Melody Belle Shines at Magic Millions Broodmare Sale

It promised to be a day like no other and it delivered, so much so it prompted industry figures to label the May 25 opening session of the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale as the most extraordinary they had witnessed in decades.

Eighteen mares sold for AU$1 million or more, 11 of them in the Shadwell Stud Australasia dispersal sale, and champion New Zealand mare Melody Belle  could lay claim to being the head of the pack one more time when she topped the day at AU$2.6 million (US$2,011,760).

There was AU$68,888,000 ($53,302,400) spent on 210 lots in the race fillies and mares session, the highest single day's trade in the Southern Hemisphere at a breeding stock sale, at an average of AU$328,038 ($253,821), up 59% year on year.

The median of AU$145,000 ($112,194) was up 93% on last year and up from AU$70,000 achieved in 2019. 

The clearance rate was set at 91% as breeders looked to cash in on the booming market after record yearling and weanling sales.

"I am speechless. We'd hoped to achieve something extraordinary, but to do so is a remarkable result. It's a remarkable result for the team and it's a remarkable result for the industry here in Australia," an elated and clearly emotional Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said.

"The industry's in great shape here, isn't it? It's buoyant, there were so many people trying to get in, and bidding was healthy from start to finish. 

"It just shows that if you bring a premium product to a horse sale, we'll ensure that the buyers are here to bid on these horses. Today reflected that like never before.

"I think we've had 10 lots make over AU$1.5 million and I'd hate to know how many made over seven figures. It's a huge number—18 in one day. 

"I don't think that's been done in the history of a mares sale and definitely not here."

The figures, even taking into account the once-off Shadwell dispersal sale, could have been greater had Arcadia Queen been sold.

Onlookers were left stunned when Arcadia Queen (Lot 723), arguably the sale's biggest drawcard, was passed on for AU$3.4 million ($2,630,770) after her Western Australia owner-breeder Bob Peters was unwilling to part with his star homebred mare. Her reserve was listed at AU$4 million.

Further underlining the dramatic day, the sale was halted for about 45 minutes after a car crash nearby cut power to about 370,000 residents from the Gold Coast to Caboolture and also brought the Magic Millions sales ring to silence. 

A back-up generator was called upon to allow the sale to resume.

'Belle' Rings for New Zealand Champion

The first big-name mare through the ring on day one was star mare Melody Belle and it was Yulong's Written Tycoon Syndicate which landed the brilliant 6-year-old for AU$2.6 million to liven up a remarkable day's trade.

The Commands daughter was the most expensive of 26 mares bought by the partnership on day one, which also included Greysful Glamour for AU$1.5 million ($1,160,630) and another Stratum  mare Positive Peace for AU$800,000 ($619,004). The high-investing Victorian-based stud spent a total of AU$12.2 million, the majority for their new high-profile stallion recruit, Written Tycoon .

With Kiwi Steve Davis ushered onto the rostrum to auctioneer New Zealand's champion 14-time group 1 winner Melody Belle, the bidding opened at AU$1 million before an investor bidding online went toe-to-toe with Yulong Investments, who is buying under the Written Tycoon Syndicate in support of their acquisition of the champion stallion.

"We are looking at mares of this quality now we have got Written Tycoon standing at the farm," Yulong's chief operating officer Sam Fairgray said. 

"She was an obvious mare that we will look to put to him and we think she will suit him ideally."

Cataloged as Lot 510, the Marie Leicester-bred Melody Belle won 19 races and she is one of two winners for Meleka Belle (Iffraaj ), a half sister to four stakes-placed horses.

"We thought she would be around that (AU$2.6 million) mark," Fairgray said. 

"She is a group 1 winning 2-year-old and went on to win 14 group 1 races, so a mare of that quality doesn't come on the market very often.   

"She was bred by a very good breeder in New Zealand. She's been trained by New Zealand's best trainer. 

"She came over and raced against the best in Australia as well." 

Soon after the sale of Melody Belle, and on his way to enjoy a celebratory champagne next to Melody Belle's box at the Blue Sky Premium Consignment area near the center parade ring, Fortuna Thoroughbreds' John Galvin admitted to feeling a sense of relief.

"There's quite a bit of pressure leading into a sale like this, of course. There's all sorts of things to do, managing her campaign, managing the sale, managing shareholder expectations, etc., etc. It's happened, she's sold, and AU$2.6 million is a lot of money," Galvin said. 

"While there was talk, perhaps, of figures higher than that, we're very, very happy to have brought her here. Yulong will give her a great home, they've got some great stallions, so it's done and dusted."

Galvin was front and center to the ring, on a table flanked by trainer Jamie Richards and Te Akau principal David Ellis, as other syndicate members sat nearby.

Ellis was one of those bidding on the mare, using the online platform to make a play for Melody Belle.

"The bidding was a little bit slow, to be honest, but with the inspections over the past few days we detected there was strong interest from a number of players and we were happy to go unreserved," Galvin said. 

"I think that was the right way to sell this mare. It probably just needed another player or two to be in there bidding for her to reach a higher figure, but as I say, we're pretty happy to get AU$2.6 million on the back of a NZ$57,500 ($37,11) purchase, not to mention NZ$4 million in race winnings."

Mizzy Heads to Coolmore

It was no surprise to see Coolmore playing a key role at the top-end of the market and it was Mizzy who Tom Magnier had his eye on less than an hour into the sale, going to AU$2.2 million ($1,702,260) to secure her.

