BY MARK SCULLY UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND FOR FIRST SEASON SIRES AT GOLD COAST Lot 613 Sepoy - Sister Madly colt who topped the sale selling for $1,200,000 MAGIC MILLIONS Prior to the 2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, the sales company s managing director, Vin Cox, said he believed this year s catalogue was the strongest ever offered at the Gold Coast and ultimately, it did not disappoint, writes Mark Scully. This will be a sale remembered for the extraordinary demand for the first season stallions and in particular those by the 2011 Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Sepoy (Elusive Quality), one of whose offerings topped the sale overall. The $1,200,000 spent on a Segenhoe Stud-consigned, chestnut son of Sepoy, out of the Group Two-winning and Group One-placed mare Sister Madly (Redoute s Choice) was not only a sale topper but represented a record price for a yearling by a first season sire offering at auction in Australia. It shattered the record set on the opening day of the sale, when the China Horse Club paid $850,000 to secure one of his daughters, out of the dual Listed winner Celebrity Girl (Starcraft). Overall, 26 of the 29 yearlings offered by Sepoy sold for a total of $7,445,000 at an average of $286,346. Segenhoe Stud s Peter O Brien told ANZ Bloodstock News he believed the success of Sepoy was as much down to the quality of mares he was serving as well as his own ability to produce high-class offspring. It was obviously a huge sale for all vendors and credit must go to Magic Millions for attracting such a strong buying bench, he said. I think the foresight by Kevin and family to purchase quality breeding stock is now starting to pay dividends with Sister Madly being an ideal example. Our farm has a strong history of raising athletes and it is no surprise to me when you consider the quality of soil, topography and access to the pristine water from the Hunter river. All three of Sepoy, So You Think and Smart Missile obviously @ANZ_NEWS 7 ANZBLOODSTOCKNEWS.COM
throw types and the fact is it is an extraordinary year to have three such horses competing against each other with their first crops. O Brien was keen, however, not to write of the proven track record of stallions such as champions Fastnet Rock (Danehill) and Redoute s Choice (Danehill) and expects both they and their ilk to have a major impact during the rest of the sale season. He said: It must be remembered that the proven stallions like Fastnet Rock will have their best offspring at Easter, so I can see the proven brigade coming back with a vengeance at Inglis. B Wayne Hughes and Peter O Brien AUSHORSE Reflecting on the popularity of the first season sires, Cox told ANZ Bloodstock News: The first season sires had so much to recommend them and buyers wanted to back their judgment and hope to find the second coming of their champion sire. I certainly don t recall when there was such a great collection of young horses by first season sires and such demand for them. The most interesting thing from my perspective was the buyers and the underbidders on many of these top lots were international money and what that is telling us is that our product is widely recognised by the international market. Darley s Alastair Pulford echoed O Brien s sentiments regarding breeders supporting Sepoy with quality mares. I believe there were a combination of factors that contributed to the extraordinary success of Sepoy s progeny at the Magic Millions, he told ANZ Bloodstock News. Firstly buyers remembered what an outstanding horse he was. Secondly, because he was so good, he was supported by a great group of breeders with superior mares when he went to stud. The likes of Sister Madly, Florentina and Celebrity Gal, for example, are fantastic mares for a first season stallion; young, well performed, well bred. Mares like those can contribute significantly to any stallion s success. Thirdly, and maybe most importantly, Sepoy delivered by throwing fantastic individuals from these mares. Most of his progeny are in his mould; strong, precocious, athletic and they seemed to cope very well temperament wise at the sales. Finally, he was competing amongst a group of highlycredentialed first season sires that drew more attention than normal, simply because they were such