Curtain Comes Down on Record Magic Millions Perth Sale

Coolmore's Merchant Navy  claimed the highest price from Book 2 in another strong session at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale Feb. 23, with an Amelia Park-bred colt by the stallion selling for AU$160,000 (US$115,357).

As the sale closed with its overall two-day gross up by a resounding 35% on last year, prominent West Australian breeder and owner Wally Daly snared the powerfully-built youngster—the only lot on offer at the sale by the first-season sire—on a day in which strong demand and high prices continued.

At the close of the session, the average price of AU$44,489 ($32,075) was up on last year's completed Book 2 figure of AU$40,922, with the median rising AU$1,000 to AU$36,000 ($25,955).

A total of 128 lots sold for an aggregate of AU$5,694,500 ($4,105,610), up from AU$5,033,500 through 123 lots last year, although the end-of-day clearance rate dipped to 88% from 95% in 2021.

Across both days, 271 lots were sold for an average of AU$68,871 ($49,654), median of AU$55,000 ($39,653), and a gross of AU$18,664,000 ($13,456,300), up from last year's 250 lots sold at AU$55,338, a median of AU$40,000, and an aggregate of AU$13,834,500.

On a day dominated by colts, with only two fillies reaching AU$100,000 ($72,097), the second top lot went to Western Australia-based stallion Gingerbread Man, with trainers Chris and Michael Gangemi paying AU$140,000 ($100,937) for a Yarradale Stud son of War Chant mare Habenera, consigned as Lot 301.

While Wednesday's top lot failed to match the AU$180,000 paid last year for a colt by Rommel, 10 lots fetched six figures, up from eight in 2021.

Higher lots Wednesday included an AU$110,000 ($79,307) Playing God  colt bought in novel fashion by local trainer Trevor Andrews, who was in the auditorium but bidding online via his laptop in a shrewd and thoroughly modern play to keep his cards close to his chest.

Playing God, the overall sale topper with his AU$330,000 ($237,923) colt from Book 1, was the highest-grossing stallion of Book 2, with 11 lots yielding AU$738,500 ($532,443) at an AU$67,136 ($48,403) average, while Awesome Rock had six lots sold for AU$375,000 ($270,367) at an AU$62,500 ($45,061) average.

Alwyn Park Stud finished the day as the leading vendor having sold 16 lots for an aggregate of AU$878,500 ($633,380), while recording an average of AU$54,906 ($39,586), marginally below Yarradale's leading average (with three or more lots sold) of AU$55,250 ($39,834) for 12 yearlings sold for total receipts of AU$663,000 ($478,009). 

Commercial Bloodstock Services was the biggest buyer, having spent AU$322,000 ($232,155) on seven lots, ahead of trainers Dan and Ben Pearce who parted with AU$316,500 ($228,190) on six yearlings.

Magic Millions Perth manager David Houston described the sale—following on from booming results in the east of the country on Monday —as "a sensational two days" that flew in the face of COVID-19 related travel issues, which made for a heavily local buying bench.

"In spite of everything we've had a wonderful result in the end. All the figures are going to be up, and I'm sure all the vendors and buyers will be happy," Houston told ANZ Bloodstock News.

"It's justification for the quality of the stock that are going through, and the effort that buyers are putting in to find horses, and the way racing's going in WA. So I think it augurs well for the future.

"Racing has become more popular. I think we've ironed out a lot of the issues people might have had, and certainly, the prize money is good here. If we could get a few more of those million-dollar races like they've got over on the eastern coast, who knows what might happen here but certainly racing is an event now that people want to be involved in.

"We had a very local buying bench. I actually bid on a couple of horses for interstate buyers, but like yesterday, the locals were too strong, and it's good to see these good horses staying here in WA. It's going to improve our product and that's going to bring more people to the races."

Cataloged as Lot 274, the Merchant Navy session topper was the second foal of Irish-bred mare listed-placed mare Bumbasina , whose first foal, Amelia's Jewel, is an early fancy for Perth's 2-year-old highlight, the Karrakatta Plate (G2), in April, having won a barrier trial.

Bumbasina herself is a half sister to Irish group 2 winner Epona Plays  and Dolce Strega , who won at group 3 level in Ireland. 

"Merchant Navy is Fastnet Rock  blood, which is some of the best blood in Australia," Daly told ANZ Bloodstock News. "And the Canford Cliffs  haven't done so much as a group but there's one or two outstanding Canford Cliffs, so that cross is quite good too.

"The colt wasn't on my list before I came to the sale, but now and again you get a rush of blood—and that was a rush of blood."

Amelia Park's Sarah Brown said the colt, to be trained by Sean and Jack Casey, had been a late bloomer and hence wasn't selected for Book 1.

"To be fair he shouldn't have been on day two. He was probably a day one horse. He was a little slow to develop early but hit his straps at the right time," she said.

Meanwhile, Nathan Jaskola, who snared the AU$140,000 Gingerbread Man yearling on behalf of the Gangemi team, said the yearling was the team's pick of the colts across both days of the sale. 

"They've had a few by Gingerbread Man, three to race for three winners for Gangemi Racing, so they obviously go pretty good for them," Jaskola said.

Andrews pulled a nimble move by using his laptop to buy Lot 275, by Playing God out of winning Oratorio  mare Castle Keep. Andrews trains the colt's as-yet unraced 2-year-old half sister by I'm All The Talk and was keen to reinvest in the family. 

"Trevor has the half sister and he really liked this bloke, but there were other trainers in there (who) knew that he liked it, so he thought he'd disguise how he was bidding. It was sneaky but very smart," said vendor Mogumber Park's Colin Brown with a smile.

Andrews revealed he had taken a crash course in online bidding just before his maneuver, asking a Magic Millions staff member to "show me how to use the online bidding."

"We had a few dummy runs on some previous lots, but that's the first horse we bought. It's nice to fly under the radar and buy online like that," Andrews said.

WA-based first season sire Bondi, who was group 1-placed in Sydney, achieved a strong result when the Misty Valley Thoroughbreds-bred Lot 311—out of the 2010 New Zealand Bloodstock Breeders Stakes (G1) winner Juice —fell to Neville Parnham for AU$110,000.

The top-priced Book 2 filly was the Alwyn Park-consigned daughter of Maschino youngster out of the top producing Tale of the Cat mare Amazingtale and she was purchased by Todd Harvey for AU$110,000.