Seven-Figure Yearling a First for Zoustar

The popularity of Tweenhills Stud shuttler Zoustar in Australia was in evidence once again during the second session of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Jan. 10 as one of his yearlings broke the seven-figure barrier for the first time.

YuLong Investments and Rifa Mustang went to AU$1.075 million (US$770,775)—the highest price paid for a yearling by Australia's reigning champion first-season sire—to secure the KBL Thoroughbreds-consigned colt, who will head into training with Chris Waller.

"We've been looking to find a really nice colt, and we found this Zoustar," said YuLong general manager Sam Fairgray. "From day one when we inspected him, he looked a fast, precocious horse who moved well. He has a great temperament, and we're really excited to be able to add him to the YuLong team. To be able to take him through and, hopefully, win a group 1 2-year-old race with him and then stand him at our property would be fantastic."

The choice of Waller as trainer is no surprise. Not only did Waller, the trainer of wonder mare and Magic Millions graduate Winx, handle the racing career of Zoustar himself, he is also responsible for the stallion's best-performed colts to date in Zousain and Lean Mean Machine.

He also recently took over the training of group 3-placed The August, an I Am Invincible half brother to Thursday's Zoustar acquisition.

"Most breeders dream of a result like this," KBL Thoroughbreds' Andrew Bowcock said. "It all comes down to having the right article that ticks all the boxes. You need all the ducks to line up, and today they did. I knew he was a good horse, we just needed people to receive him well."

He added: "The mare is now in foal to Sebring. Hopefully, we'll get another colt to sell. She might go back to Zoustar again this year."

Yearlings by Redoute's Choice continued to prove hot property during Thursday's session. The Arrowfield Stud flagbearer provided the top lot of the day, 24 hours after doing the same during the opening session.

James Harron, who bought only one yearling Wednesday for his high-powered syndicate, kept his powder dry until going hard for a Segenhoe Stud Australia-consigned colt with a winning AU$1.4 million ($1,003,800) bid.

Harron has already had success with the now Arrowfield Stud-based Pariah, also by Redoute's Choice, and was determined to buy the session-topper, the second foal out of the stakes-placed Breakfast In Bed.

"I saw him at the farm about a month ago, and he hasn't turned a hair. He's a really progressive horse who came to the sale and prepped beautifully. He's a fantastic physical and has a wonderful family to back it up," Harron said. "I think everyone is targeting the medium-sized 'Redoute's' now as they are the ones that seem to be going forward. Not A Single Doubt is in the pedigree, and they're very similar in physique, and Snitzel is also that medium-sized 'Redoute's.'"

Reflecting on the colt's preparation, Segenhoe Stud's Peter O'Brien said: "From the day he was born, he was an absolute standout. It sounds like rhetoric, but it's really important that when you sell a good horse it goes to a good home, and there's no better home than with James Harron with the way they manage colts."

Another son of Redoute's Choice reached seven figures earlier in Thursday's session as James Moore won out in a protracted bidding duel that ended at AU$1.075 million ($770,775). The Newhaven Park-consigned colt is the second foal out of the three-time winner and stakes-performed mare Aware, herself a daughter of the group 2 winner Media.

"He's a lovely horse and has been since the day he was born, and we couldn't be more pleased," Newhaven Park's John Kelly said. "You don't expect horses to make AU$1 million, you just don't. We always knew he was a lovely colt, and we thought that if he came to the sale and performed well—that everyone liked his X-rays, that everyone liked his scope—then we'd be all right and that he'd sell well."

Thursday's action saw the aggregate crash through the AU$100 million ($74,161,335) mark with two Book 1 sessions remaining.

The average compared with the same point of last year's sale is up 10% to AU$251,578 ($180,003), while the median is holding steady at AU$180,000 ($128,520).

"The most pleasing thing is the amount of bidders on these horses," said Magic Millions' managing director, Barry Bowditch. "They're not going in with two bidders on them, they're having four or five bidders to a high level, especially when you get north of AU$300,000 right through to AU$1 million.

"There's a lot of people trying to participate, and I'd like to think there is still a fair bit of money left in the market."

Bowditch also reflected on the sales ring deeds of Redoute's Choice, which he believes is on the back of the success of star colt The Autumn Sun.

"Redoute's Choice has come right back to the fore this year. We had some blue-chip colts by him who have sold very, very well," he said. "I Am Invincible, Zoustar, and Written Tycoon are also having great sales. These are the horses that are hitting the board at the racetrack, and the market is respecting that in the sales ring."