a good group. The exciting thing about this sport is that people are always looking for the next big thing. It is after all a game of picking winners. Picking winners was certainly what US-based bloodstock agent John Moynihan was hoping to do when he headed to the Gold Coast and, speaking to ANZ Bloodstock News, he praised the work not only of Cox and his team at Magic Millions but of Aushorse and its former CEO, Chauncey Morris. Vin and Chauncey Morris, before he left his position, tried to get me to go to this sale for four or five years but it always clashed with something in the United States that meant I couldn t go but now I d say I ll be a regular visitor, he said. The atmosphere and production Vin and his team put on, from the quality catalogue to the hospitality and entertainment is just second to none. It was a great experience, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip. The raceday was amazing and so were the sale facilities, I just cannot speak highly enough. Hats off to Kate and Gerry Harvey and Vin for coming up with it all and initiatives like the $10,000,000 raceday next year, it is extraordinary. The carrot of next year s lucrative raceday was a major factor in Moynihan s decision to spend at the Gold Coast, as was the market for top stallions in Australia. Really, I wish I had bought more, Moynihan said. Things like the prize money next year provide a platform new people to come in try to make their money back. It is an environment that every other place that races horses should be trying to follow. When you are making an investment, you are looking at how you can get your money back and the economic model in Australia provides those opportunities. Not only is the money available to race these horses but there is the residual value too. The fees some of these stallions can now command is extraordinary and their horses sell for a lot of money. You really have to go back to horses like Curlin to see that sort of thing happening here in America. From the purse structure of the racing to the residual value of the stallion prospects, Australia is just a great environment to race horses. When you combine that with the hospitality at the race tracks and the sales facilities, where they just want to make sure you have a fantastic time in Australia, it is absolutely second to none. John Moynihan KATRINA PARTRIDGE @ANZ_NEWS 8 ANZBLOODSTOCKNEWS.COM
Moynihan was another to invest in a Sepoy yearling, Lot 435 a colt out of Midnight Fantasy (Commands) who he purchased with James Harron Bloodstock for $340,000, and he is certain Darley s sire is destined to achieve great things during his stud career. I thought, as a whole, Sepoy got an amazing group of horses. He was a great racehorse who achieved wonderful things on the track and he is a real Australian type of stallion, a great sprinter. When a horse as good as he was starts producing yearlings that look as good as this, I think the writing is on the wall that he is going to go on and be a very successful stallion. purchasers spent $2,460,000, with buyers from Hong Kong spending $5,882,500. In terms of Book One, US buyers were second only to Hong Kong in the international buyers list, he said. That definitely reflects well on the work Aushorse has been doing to attract these buyers and it s also a good reflection on the state of Australian racing, that these people want to invest and race horses here. These people are all looking for that next great Group One horse and are buying to race here because they have had a good time here and can see the prize money and stallion values make this a good place to invest. Speaking to B Wayne Hughes, I know he is seeking opportunities to develop his own stallions and stand them here. The strength of the first season sire market this year just shows how strong the Australian market values these great horses when they go to stud. Lot 425 Sepoy - Midnight Fantasy colt MAGIC MILLIONS Peter O Brien told ANZ Bloodstock News he was not surprised to see Americans playing a major role at the sale and believes the global track record of Australia s best horses is a big factor in attracting such buyers. The emergence of a strong buying bench from America is no surprise to me, he said. Spendthrift, for example, recognise the strength of the Australian market and more importantly