Records Tumble Again at Magic Millions March Sale

Queensland owners and trainers made the most of their local Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale without heavy-hitting interstate competition in what was the seventh straight record-breaking live Australian Thoroughbred auction held this year.

Gold Coast trainer John Morrisey, who paid a sale-topping AU$370,000 (US$287,023) for a Spirit Of Boom  colt on day one, added to his haul March 16 with the addition of the second session's top lot, a AU$190,000 ($147,154) Russian Revolution filly, and a AU$180,000 ($139,409) Hellbent colt.

Seventeen of the top 20 yearlings sold at the March sale were bought by Queenslanders, while there is a possibility a further two within those leading yearlings could also remain to be trained in the state. 

Tuesday's most expensive yearling proved to be a good result for the sale's leading vendor, Darling Downs farm Eureka Stud, after they bought her mother carrying the high-priced filly almost two years ago for John Kurtz and his family.

"We were buying the mare because she's related to (Spirit Of Boom's) Sugar Boom for some clients," Eureka Stud's Scott McAlpine said.

"They are a couple of good guys who know the family and when they have a couple going well out of it they want to stick with it, which is why we bought that mare."

Out of the winning mare Pinpoint (General Nediym), a three quarter sister to the Perth listed winner Miss Bux and a half sister to the Tony Gollan-trained stakes winner Sugar Boom, the filly is her dam's third living foal and was cataloged as Lot 291.

Harry McAlpine bought Pinpoint, who is also from the same family as this season's Magic Millions Debutant Stakes winner Fake Love and Quincy Seltzer Villiers Stakes (G2) winner Quackerjack, from the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale from Sledmere Stud when she was in foal to Russian Revolution on behalf of the Kurtzs.

"I think AU$125,000 ($86,463) was the right price to buy her and it's proven to be right with the filly out of her making AU$190,000 and she's got a Spirit Of Boom filly next year," McAlpine said. 

"That was what they bought her for—to send her to Spirit Of Boom as they are shareholders in him."

Nineteen lots earlier, Morrisey went to AU$180,000 for a son of Yarraman Park Stud's first season sire Hellbent.

Bidding opened at AU$100,000 for the impressive colt and moved up in AU$10,000 increments to AU$170,000, prompting the under bidder to attempt a final AU$5,000 bid when the Gold Coast-based Morrisey returned at AU$180,000 to ensure the horse would race under his and son Scott's care.

Consigned by Kenmore Lodge as Lot 272, the colt is the third foal out of the unraced mare O'Reilly's Charm (O'Reilly), herself a sister to the group 2-placed mare Clover Lane. His second dam is the Mitty's Queensland Guineas (G2) winner Sequential Charm.

In total, Morrisey bought four yearlings for AU$910,000 ($704,788), all of whom are QTIS eligible.

Tony Gollan and agent John Foote bought seven yearlings for a total of AU$650,000 ($503,420) while Chris Anderson and agent Steve Morley bought six for AU$540,000 ($418,226). Prominent Queensland owner Mike Crooks' Mishani Enterprises purchased eight yearlings.

"It is great having John here. He's a neighbor of ours and he was stepping in and buying some of the very best yearlings we had to offer over the two days," Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said. 

"He's got some great supporters and long-term clients (Gundaroo Stud) and he's buying the right horses to take advantage of the lucrative QTIS money on offer.

"The QTIS scheme is an unsung hero for the Queensland industry. Whether you're racing at 2 or 3, racing in the country, or the metropolitan area, whether you're running first, second, or third, you're in play for the bonuses.

"It is all encompassing and it gives everyone an opportunity to reap the rewards."

Eureka Stud also sold the brother to the Sydney-trained stakes-performed winner Spirituality (Spirit Of Boom) to First Light Racing, the syndicator's agent Paul Willetts, and trainer Rob Heathcote for AU$180,000.

Cataloged as Lot 235, the colt is the 11th foal out of Matinee (Flying Spur), a half sister to Staging, in turn the dam of stallions Duporth , Excites, and Tickets .

