Capitalist Colt Shines on Magic Millions Adelaide Day 2

A colt by boom sire Capitalist, who commanded competition from two significant international entities, has capped a record Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale and provided famed local stud Cornerstone with the impetus to consider offering more of its best-credentialed horses to the market in South Australia.

Prominent Singapore outfit Aramco Racing, bidding online, won the AU$425,000 (US$326,758) battle March 10 for the prized Cornerstone Stud-bred and -consigned colt after being pushed by under-bidder, U.S.-owned Spendthrift Australia.

Garry Cuddy, Spendthrift Australia's general manager, was at the Adelaide sale complex in the hope of landing the second-crop Capitalist yearling, who is by the same sire as leading Longines Golden Slipper Stakes (G1) contenders Profiteer and Kalashnikov.

The colt was the fourth to break the auction's previous highest-priced yearling sold by Magic Millions in Adelaide, which was set in 2006 at AU$340,000 ($251,226). On Tuesday, a AU$525,000 ($402,797) Fastnet Rock colt and fillies by Palentino (AU$370,000/$283,876) and Merchant Navy (AU$360,000/$276,204) also surpassed the 15-year-old record.

Cornerstone Stud's Sam Hayes was almost lost for words in the minutes following the sale of the session-topping colt who he bred in partnership with former Adelaide Crows chairman Rob Chapman and John Frankhuisen.

"I am a bit overwhelmed actually. There was quite a big build-up. I was a bit nervous, so it was great that he sold like that," Hayes told ANZ Bloodstock News.

"That probably exceeded our expectations but the market is strong. It has been a great year for horse racing, the past 12 months, and we are just happy to be part of it.

"I think that's the best thing about it; it gets you thinking about what you can bring back next year when they make that sort of money."

Cataloged as Lot 286, Day 2's star colt is the eighth foal out of the group 3-placed Okaylah (Flying Spur) who is already the dam of five winners, including the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Zoulah. He carries the same Capitalist—Flying Spur cross as the March 7 John McGrath Auto Group Black Opal Stakes (G3) winner Kalashnikov.

Aramco Racing has already had success with the progeny of Capitalist through the early deeds of promising 2-year-old colt Gleneagles, who was placed in the Magic Millions Wyong 2-Year-Old Classic last December.

Hayes credited Cornerstone Stud's bloodstock manager Sam Pritchard-Gordon for pushing to offer the colt at their home-state sale, while he also praised new stud manager Ross Fuller for his work in preparing the farm's Adelaide draft.

"Sam Pritchard-Gordon said he was the best colt we had on the farm when he got back from (inspecting horses) at the Hunter. He said, 'Let's send him to Adelaide and try and top the sale.' " 

"We didn't top the sale but in any other year we would have, so I have to give Sam credit there."

Armidale's Impending Filly Impresses

David and Rhiannon Whishaw's decision to reject private offers for the Impending half sister to last month's Ladbrokes Hobart Cup (G3) winner Double You Tee and Premier Signs Mannerism Stakes (G3) place-getter Lunakorn paid off handsomely in Adelaide Wednesday.

Bred by the Whishaws at Armidale Stud in Tasmania, the daughter of Darley's Victoria-based first season stallion Impending was bought by Cape Schanck owner Tony Ottobre for AU$250,000 ($192,211).

Swettenham Stud's Sam Matthews signed for the filly on behalf of Ottobre, holding off Tony and Calvin McEvoy who were the under bidders.

"We were offered AU$120,000 before coming to the sale, but we felt that it was the wrong thing to do to sell her with her already being cataloged," David Whishaw revealed.

"We were very keen to bring her here and showcase her. She's a lovely filly with a great walk, so we were confident she'd bring AU$120,000 but to get beyond that, it's really blown us away."

She could have been Armidale Stud's pinup lot at last month's Tasmanian Yearling Sale, but the Nov. 14-born filly was instead reserved for Adelaide.

