Lot 566 (Fastnet Rock – Response)
A quality filly by champion sire Fastnet Rock topped Day Three of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale after passing through the magical seven figure barrier to sell for $1.05 million on Friday, 9 January 2015.
Offered for sale by Newgate Farm, the filly from multiple Group One winner Response, was knocked down to Michael Wallace on behalf of the China Horse Club after a bidding battle with the team from Kentucky’s Spendthrift Farm.
Michael Wallace
Wallace was delighted to be able to purchase the star filly and in doing so set a new top seller for the auction after he paid $850,000 for the Sepoy-Celebrity Girl filly on Wednesday.
“She’s a quality filly by a champion sire from a Group One winning mare,” Wallace said. “She’s got a good depth of pedigree and a lovely type. She’s got a great head on her, easy movement – she has a lot of quality.”
Success for first season sires continued on Friday when Arrowfield Stud’s smashing Smart Missile colt from Negotiate sold for $700,000 to Hawkes Racing. “He just looked a real athlete,” co-trainer John Hawkes said. “Smart Missile was a very good horse – if he had have won the Slipper you’d probably be paying more for him. We loved him – he’s just an athlete. He was our pick of the sale.”
Interstate trainer Tony McEvoy already has eyes on next year’s Jeep Magic Millions 2YO Classic after going to $575,000 to secure Strawberry Hill Stud’s Sepoy-Miss Mooney Mooney colt earlier in the afternoon. “I want a runner in the race next year,” McEvoy noted. “I thought this was the horse. I loved his temperament and loved his rhythm and athleticism.”
At the conclusion of the third day of the sale, the gross broke through the $75 million barrier and sits just $70,000 short of last year’s complete Day 1-4 auction. The average price of $166,694 compares favourably with the $139,445 figure after Day Three in 2014.
Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox said he was delighted with the way the sale was tracking and was also pleased to see the strong international presence lead to a seven figure sale. “The China Horse Club outbidding Spendthrift Farm of Kentucky proving that the weaker Australian dollar has had a massive impact on the upper level of the sale. It’s just fantastic,” Cox added. “We’re sitting on a gross of just over $75 million – the gross is virtually the same as what we closed out on Saturday night last year – so we’ve got a full session (to come) for free.”
Champion trainer Gai Waterhouse is the leading buyer at the sale by both lots purchased (18) and total spend ($4,005,000). Second on the leading buyers list is the James Harron Bloodstock & Snowden Racing partnership with a spend of $3,615,000.
Redoute’s Choice
Redoute’s Choice leads the sires list by averages (three or more sold) at $388,438 for 16 sold. Fastnet Rock boasts an average of $320,938 with eight sales, while first seasoner Sepoy is third overall with an average of $303,333 with 12 sold.
STATISTICS
(2014 D1-3 in brackets)
Lots Catalogued: 600 (570)
Sale Gross: $75,012,500 ($63,447,500)
Average Price: $166,694 ($139,445)
Median Price: $135,000 ($120,000)
Top Price: $1,050,000 ($1,000,000)
Lots Sold: 450 (445)
Lots Withdrawn: 57 (53)
Lots Passed In: 93 (61)
Sold %: 83 (88)
DAY THREE TOP SELLERS
$1,050,000 – Fastnet Rock-Response filly (Lot 566)
Vendor: Newgate Farm (As Agent) / Buyer: China Horse Club (HK)
$700,000 – Smart Missile-Negotiate colt (Lot 485)
Arrowfield Stud (As Agent) / Hawkes Racing (NSW)
$575,000 – Sepoy-Miss Mooney Mooney colt (Lot 452)
Strawberry Hill Stud / McEvoy Mitchell Racing (SA)
$460,000 – Fastnet Rock-Necessary Evil filly (Lot 484)
Coolmore Stud (As Agent) / B2B Bloodstock/Jadesky Racing (NSW)
$460,000 – Northern Meteor-Nazzuca colt (Lot 483)
Baramul Stud / James Harron Bloodstock/Snowden Racing (NSW)
$400,000 – Smart Missile-Rain Melody filly (Lot 546)
Amarina Farm (As Agent) / Debbie Kepitis (NSW)
$400,000 – Redoute’s Choice-Reactive filly (Lot 553)
Broadwater Thoroughbreds (As Agent) / Gai Waterhouse Racing (NSW)
LEADING SIRES
(ranked by average – 3 or more sold)
$414,792 – Fastnet Rock – 12 sold
$389,118 – Redoute’s Choice – 17 sold
$254,773 – Sepoy – 22 sold
$220,441 – Snitzel – 34 sold
$220,385 – So You Think – 13 sold
$208,000 – Street Cry – 5 sold
$197,778 – Exceed and Excel – 9 sold
$195,000 – I Am Invincible – 12 sold
$187,759 – Smart Missile – 29 sold
$178,125 – Northern Meteor – 16 sold
LEADING BUYERS
(ranked by total spend)
$4,050,000 – Gai Waterhouse Racing – 18 lots
$3,615,000 – James Harron B’stock/Snowden Racing – 15 lots
$2,420,000 – Magic Millions as agent – 16 lots
$2,030,000 – China Horse Club – 3 lots
$1,987,500 – Paul Perry – 10 lots
$1,650,000 – Star Thoroughbreds – 12 lots
$1,605,000 – Chris Waller Racing P/L – 7 lots
$1,420,000 – Hawkes Racing – 6 lots
$1,180,000 – Lee Freedman/Jon Kelly – 3 lots
$1,100,000 – Scone Bloodstock Services – 4 lots
The fourth day of the Gold Coast Yearling Sale will be held from 6pm (Qld time) on Saturday (live feed here) following the running of the $4.7 million Magic Millions raceday at the Gold Coast Turf Club.
(source: Magic Millions)
