Spirit Of Boom Dominates Day 1 of Magic Millions QTIS

Tony Gollan stuck solid March 21 with his group 1-winning sprinter Spirit Of Boom  at the Magic Millions March Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast, taking home four horses by Queensland's leading stallion including day one's two highest-priced lots.

In a session in which buyers appeared to have the upper hand over vendors, arguably one of the few times during the Australian sales series this year, the state's leading trainer Gollan demonstrated his market strength at the QTIS sale by paying AU$180,000 (US$133,408) for the brother (Lot 120) to the stable's top moneyspinner Le Palmier and AU$140,000 ($103,762) for the half brother (Lot 35) to his dual stakes-winning sprinter Gundy Son.

He and agent John Foote also paid AU$130,000 ($96,350) for a filly (Lot 179) by Telemon Stud stallion Sidestep  later in the day, one of 12 yearlings to sell for AU$100,000 ($74,115) or more.

The session-topping Spirit Of Boom colt, who is by the same sire as Gollan's Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (G1) winner and the March 25 William Reid Stakes (G1) contender Jonker, was offered by Eureka Stud on behalf of breeder Mark Pascoe.

The colt is the eighth living foal out of Imanoremiss, dam of five winners including Le Palmier, the winner of more than AU$330,000 ($237,628) in prize money. 

"Le Palmier has been a good horse, he's won AU$300-odd thousand, he's a very fast horse and he's what you come to the QTIS sale to buy, a nice sharp, fast QTIS horse, and I thought he was one of the nicer colts here at the sale," Gollan said.

"There weren't all that many colts here and he was one of them and I was particularly happy to get him. We had to dig a bit deeper to secure him, but that's what we had to pay. He looks like all those other fast colts like Le Palmier is out of the family."

Scott McAlpine was particularly pleased for Eureka Stud client Pascoe, who is also a shareholder in resident sire Spirit Of Boom.

"Tony knows the family and knows the results you can get with them and this horse is probably as nice a foal as the mare has had," Eureka's McAlpine said. 

"He's a nice, strong colt, a lovely horse who brought good competition, so everyone must have thought the same thing, and he has gone to a good stable. 

"We're also happy for the breeder (of the yearling) because he's been a shareholder in Spirit Of Boom and he's had to race a couple of Spirit Of Booms himself and now this one has given him the reward."

Kenmore Lodge sold the half brother to Gundy Son to Gollan and the trainer was not deterred by the age of his dam Dantibes' Treasure. The AU$140,000 colt, a half brother to seven winners, is her eleventh foal.

"(Lot 35) reminded me quite a lot of Gundy Son and he was a good horse," Gollan said. 

"She's an older mare, but she's done a good job and she has no worries getting city class horses. He looked like a lovely yearling, that horse, and he is by a stallion I like and know very well in Spirit Of Boom. 

"I was happy to secure him at that price."

Kellie Bond of Kenmore Lodge, the leading vendor by aggregate after Day 1, selling 15 yearlings for a combined AU$875,000 ($648,512) at an average of AU$58,333 ($43,233), was not shocked that Gollan zeroed in on the colt.

Bond and husband Cameron also sold the Sidestep filly to Gollan and a filly (Lot 26) by Capitalist to Gold Coast trainer Helen Page for AU$105,000 ($77,821).

"(Lot 35) was a half brother to a couple of really good horses and it was the mare's best mating so it probably wasn't a result that totally surprised us," Bond said.

"The Capitalist was an OK result too and the Sidestep was a nice filly that delivered for us. There was good competition on the horses that met the mark. 

"We've got a massive draft of horses and so it's a big job, but we have been well supported today by a good diverse bunch of buyers and hopefully that continues."

In contrast to the Australian yearling sales conducted so far this year, the Day 1 year-on-year figures declined with the average falling 16% to AU$39,600 ($29,349) and the median down 14% to AU$30,000 ($22,234), with an aggregate of AU$6,138,000 ($4,549,216) also down 19%. 

The clearance rate, however, increased throughout the day, closing at 82% last night, indicating that vendors were largely prepared to sell their horses even if it was without the "cream" they've become accustomed to in 2022.

Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch remained happy with yesterday's trade, believing the 2021 sale and the 2018 March auction—which occurred at the height of Spirit Of Boom's popularity just as his first crop of 2-year-olds had burst onto the scene—were outliers more than the norm for the QTIS sale.

"We as a company are really pleased with how today went. It was a really solid day's trade, it was a very genuine market, the buyers had plenty of confidence to get involved and bid away, whether they were there to pinpoint on the high-priced ones or they were looking for value, it all went very smoothly from our perspective," Bowditch said.

"All numbers lead to a strong sale with an average of AU$40,000 ($29,646) and a clearance rate of 82% and a gross over AU$6 million ($4,446,936). 

"Last year was such a quantum leap for this sale. You take that year out and the year where we sold (second crop) Spirit Of Booms for huge money, this is far and away the best edition of this sale."

Eureka Stud's McAlpine, whose Darling Downs operation was third leading vendor by aggregate on day one having sold 12 yearlings for AU$621,000 ($460,258), felt more yearlings than normal by Queensland's leading sires Spirit Of Boom and Better Than Ready had been offered at the Magic Millions sale in January which "stole a bit of thunder from this sale".

"I haven't seen the full result as they've just finished but I didn't think we were quite as busy (as last year) and everyone would say the same thing," McAlpine said. 

"The buyers who have come have been here (before), but we haven't had any real extras, I don't think. 

"The top horses are probably selling quite well but the middle horses are probably just making their money, there are no 'overs' for them, which is a bit disappointing I suppose given the way the sales have been across Australia the past three months. 

"You thought this sale would still hold up and have a little bit extra but I am not sure if we have got it, put it that way."

Gollan bought four yearlings in conjunction with his long-time agent Foote on Day 1, while he also took home an AU$65,000 ($48,175) Spirit Of Boom filly (Lot 209) from Lyndhurst Stud Farm in partnership with Flying Start Syndications and Pinhook Bloodstock and another filly (Lot 121) by the same sire for AU$60,000 ($44,469) with Dream Thoroughbreds.

Having trained 95 winners Australia-wide so far this season, Gollan said the March sale was an opportunity for stables from right across Queensland to buy horses who are eligible for the lucrative QTIS scheme and the big prize-money Jewel day, which was run at the Gold Coast March 19.

"I think there's something here for everyone and the prices probably reflect a bit of that. If there's been a really nice one to come in, people have been prepared to stump up for them, but there have also been some bargain horses who have stepped through the cracks," Gollan said. 

"You only have to look at the QTIS day on Saturday, it's not always the high-priced ones that are there winning the big money races. 

"The breeders do a good job with their QTIS horses to suit guys up in North Queensland and us in the South East. There's going to be a horse for us all if we want one."

Magic Millions' Bowditch expects the Queensland buyers to again be the major players on Day 2, which starts at 10 a.m. (local time) March 22. 

"We are enticing interstate and international buyers to participate, and plenty of them are here trying to work, but when you look at the prize-money Queenslanders can run for buying out of this sale, well, it is a no-brainer for them and they definitely had the upper hand in the market," he said. 

"There are certainly a lot of nice, well-conformed horses here (today) which are worth inspecting, particularly at the value that's being found. I think more of the same tomorrow will be a pleasing result for all."