"We were very tempted to leave her in Tassie as we thought she'd top the sale, but we were concerned we wouldn't get the mainland buyers down that we needed (due to COVID-19), and it did look that way only a week out from the sale with border restrictions … and Victoria is about 50% of our buying bench, so we thought we'd really made the right call.

"That, coupled with the fact she's a November foal, every week would make a difference, and we were also keen to bring some nice stock here to Adelaide.

"We've got a young stallion in Alpine Eagle … but we didn't want to just bring Alpine Eagles, so if we brought a nice Impending filly like her she'd stand out, and she certainly has."

Cataloged as Lot 224, she is the fifth living foal out of Kandy Korn (Flying Spur), herself a half sister to listed winner Baby Corn.

The Whishaws have supported Impending in his first three years at Northwood Park having been impressed by his foals.

"We try and do a lot of work on our matings behind the scenes because we haven't got the money to go to the best stallions in the country or buy the best mares in the country," he said.

"My wife is very keen on it as well, so both of us over the winter months look at pedigrees and agonize over which stallions will suit the mares' pedigree wise and type wise as we're trying to breed commercial horses as well. It is a real juggle.

"Nowadays the market is often more worried about type and the fashionability of the stallion, so it was lovely to see people dig down and see that we've put a bit of work into the pedigree cross (with our AU$250,000 filly)."

Clarken Snaps Up 'Best Filly on Type'

Will Clarken also teamed up with fellow trainer David Jolly and agent Suman Hedge Wednesday to buy a Sooboog filly late in the Book 1 session for AU$180,000 ($138,392).

Offered by Edinburgh Park as Lot 323, the filly is a daughter of stakes-winning mare Regrowth (Unbridled's Song), the dam of group 3 winner Colour and the stakes-placed Single Blonde.

"We have bought a lot of horses but the (Sooboog) filly was one of our target horses for the sale. She is just a beautiful athlete by a young stallion who is going along OK, and she's out of a fantastic family," Clarken said.

"She has got residual value but she was also the best filly on type on the sales ground in Suman, David Jolly's, and my opinion."

Clarken believes Kitchwin Hills stallion Sooboog can develop into a successful stallion based on his exposure to his progeny so far.

"I have got one, a colt, who goes along well, and I think they are in the same mold as him, a back-end 2-year-old, 3-year-old type," he said.

"Sooboog is a son of Snitzel and his sons are taking a bit more time, but I am confident that he is going to make the grade."

Clarken, Jolly, and Hedge also bought a Capitalist colt for AU$200,000 ($153,769) on Day 1. Overall, Clarken ended up with 12 yearlings from the Adelaide sale.

The Book 1 sale closed Wednesday as the strongest South Australian auction in Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch's time with the company.

"In my time, it is far and above anything we've achieved here. To average well into the AU$50,000s, to clear 86% of the Book 1 horses, the sale has grossed AU$15 million ($11,532,600); it is a fantastic result for the state," Bowditch said.

"What I am very pleased about is the South Australian trainers; I can't remember the last time they spent AU$5 million here.

"From an interstate perspective, buyers love coming here. It's a fun sale and from a local perspective, what Racing SA is doing is fantastic. They are getting behind the industry.

"There is a spring in the step of the trainers here and that will reflect on the breeders and give us great momentum for the sale."

Bowditch also singled out Magic Millions South Australia bloodstock consultant Adrian Hancock for his work in the lead-up to the sale while he also praised leading vendor Cornerstone Stud.

"Cornerstone is one of the figurehead breeders in the state, one of the stallion stations here, and they have kept an outstanding (Capitalist) colt back for the sale and have been rewarded," he said.

"I think, again, it will give Sam (Hayes) confidence that he can bring that sort of horse to the sale and get a great result, which is what we have been trying to get to for years, and I am pleased that we've been able to achieve that in this market."

Meanwhile, the highest-priced lot in Book 2 was a daughter of Super One who was bought by Rui Severino for AU$100,000 ($76,884) from A List Stud. The session aggregate was AU$1,042,000 ($801,135).