Gollan Far From Dubious After Nabbing Top Colt

Queensland's premier trainer Tony Gollan has backed up his opinion of freshman sire Dubious by taking home the highest-priced yearling sold at the 2023 QTIS auction March 21.

Agent John Foote and Gollan, the Magic Millions March Sale's leading buyer, paid a sale-topping AU$170,000 (US$113,945, AU$1=US$0.6702) for the colt (Lot 295) offered by Waylon J. Stud. Gollan likened the yearling to an AU$500,000 standout by Aquis Farm stallion Dubious, which was sold at the Gold Coast at the start of the sales season.

The son of Dubious, himself a tough, stakes-winning 2-year-old who was trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, was one of 14 six-figure lots sold at the sale reserved for Queensland-bred yearlings.

This year's QTIS auction turned over AU$10 million ($6,702,670), with 279 horses traded over the two days at an average of AU$36,053 ($24,165) and a median of $26,000 ($17,426).

"We thought he was the nicest colt here at the sale," Gollan said. 

"He's a really good type of horse with a lot of quality. He reminded John and myself of the good Dubious that sold so well here in January.

"He was a real standout in the sale on type—we didn't know how much we'd have to pay to get him, but we're glad we were able to secure him." 

The Dubious yearling to which Gollan refers was sold by Noralla Stud for AU$500,000 to Aquis Farm's Justin Fung and trainer Annabel Neasham at the Magic Millions sale nine weeks ago.

The March sale topper is an Oct. 2-born colt and is the second foal out of the unraced Care To Elaborate, herself a half sister to juvenile winner and Silver Slipper Stakes (G2) runner-up Voilier.

Tony Fung Investments was believed to be the underbidder.

Waylon J Stud's Brian Smith has been a supporter of Dubious since the ATC Breeders' Plate (G3) and BRC Champagne Classic (G2) winner retired to stud in 2020, and he was delighted that the colt will be trained in Brisbane.

"(Elaborate) is a fairly young mare—she's only had one foal—so going to Tony Gollan is a bonus," Smith told ANZ Bloodstock News Tuesday.

"A lot of the Dubious' aren't overly big and as a foal, he probably wasn't overly big, but he was always a nice, strong, correct colt, and March was better for him than January and he came together at the right time.

"I looked at quite a few of the Dubious' in this sale and I thought he was, in my eyes, the best of them anyway."

Waylon J Stud sold nine of the 10 yearlings it consigned for a total of AU$305,000.

"I think it was a bit tough in the middle to lower end. We had some quite nice horses who probably in other years might have made AU$20,000 to AU$30,000 and they were making AU$10,000 to AU$15,000.

"The top end was probably strong enough if you had the horses that they wanted."

Gollan signed for 11 yearlings across the two days, eight of them with his longtime agent Foote, two in conjunction with Australian Bloodstock, and another with Dream Thoroughbreds.

Agents Paul Moroney and Catheryne Bruggeman were also active, purchasing seven yearlings for Toowoomba trainers Tony and Maddy Sears and two with Rockhampton-based Clinton Taylor.

The couple also purchased two more yearlings at the Gold Coast this week.

Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch admitted the sale was at times difficult for vendors, but he was pleased with the way it picked up into the second session.

"The sale, in general, today started a bit slowly in the morning, but once we got into it, it was buoyant and the good horses sold particularly well today," Bowditch said. 

"The horses (deemed to be) well above sale average were highly sought after and, as the day went on, the clearance rate increased (to 80%) and the average held up from Monday, if not increased, so, all in all, it was a good day's trade.

"Overall, we're very happy with the two-day sale."