also thankful of the efforts from the vendors and their staff, the buying teams as well as the transporters, caterers, drivers and everyone who played their part in making the event such a success.”
“It has been an unprecedented week in the history of Australian thoroughbred sales and we are proud to have played our role in delivering for buyers and vendors.”
“From the Pacific Fair Polo and showjumping, to the incredible barrier draw at Surfers Paradise, the record breaking Gold Coast Yearling Sale and the spectacular The Star Gold Coast Raceday – it’s been a sensational carnival,” Bowditch added.
The Magic Millions sales focus next switches west for the Perth Yearling Sale (February 14-15) followed quickly by the Tasmanian Yearling Sale (February 21), the Adelaide Yearling Sale (March 15-16) before returning to the Gold Coast for the March Yearling Sale (March 21-22).
BOOK 2 STATISTICS
(2021 in brackets)
Lots Catalogued: 297 (311)
Lots Sold: 219 (228)
Lots Withdrawn: 40 (36)
Lots Passed In: 38 (47)
Top Price: A$270,000 (A$310,000)
Average Price: $A57,676 (A$60,353)
Median Price: A$50,000 (A$50,000)
Sale Gross: A$12,631,000 (A$13,760,500)
Sold %: 85.2 (83)
DAY SEVEN TOP SELLERS
A$270,000 – Deep Field-Brookton Flash colt (Lot 1085)
Vendor: Grandview (As Agent) / Buyer: Wattle Bloodstock (NSW)
A$210,000 – Performer-But Perfect colt (Lot 1087)
Hopetoun Farm / John Morrisey (Qld)
A$170,000 – Headwater-Bring Me Love colt (Lot 1084)
Kenmore Lodge (As Agent) / John Morrisey (Qld)
A$170,000 – Encryption-I Am Poppy colt (Lot 1156)
Eureka Stud (As Agent) / Desleigh Forster (Qld)
A$140,000 – Better Than Ready-Nahab colt (Lot 1218)
Emirates Park / Vandyke Racing (Qld)
BOOK 2 LEADING BUYERS
(ranked by total spend)
A$420,000 – Ciaron Maher B’stock – 4 lots
A$380,000 – John Morrisey – 2 lots
A$310,000 – Kelly Schweida Racing – 3 lots
A$286,000 – Desleigh Forster – 4 lots
A$285,000 – Wattle Bloodstock – 2 lots