A sibling to five winners, including the recent Wyong-winning Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Spirituality, the colt is also from the same family as Eureka's stakes-winning 2-year-old Tiyatrolani.

McAlpine said: "Again, that family with Matinee and Tiyatro, who ran third to Spirit Of Boom in the Magic Millions Prelude (on debut in 2010), and she has gone on to produce Tiyatrolani, is one of our families. Matinee helped get us going and it's a family that sticks with us."

In the last hour of the second and final session, Edmonds Racing and Bruce Slade's Kestrel Thoroughbreds combined to buy a colt by Better Than Ready, the sire of the stable's star 2-year-old Alpine Edge, from Kenmore Lodge for AU$180,000.

Offered as Lot 406, he is the second foal out of the stakes-performed, six-time winner Vienna Queen (Jet Spur), whose first foal Vienna Cruise is already a juvenile winner this season.

$2M The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic runner-up Alpine Edge, the winner of the Phelan Ready To Buy A Boom Stakes and Magic Millions B.J. McLachlan Stakes (G3) to open his career, was spelled after finishing last in the UNSW Todman Stakes (G2) March 6.

At the end of the March sale, Eureka Stud was crowned leading vendor, selling 36 of its 42 yearlings for a total of AU$1.9 million ($1,471,540) at an average of AU$52,778 ($40,876).

"The March sale has been very strong and it's been very good to us," McAlpine said.

"We're the biggest vendor and we had 42 yearlings to sell. We have done very well. We passed six in and we've exceeded what we budgeted for quite substantially."

Lyndhurst Stud's resident stallion Better Than Ready had 66 yearlings sell at an average of AU$42,348 ($32,798) while Spirit Of Boom had 25 yearlings sell at an average of AU$91,980 ($71,238). The progeny of Raheen Stud's first season sire Heroic Valour, Te Akau's 2016 Sistema Diamond Stakes (G1) winner, were well received, averaging AU$44,854 ($34,739) with 24 lots sold.

On Spirit Of Boom, McAlpine said: "They were nice horses and the Spirit Of Booms were very well accepted and they paid reasonable money for them.

"They are buying Spirit Of Booms that are nice prospects and buyers are getting value for money on them. He's made AU$370,000, AU$220,000, and AU$180,000 down to the AU$60,000s. 

"Everybody has a figure and we've got something we're happy to sell for that smaller money. You have got to meet the market and that's what we've done."

Kenmore Lodge sold 28 for revenues of AU$1,648,000 ($1,276,360) at an average of AU$58,657 ($45,429) while fellow Queensland farm River Junction, which sold the sale's top lot, averaged AU$87,125 ($67,478) for its eight yearlings sold. 

"We've had some great March sales in the past, but I think a lot of different breeders experienced good fortune and those who brought good horses to the sale were admired and sought after in the ring," Bowditch said. 

"It's great to see the money being spread through many different clients and giving them the opportunity and the confidence they need to step ahead here in Queensland and strive for bigger and better things in the years to come."

The aggregate of AU$14,462,500 ($11,201,100) year-on-year is up 86%, but a more accurate comparison is to the 2019 sale and that, also, is up a staggering 47%.

The average of AU$44,776 ($34,679) compared to two years ago is up 33% (up 57% on 2020) but the figure is slightly lower than what was achieved at the 2018 sale.

"It is hard to compare to any other sale of its kind, but I guess the best barometer we can come up with is the 2018 sale, which is commonly known as the Spirit Of Boom sale, and it surpassed that by gross and by median and clearance rate," Bowditch said.

"To achieve those heights again and better them is huge for the March sale." 

While Magic Millions' focus now switches to its Gold Coast National sale in May and June, Bowditch had pause for thought Tuesday night.

"From January through to today, it has been a very successful time for Magic Millions," he said. 

"What it's shown all round, whether it be our clients in Western Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, or everywhere in between, is that they are in a really good place. 

"They have been well rewarded in the sales ring and we're delighted that we've been able to play a part in that."

The next major sale is the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, featuring a 466-lot catalog to be offered on April 6-7.