recognise that Australian horses can compete globally, not only in sprinting but also in middle distance and above, highlighted by the success of So You Think and others. You only have to look at the dominance and durability of Australian horses in Hong Kong to exemplify the merits of Australianbred thoroughbreds. Cox was also delighted to see Americans continuing to spend big at the Gold Coast. He said: US investors are game by nature and they are turned on by the Australian model. The participants here are a generation younger than in the Northern Hemisphere, it is colourful, it s fun and the prize money is excellent. I don t think, when we re looking at this growing US involvement, we cannot overlook the work Chauncey Morris did. There is no doubt in my mind we are now seeing the rewards of the work he did at Aushorse. Chauncey Morris successor at Aushorse, Tom Reilly, told ANZ Bloodstock News the hunger for the Australian product among America s leading buyers is a testament to the work undertaken by his organisation over a number of years. This year US-based Vin Cox MAGIC MILLIONS Reilly was also pleased to see domestic buyers, and syndicators in particular, continuing to invest and believes internationals are attracted also attracted to Australia because of the relationship between locals and the sport. When you speak to people who visit from the UK, the USA, France, they all look at the amount of coverage racing gets in the media and the levels of ownership and can see that people in Australia have a real interest in racing. It is part of the fabric of the culture here in a way it is not elsewhere. If you have a horse that can run here, the chances are it will pay for its training fees, the racing pays for itself. The Aushorse CEO was also another to heap praise on Cox and his team. He said: I think it was a very strong sale and I think a lot of credit for that has to go to Magic Millions. Every vendor and buyer that I spoke to said this was the strongest book of horses they had seen on the Gold Coast. @ANZ_NEWS 9 ANZBLOODSTOCKNEWS.COM
It is one thing to get the horses there but they get the buyers there too and create an atmosphere where people really enjoy themselves. That in itself will always bring more buyers in too because it makes people want to go to the Gold Coast. It always seems to be a more relaxed atmosphere than some of the other sales, certainly in the UK and USA. The vendors deserve praise too because they took good horses to the sale and rewarded with the strength of the buyers bench, who could recognise that quality. the yearlings above $400,000, which shows quite clearly that if you bring a good horse to this sale, you have a great chance of making the best money. With almost five per cent more horses offered this year compared to 2014, the aggregate increased 22 per cent, the average was up 19 per cent and the median increased eight per cent. At all levels of the market gains were seen, with the greatest gain posted in the top ten percent of the market. This was up 31.2% to $497,182 compared to $378,889 a year ago. The leading purchaser was again Gai Waterhouse Racing who bought 23 lots for a total spend of $4,945,000. Last year Gai Waterhouse and James Harron Bloodstock spent $8,160,000 on 39 yearlings and this year James Harron Bloodstock with Snowden Racing were the second leading purchasers by aggregate, buying 17 lots for a total spend of $4,495,000. The leading purchaser by average (with three or more purchased) was China Horse Club who bought three yearlings for $2,030,000 at an average of $676,667, headed by Lot 566 a filly by Fastnet Rock (Danehill) out of Response (Charge Forward) who was purchased for $1,050,000. US-based Jon Kelly with Gai Waterhouse AUSHORSE Responding to the praise offered up by a great many visitors to the sale and raceday, Cox said: The main thing we try to achieve, unashamedly, is we want people to have a fantastic time here and enjoy everything the Gold Coast has to offer. It is stunning here at this time of year and whether it s the barrier draw or cocktail parties on the beach, or the raceday itself, which is spectacular, people seem to be blown away by it. I was speaking to our photographers a few days ago and they were saying, having taken about 6,000 pictures, there is hardly one where people aren t smiling