Listons Enjoy $1.4M Milestone Moment With Zenaida

Toby Liston has sold million-dollar horses before, but the May 24 session-topping AU$1.4 million (US$927,814, AU$1=US$0.6627) achievement for his family's Three Bridges Thoroughbreds operation represented a new milestone.

The Victoria-based stud sold Zenaida—the dam of Surround Stakes (G1) winner Sunshine In Paris, who made AU$3.9 million on Day 1 of the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale—for the seven-figure sum to Yulong early on Day 2.

The tenth million-dollar mare sold—nine were sold Tuesday, headed by three-time group 1 winner Forbidden Love at AU$4.1 million—continued Zhang Yuesheng's spending spree and his unquenching appetite for breeding stock for his Yulong operation.

Two further million-dollar mares were also sold at the Gold Coast Wednesday as the market leveled out following a bumper opening race fillies and mares catalog on Tuesday. 

"It's very exciting and it's a big deal for our family and our farm. We haven't sold a horse (of our own) for AU$1 million before, so it's great," Liston said.

"We've done it for other people, it's easy to sell somebody else's horse, but it's hard to sell your own.

"We have to trade, we have to sell these horses, so it's great that a good Victorian (farm) bought her and we can't wait to see her foal."

Liston added: "It's a lot of money, I was hoping for AU$1 million. It was just great to get a fantastic result."

Sunshine In Paris's dam Zenaida (Lot 751) was bought by agent Paul Willetts on behalf of Three Bridges Thoroughbreds for AU$240,000 two years ago at the Gold Coast sale when in foal to Aquis Farm's first season sire Dubious and the emergence of the Annabel Neasham-trained filly provided a trading opportunity impossible to ignore.

An unraced half sister to the group 2-winning Sydney Cup (G1) runner-up Hear That Bell, Zenaida has also produced group 3 winner Macroura and the winning Noble Exception.

She is in foal to Arrowfield's Japanese shuttler Maurice .

Liston credited the relationship with Kiwi agent Willetts, which was established in 2015, as a turning point for the Three Bridges Thoroughbreds business.

"We are good at raising horses and we thought we were good at buying them and we reflected on ourselves and said we had to get better," Liston revealed.

"Ever since he has helped us out, we bought (South Australian Derby, G1, winner) Leicester as a weaner for AU$10,000 and he's been wonderful with our broodmare selections, he's a great friend and Zenaida is testament to that.

"The first year (we called on Willetts' advice) we bought a mare for AU$140,000 with a foal at foot and we sold it for AU$750,000 and that changed our trajectory." 

Yulong's chief operating officer Sam Fairgray confirmed Zhang "was there" on Sunshine In Paris, but stopped short of the AU$3.9 million price eventually paid by agent James Harron, and what underbidder Coolmore were prepared to pay.

However, Fairgray was happy that Yulong now owned the rising 4-year-old's mother, who will visit CF Orr Stakes (G1) winner Alabama Express this coming season.

"She's a mare that, going forward, the pedigree is going to improve and improve," Fairgray said.

"She's got the two stakes-winning daughters already and it's likely we'll keep the fillies out of her and keep building the family."

Zenaida's Dubious colt, whose sire has relocated to Kitchwin Hills in the Hunter Valley for the upcoming breeding season, will be offered as Lot 1423 through the Lime Country Thoroughbreds draft at next week's National Yearling Sale.

He was purchased as a weanling through last year's Great Southern Sale by agent James Bester for AU$145,000 from Three Bridges Thoroughbreds, the farm also consigning Zenaida through their own draft on the Gold Coast. 

Late in the session, Zhang won an extended bidding duel for Great Vibes, a European-bred-and-raced juvenile winner who was sold in foal to Juddmonte's champion sire Frankel .

Zenaida's daughter Macroura, who is in foal to the pensioned Deep Field, will be offered as Lot 991 through the Vinery Stud draft at about 11 a.m. Thursday.

Yulong had to go to AU$1.375 million to buy 5-year-old mare Great Vibes, a daughter of stakes winner and top producer Whazzat . She spent almost eight minutes in the ring as the bidding stopped to a crawl, going up in AU$25,000 increments.

The sale of Great Vibes was not only a solid result for vendor Arrowfield Stud, but also the telecommunications companies.

Zhang had left the Magic Millions complex and was bidding online, while his undisclosed ringside adversary was bidding through Barry Bowditch over the phone.

As the bidding progressed, Fairgray left his chair on one side of the Gold Coast ring to station himself next to Bowditch, who was sitting in the stand, in an attempt to ascertain who Zhang was bidding against.

With his phone to his ear, Fairgray was relaying back to his offsite colleagues about what was occurring as he and Bowditch looked at each other, before the latter hung up and walked off, and the green screen signaled the mare was Yulong's.

Aside from the rather amusing auction antics, Fairgray said Zhang was consumed by the industry and that he would be delighted Great Vibes would join the Victorian stud's broodmare band.

"He loves being here and going and looking at the horses and so forth," Fairgray said of his boss's massive investment.

"He's got a good eye for a really nice type, he loves learning about the pedigrees and what's worked and why people are buying them. He'll ask why a horse made so much or why did that person buy it.

"His knowledge of the industry is amazing, worldwide that is. He follows it very closely and he knows what's going on all around the world."

Great Vibes is a half sister to European group 2 winner and now Rathberry Stud-based sire James Garfield , who was also group 1-placed in France, as well as the stakes-placed The Shrew  and Morag McCullagh .

At the close of trade on the second day of the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, the auction house reported that 329 mares had sold at a clearance rate of 76%, slightly down on the figure recorded 12 months ago when 357 mares exchanged hands at a clearance rate of 85%. 

At AU$76,772,500 ($50,878,978), the aggregate spend is down 2.2% on the corresponding stage of the 2022 edition. However, the average lifted by almost 6% to AU$233,351 ($154,647), having finished Day 2 12 months ago at AU$219,696. The median dipped slightly, sitting at AU$110,000 ($72,899) at the conclusion of the action Wednesday. 

Magic Millions' Barry Bowditch was happy with how Wednesday's trade played out, but he also believes the in-foal market saw buyers treading warily given the uncertainty ahead of next year's, and the year after's, yearling sales.

"I think there's still a huge thirst for quality lots. Horses at the middle-to-top end, in a large number of cases, were participated on with gusto," Bowditch said. 

"There were many pleasing results today. In saying that, I think we've got a very motivated group of vendors out there who are looking to be very realistic. 

"There's plenty of value to be found in the passed in lots, and in what we'll be offering (Thursday)."

The third and final session of the National Broodmare Sale starts at 10 a.m. local time.