Spirit Of Boom Colt Tops Magic Millions March Opener

Metrics on day one of the Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale have jumped dramatically year-on-year, providing the biggest example of the staggering increase in market confidence 12 months on from the first Australian Thoroughbred auction significantly impacted as the shock of the pandemic started to hit.

As buyers continue to soak up the yearling market at record pace, March 15 it was Queensland vendor River Junction who became the latest beneficiary of the immense appetite for racehorses when a quality colt by Spirit Of Boom  made AU$370,000 (US$287,023) during the opening session.

The session-topping colt, who was bought by Gold Coast trainer John Morrisey, was one of 21 yearlings to make AU$100,000 ($77,574) or more at an average of AU$47,156 ($36,581), up 62% year-on-year, while the aggregate of $7,545,000 ($5,852,940) climbed a remarkable 110%.

The booming demand follows on from records achieved at the Magic Millions Gold Coast January, Adelaide, Perth, Tasmania, and Inglis Classic and Premier sales.

The Spirit Of Boom colt, cataloged as Lot 69, is the second foal out of the unraced mare Chroma, a three-quarter sister to the stakes-placed Diamond Oasis and a half sister to New Zealand group 2 winner Knight's Tour, his half brother by All Too Hard made AU$150,000 ($100,139) at last year's Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. 

The Sept. 23-born Spirit Of Boom colt had developed well in recent months, justifying River Junction's Joe Heather's decision to hold the yearling back for the March sale. 

"We're only a small farm, so to be able to get a price like that at our local sale is a really good result." Heather told ANZ Bloodstock News Monday.

"We bought Chroma as a race filly off Godolphin at a sale in Melbourne (for AU$110,000/$86,933 in 2017). Her first foal is an All Too Hard colt we sold at Classic last year to Matt Dunn. We're part of the original ownership group in Spirit Of Boom when he raced, so we were always big supporters of his.

"She's a lovely mare who probably suits him quite well, so we sent her to him and it paid off, so to speak. We had originally retained a breeding right but we'd since sold it and this colt was with a paying nom."

River Junction sold six yearlings Monday for a total of AU$487,000 ($377,784) and Heather was always confident the son of Eureka Stud's Spirit Of Boom was a stand out.

"We always knew he was a great type and, more importantly, he moved really well," he said. "We thought that March was probably the right sale on the calendar for him to physically develop. So, we targeted towards March based on where it fits on the calendar and we like to have a standout horse for our draft at this sale. 

"We did that last year with a Pride Of Dubai  filly who we got AU$170,000 for. It has worked out well for us."

Buyer Morrisey, whose son Scott now trains at the Gold Coast, said: "He's a really lovely colt. He's a good mover and I'm very happy to get him. 

"He's a great type and he's got a good pedigree as well and I had to go hard to beat Tony Gollan to get him."

Two lots earlier, Morrisey went to AU$170,000 ($131,875) for a Kenmore Lodge-consigned filly by the stallion.

Chroma has a Capitalist colt at foot and is in foal to Widden Stud's Written By.

Heather pointed out the strength of Monday's market, although significantly Queensland buyers, was helped by the attendance of a number of significant interstate owners and agents.

He said: "The March sale is getting better and better and we have a far bigger interstate buying bench now coming to this sale and that gives you a bit of confidence to bring these (high-end) colts to a sale like this knowing that they are going to get in front of the right people even though it is a Queensland sale, so to speak."

Although they narrowly missed out on the session's highest-priced lot, the powerful combination of Gollan and his trusted agent John Foote had earlier made their intentions clear with the AU$220,000 ($170,662) purchase of a filly by the leading Brisbane trainer's former stable star. 

A half sister to recent Sharp Extensive It Aspiration Handicap (G3) and Irresistible Pools and Spas Millie Fox Stakes (G2) placegetter She's Ideel and the New Zealand group 1-placed Elusive Treasure, she is the seventh living foal out of Ana's Mail, a Melbourne 2-year-old winner who is a full sister to group 3 winner Shanzero and listed winner What's The Mail. Consigned by Eureka Stud, she was cataloged as Lot 18.

Hong Kong agent George Moore was also active Monday, going to AU$140,000 ($108,603) for a colt by Spirit Of Boom from Eureka Stud.

Cataloged as Lot 34, he is the seventh living foal out of Baroque Pearl, making him a half brother to recent 2-year-old Ipswich winner She's Heavenly and two other winners.

Later, Moore also went to AU$110,000 ($85,331) for an Oaklands Stud-consigned Hallowed Crown  colt who is the first foal out of Emotional, herself a half sister to group 2 winner Thermosphere.

Sebring Filly Gets Second Chance

Meanwhile, Queensland trainers Toby and Trent Edmonds bought the second highest-priced lot on day one, an AU$240,000 ($186,177) Sebring  filly, who had to be withdrawn from January's Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Re-offered at the March sale by Daandine Stud, the filly is the fourth foal out of Go Again, a half sister to the group-placed pair Feels Like Home and Street Dancer. She was cataloged as Lot 153.

"We fell in love with her leading into the January sale and we've had to wait a bit longer but we're delighted to get her," Kestrel Thoroughbreds' Bruce Slade said. "She's got great natural strength and is a really sweet mover. She will get up and go early and train on as a 3-year-old."

Edmonds and Slade also combined with Archer Park to buy a Capitalist colt from Alexia Fraser Bloodstock earlier in the session for AU$160,000 ($124,118). Offered as Lot 29, he is the first foal out of Athenry, a placed half sister to listed winner and group 1-placed sprinter Barawin and the group 1-placed mare Saddler's Silk.

Kestrel Thoroughbreds and Edmonds Racing also bought a colt by Flying Artie for AU$80,000 ($62,059) and fillies by Jukebox and Husson for AU$40,000 ($31,030) and AU$20,000 ($15,515) respectively.

Aquis Farm's Justin Fung bought an Invader colt for AU$180,000 ($139,633) from Lucas Bloodstock, while Melbourne trainer Lloyd Kennewell and his agent Mathew Becker of Group 1 Bloodstock went to AU$170,000 ($131,875) for a son of Extreme Choice from the draft of Grandview.

Market Continues Rise

While last year's March sale was the first Australian yearling auction dramatically impacted by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the figures are still up significantly on the 2019 sale, while the average of AU$47,156 is also higher than 2018 when the Spirit Of Boom phenomenon occurred, which saw the top 14 lots sold by the sire to a high of AU$430,000 ($331,874).

Gollan and Foote bought four yearlings Monday at an average of AU$107,500 ($83,392), as did Mishani Enterprises' Mike Crooks. Trainer Stuart Kendrick also bought four lots, as did the Foley partnership.

"It's been a fantastic year for selling yearlings here in Australia and it continued on here today," Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said Monday night. "Obviously, it's great to see the Queensland buyers get in behind their local product and support it, which in the main they did today, and there's great reason for that given the prize money and the bonuses that these horses can race for.

"There's great increases in the market, but it's justified."

Day two of the March sale starts at 10 a.m. local time March 16.

"We had 21 horses make AU$100,000 and over, which is extraordinary," Bowditch said. "The key numbers are fantastic and we'd be hopeful we can hold it with our clearance rate and continue to have a strong average."