Magic Millions Weanling Sale Sets Records

A Fastnet Rock half brother to Australian champion Whobegotyou brought the overall highest price at the record-breaking Magic Millions National weanling sale May 29-30.

Leading Sydney-based bloodstock agent James Harron secured Murrulla Stud's colt out of the Carnegie mare Temple of Peace on day one for $400,000 (US$287,461).

Japanese-bred and French stakes-performed Temple of Peace is the dam of four winners, headlined by $2.69 million earner Whobegotyou, champion 3-year-old male of 2009.

"He's extremely well bred," Harron said of the sale topper. "He's obviously by a champion sire in Fastnet Rock.

"It was great that we got the opportunity to buy him and he being offered here. He's a horse that could have made a lot more money as a yearling and I'm delighted to get him."

The two-day weanling sale set records in all key market indicators.

"It's the highest grossing sale ever conducted in the Southern Hemisphere and that's a big number," Magic Millions managing director Vin Cox said.

Overall total receipts for 284 horses sold rounded out at more than Aus$17 million ($12,216,799), up more than Aus$2.2 million on last year's record-breaking auction. The clearance rate of 86% was up from 79 % in 2015 and the average price of came in at a record Aus$60,138 ($43,216).

"It's very much a viable option for our breeders to consider and sell their horses 12 months earlier, and at the end of the day you could argue they are getting yearling prices."

Coolmore sire Fastnet Rock was the sale's leading sire by gross at Aus$1,490,000 ($1,070,731) and average Aus$248,333 ($178,456) for six sold.

Among U.S. shuttlers, Central Kentucky-based The Factor   was represented by one of the top sellers on day one when a colt out of the winning Statue of Liberty mare Manhattan Angel sold to agent James Bester for Aus$220,000 ($158,098). The gray youngster, from his sire's first Australian crop, was consigned by Newgate Farm, to which the son of War Front shuttles from Lane's End near Versailles, Ky.

Overall, 11 weanling by The Factor were sold, including a filly out of stakes winner Come Fly With Me for Aus$150,000 ($107,792) from Glenvale Stud.

The Factor is due back in Australia for the 2016 Southern Hemisphere season and will stand at Newgate in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales for an Aus$16,500 fee.

A colt by leading sire Exceed And Excel topped day two trading when knocked down to the bid of Damion Flower—purchasing the youngster in conjunction with Amarina Farm—for $350,000 ($251,514).

Offered by Rothwell Park, he is the first foal of the unraced Artie Schiller mare Doctrine, a half sister to group II-winning sprinter and $1.5 million-earner Rain Affair.