and laughing and looking like they are having a wonderful time. This is the strongest moving of any yearling sale in the world. It was up 20 per cent and that s staggering. I think the big move was for Lot 566 Fastnet Rock - Response filly MM Coolmore Stud, who filled the position of second to Baramul Stud last year, were the leading vendor by aggregate this year with 42 of the 44 lots they offered sold for $7,682,500 at an average of $182,917. Berkeley Park Stud were the leading vendor this year by average (with three or more sold), averaging $338,333 for their three yearlings sold from the four they offered. OVERALL FIGURES Overall Figures 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 Catalogued - $ 692 663 660 645 674 690 Offered - $ 629 602 600 583 618 631 Sold - $ 554 (88%) 537 (89%) 497 (83%) 492 (84%) 515 (83%) 515 (82%) Aggregate - $ 92,875,500 75,952,000 67,667,500 62,570,000 63,669,000 66,640,500 Average - $ 167,645 141,437 136,172 127,175 123,629 126,399 Median - $ 130,000 120,000 105,000 100,000 90,000 95,000 Top Price - $ 1,200,000 1,000,000 1,350,000 960,000 1,150,000 925,000 @ANZ_NEWS 10 ANZBLOODSTOCKNEWS.COM
VENDORS Leading Vendors by Aggregate Vendor Lot Sold Passed In Withdrawn Aggregate -$ Top Price -$ Average - $ Coolmore Stud 47 42 2 3 7,682,500 600,000 182,917 Arrowfield Stud 24 23 0 1 5,372,500 720,000 233,587 Baramul Stud 48 33 9 6 5,265,000 460,000 159,545 Newgate Farm 32 27 1 4 5,220,000 1,050,000 193,333 Newhaven Park 28 22 4 2 4,325,000 720,000 196,591 Widden Stud 36 27 2 7 3,752,500 400,000 138,981 Segenhoe Stud Australia 17 13 3 1 3,525,000 1,200,000 271,154 Vinery Stud 28 24 1 3 3,515,000 420,000 146,458 Yarraman Park Stud 21 20 0 1 3,055,000 310,000 152,750 Mill Park 9 8 0 1 2,355,000 850,000 294,375 Leading Vendors by Average (3 or more sold) Vendor Lot Sold Passed In Withdrawn Aggregate -$ Top Price -$ Average - $ Berkeley Park Stud 5 3 1 1 1,015,000 775,000 338,333 Mill Park 9 8 0 1 2,355,000 850,000 294,375 Segenhoe Stud Australia 17 13 3 1 3,525,000 1,200,000 271,154 Kia-Ora Stud 7 5 1 1 1,350,000 430,000 270,000 Cressfield 7 5 2 0 1,260,000 500,000 252,000 Arrowfield Stud 24 23 0 1 5,372,500 720,000 233,587 Strawberry Hill Stud 7 7 0 0 1,625,000 575,000 232,143 Element Hill 6 5 0 1 1,110,000 400,000 222,000 Three Bridges TBS 7 7 0 0 1,550,000 675,000 221,429 Attunga Stud 8 7 1 0 1,525,000 575,000 217,857 PURCHASERS Leading Purchaser by Aggregate Purchaser Lots Aggregate ($) Top Price ($) Average ($) Gai Waterhouse Racing 23 4,945,000 600,000 215,000 James Harron Bloodstock/Snowden Racing 17 4,495,000 550,000 264,412 Magic Millions As Agent 25 3,366,000 400,000 134,640 Paul Perry Racing 11 2,247,500 340,000 204,318 Star Thoroughbreds 15 2,105,000 185,000 140,333 China Horse Club 3 2,030,000 1,050,000 676,667 Moody Racing P/L 8 1,935,000 675,000 241,875 Chris Waller Racing P/L 9 1,855,000 600,000 206,111 Hawkes Racing 7 1,770,000 700,000 252,857 Spendthrift Farm 2 1,400,000 1,200,000 700,000 Leading Purchaser by Average (3 or more purchased) Purchaser Lots Aggregate ($) Top Price ($) Average ($) China Horse Club 3 2,030,000 1,050,000 676,667 Lee Freedman/Jon Kelly (USA) 3 1,180,000 500,000 393,333 Dan Bougoure 3 1,090,000 800,000 363,333 Robbie Laing 3 985,000 500,000 328,333 Mulcaster Bloodstock 3 930,000 360,000 310,000 Scone Bloodstock Services 4 1,100,000 430,000 275,000 B K Racing & Breeding P/L 3 810,000 350,000 270,000 James Harron Bloodstock/Snowden Racing 17 4,495,000 550,000 264,412 George Moore Bloodstock 3 775,000 375,000 258,333 @ANZ_NEWS 11 ANZBLOODSTOCKNEWS.COM
PURCHASER LOCATION 2015 Purchaser Locations Location Lots Aggregate ($) Average - $ Median - $ Top Lot - $ NSW 253 43,495,000 46.83% 171,917 140,000 775,000 VIC 148 22,920,000 24.68% 154,865 117,500 720,000 QLD 65 8,173,000 8.80% 125,738 90,000 800,000 HK 23 5,882,500 6.33% 255,761 200,000 1,050,000 USA 4 2,460,000 2.65% 615,000 530,000 1,200,000 SA 14 2,380,000 2.56% 170,000 137,500 575,000 SGP 10 2,360,000 2.54% 236,000 195,000 575,000 WA 16 1,855,000 2.00% 115,938 80,000 320,000 New Zealand 6 1,325,000 1.43% 220,833 260,000 360,000 UK 4 860,000 0.93% 215,000 215,000 380,000 SAF 8 810,000 0.87% 101,250 92,500 180,000 Ireland 1 280,000 0.30% 280,000 280,000 280,000 Japan 1 80,000 0.09% 80,000 80,000 80,000 2014 Purchaser Locations Location Lots Aggregate ($) Average - $ Median - $ Top Lot - $ NSW 228 35,627,500 47.3% 156,261 130,000 1,000,000 VIC 136 16,219,500 21.5% 119,261 107,500 450,000 QLD 71 9,292,500 12.3% 130,880 90,000 450,000 HK 31 5,802,500 7.7% 187,177 150,000 520,000 New Zealand 21 3,420,000 4.5% 162,857 150,000 400,000 SA 15 1,720,000 2.3% 114,667 100,000 400,000 WA 14 1,360,000 1.8% 97,143 82,500 315,000 UK 5 740,000 1.0% 148,000 140,000 220,000 South Africa 7 585,000 0.8% 83,571 95,000 130,000 Singapore 4 480,000 0.6% 120,000 112,500 190,000 Japan 1 400,000 0.5% 400,000 Macau 1 160,000 0.2% 160,000 ACT 1 70,000 0.1% 70,000 Korea 1 35,000 0.0% 35,000 DECILES 2015 % change 2014 Top 10% 497,182 +31.20% 378,889 11-20% 283,227 +26% 224,815 21-30% 208,273 +19.50% 174,259 31-40% 165,636 +10.50% 149,907 41-50% 142,636 +11.30% 128,148 51-60% 117,273 +9% 107,592 61-70% 95,364 +9.30% 87,269 71-80% 78,545 +13.50% 69,213 81-90% 60,409 +12.60% 53,657 Lowest 10% 38,112 +9.80% 34,696 Medians 2015 % change 2014 Top 10% 430,000 +22.90% 350,000 11-20% 280,000 +27.30% 220,000 21-30% 200,000 +17.60% 170,000 31-40% 160,000 +6.70% 150,000 41-50% 140,000 +9.80% 127,500 51-60% 120,000 +9.10% 110,000 61-70% 100,000 +11.10% 90,000 71-80% 80,000 +14.30% 70,000 81-90% 60,000 +14.30% 52,500 Lowest 10% 40,000 +6.70% 37,500 @ANZ_NEWS 12 ANZBLOODSTOCKNEWS.COM
TOP TENS Colts Lot Sire Dam Vendor Purchaser Location Top Price -$ 613 Sepoy Sister Madly Segenhoe Stud Spendthrift Farm USA 1,200,000 645 Snitzel Starlevie Berkeley Park Stud Tom Magnier/John Warren BS/China Horse Club NSW 775,000 359 Redoute's Choice Kidman Newhaven Park James Harron BS/John Moynihan USA 720,000 485 Smart Missile Negotiate Arrowfield Stud Hawkes Racing NSW 700,000 626 Snitzel Song of the Sun Three Bridges TBS Moody Racing VIC 675,000 153 More Than Ready Chinchilla Rose Segenhoe Stud Gai Waterhouse Racing NSW 600,000 195 Fastnet Rock Delta Girl Coolmore Stud Chris Waller Racing NSW 600,000 185 Redoute's Choice Dances on Waves Mill Park Stallion Racing/Jadeskye Racing NSW 575,000 452 Sepoy Miss Mooney Strawberry Hill Stud McEvoy Mitchell Racing SA 575,000 Mooney 628 Northern Meteor Sophielicious Attunga Stud Tomohiro Sekiguchi SGP 575,000 678 Northern Meteor To Please a Lady Glenlogan Park James Harron BS/Snowden Racing NSW 550,000 Fillies Lot Sire Dam Vendor Purchaser Location Top Price -$ 566 Fastnet Rock Response Newgate Farm China Horse Club HK 1,050,000 143 Sepoy Celebrity Girl Mill Park China Horse Club HK 850,000 637 Exceed and Excel Speedy Rossa Amarina Farm Dan Bougoure QLD 800,000 249 Redoute's Choice Flavoured Arrowfield Stud Rick Worthington/Scone Bloodstock VIC 720,000 308 Snitzel Hokuspokus Arrowfield Stud Gai Waterhouse Racing/Jon Kelly (USA) NSW 620,000 389 Redoute's Choice Line Honours Arrowfield Stud Lee Freedman/Jon Kelly (USA) VIC 500,000 451 Fastnet Rock Miss Judgement Cressfield Robbie Laing VIC 500,000 484 Fastnet Rock Necessary Evil Coolmore Stud B2B Bloodstock/Jadesky Racing NSW 460,000 86 Redoute's Choice Augusta Proud Broadwater TBS Gai Waterhouse Racing/Jon Kelly (USA) NSW 450,000 230 Snitzel Fairchild Bell View Park Stud Gerald Ryan/Jadeskye Racing NSW 450,000 387 Encosta de Lago Fiction Newhaven Park Danny Bougoure QLD 390,000 LEADING SIRES Leading Sires by Average (3 or more sold) Sire Lot Sold Passed In Withdrawn Total -$ Top Price -$ Average - $ Fastnet Rock 25 18 4 3 6,712,500 1,050,000 372,917 Redoute's Choice 20 19 1 0 6,965,000 720,000 366,579 Sepoy 34 26 3 5 7,445,000 1,200,000 286,346 Snitzel 48 43 3 2 10,470,000 775,000 243,488 Exceed and Excel 15 11 1 3 2,640,000 800,000 240,000 So You Think 21 16 2 3 3,755,000 430,000 234,688 Northern Meteor 25 20 4 1 4,425,000 575,000 221,250 I Am Invincible 14 13 1 0 2,650,000 310,000 203,846 Medaglia d'oro 11 4 3 4 785,000 310,000 196,250 Street Cry 7 6 0 1 1,090,000 310,000 181,667 Leading First Season Sires by Average (3 or more sold) Sire Lot Sold Passed In Withdrawn Aggregate -$ Top Price -$ Average - $ Sepoy 34 26 3 5 7,445,000 1,200,000 286,346 So You Think 21 16 2 3 3,755,000 430,000 234,688 Smart Missile 39 33 2 4 5,920,000 700,000 179,394 Foxwedge 27 22 1 4 3,475,000 350,000 157,955 Dream Ahead 10 7 2 1 880,000 380,000 125,714 Love Conquers All 4 4 0 0 465,000 170,000 116,250 Helmet 8 5 1 2 510,000 230,000 102,000 Toorak Toff 7 6 1 0 580,000 190,000 96,667 @ANZ_NEWS 13 ANZBLOODSTOCKNEWS.COM