Mizzy (Lot 528) is the second high-priced daughter of Zoustar bought by Magnier in as many years having gone to a Magic Millions record of AU$4.2 million ($2,979,431) for the three-time group 1 winner Sunlight last year. 

The Anthony Cummings-trained Mizzy, a daughter of the Robert and Sylvie Crabtree-owned listed winner Missy Cummings (Magnus), won four of her 25 starts, three of them at group level, and she was also twice group 1-placed to earn AU$1.69 million in prize money. 

Offered through the Newgate Consignment as agent for her syndicate of owners, Mizzy finished well back in the TAB Classic (G1) in Adelaide on May 1 and will now join the Annabel Neasham stable as she's targeted towards next month's Tattersall's Tiara (G1) at Eagle Farm.

Bidding on Mizzy opened at AU$500,000, with the rising 6-year-old commanding interest from local and international buyers while Crabtree, who was standing out the back of the sales ring, revealed he also bid on the mare in the hope of buying out his racing partners.

"It's extraordinarily hard to let her go, I'll be frank, I did have a bid, and was close to the mark, but not quite good enough," Crabtree said. 

"Coolmore is a wonderful organization and they will give her every chance she deserves. 

"She's quite a beautiful horse. We just love to have lovely horses. The money is incidental, it's good when you get it, but it's the horse you produce which gives you the thrill."

He added: "There were people from America, England, and Australia on her. She's an international mare and our little stud Dorrington is very proud to have bred her and raced her with our partners."

Magnier, who bought the mare for a new partnership, was in little doubt that Mizzy could have laid claim to being a group 1 winner had she had a bit more luck. She was twice group 1-placed and finished fourth in two other races at the highest level.

A mating for Mizzy has also not been confirmed but it would be fair to say Wootton Bassett  will come in for strong consideration.

Her price tag, he says, is reflective of the prosperity of the Australian racing industry.

"It just shows the strength of the market at the moment in Australia. You have to put a zero behind your first valuation at the moment. It's a great indication for Magic Millions that they have one of the best sales going on in the world right now," he said.

"We've got a really exciting stallion roster this year. We're obviously bringing Justify   back and we've got Wootton Bassett coming down this year and he's already fully booked.

"We've bought a lot of big mares over the past couple of years, so we'll be heavily supporting Wootton Bassett."

Buyers Make Most of Shadwell Dispersal

Expectations were high for the Shadwell Stud Australasia dispersal, but 11 million-dollar mares changing hands in not much longer than an hour still had many experienced participants in awe of what had just occurred.

Such was the appetite from buyers to take advantage of the rare event, brought on by the ill-health and then death of Shadwell founder Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, it led to major players joining forces in order to secure their chosen lots.

TAB South Australian Derby (G1) winner Qafila (Lot 815), who was offered in foal to Dundeel , garnered the most attention, with GSA Bloodstock's Jonathan Munz partnering with Coolmore to buy the talented mare for AU$2 million ($1,547,510).

"You've got to pay for these nice mares. It's been strong all day, hasn't it? Everyone seems to be partnering up, so it seems, and we've partnered with Coolmore," Munz's representative, agent Dean Hawthorne, said.

"Qafila was a hell of a racemare who we followed (on the racetrack). She is a good type and (AU$2 million) is the market, really, and I can't really see it stopping.

"She is a good long-term investment."

Munz has a share in Coolmore's dual group 1-winning 2-year-old and first season sire King's Legacy and Hawthorne indicated the two parties are likely to do more business together in the future.

"We've also been trying to buy mares together for King's Legacy and we'll be involved with Coolmore from now on," he said.

"We will sit down with the (Coolmore) boys (about a mating for Qafila) but she will go to one of the Coolmore stallions, I'd imagine. There's all sorts of options on the table for her."

Yarraman Park, where the Shadwell stock had been kept for many years, consigned the draft which grossed AU$25,135,000.

Despite the startling figures, Yarraman Park's Arthur Mitchell was not completely shocked by what occurred in the sales ring.

"It's been the culmination of 25 years of growing a broodmare band and nurturing them and buying the best yearlings," Mitchell said. 

"(Shadwell representative) Angus Gold has done an amazing job and this is the culmination. It is sad to see the end of Shadwell's investment in Australia. Maybe there's a chance they may come back, but it was obviously a phenomenal sale tonight. 

"The mares sold really well, and we are so proud of our staff, they have done an amazing job."

As for the overall race fillies and mares session, Mitchell backed up many opinions shared as the day progressed.

"I've been around the world for many years, and I've seen big markets in America, and this is as strong a sale as you'd see, all the way through," he said. 

"It wasn't just the Shadwell dispersal … and it's not just Australians buying, it's people from across the world and this seems a very buoyant market to play in at the moment.

"Australia is in a good place, racing is in a good place, and breeding is in a good place. It's wonderful to see all these different people investing in these mares."

Magic Millions' Bowditch added: "Shadwell's stock selling was one of the most emotional things you'll see at a horse sale. 

"It was truly special and we're extremely grateful to be given the opportunity to sell these horses and it is a big reflection on Yarraman, Angus Gold and Sheikh Hamdan's investment worldwide. 

"These horses commanded respect and the buyers got behind them and gave them the respect."

Day two, featuring broodmares in foal, starts on the Gold Coast at 10 a.m. local time Wednesday.

"There's a lot of quality mares to come through. We won't be reaching the heights of what we have today, but it's going to continue to be healthy," Bowditch said. 

"The depth of the catalog provides breeders at all levels with opportunities that will be seen over the next two days.

"Buyers will continue to keep their lists long and, even though the market is great, vendors will continue to be realistic."