Secret’s out for $1.15 million I Am Invincible filly
Twelve months ago, Damon Gabbedy outlaid $1.15 million on a well-bred Zoustar (Northern Meteor) filly and yesterday, situated in the same spot near the pre-parade ring, the Belmont Bloodstock principal went to the same amount for the sister to Godolphin’s dual Group 1 winner In Secret (I Am Invincible).
Unlike the now Tony and Calvin McEvoy’s Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (Listed, 1000m)–placed Altermatum, who Gabbedy bought for the trainers’ business partner Wayne Mitchell, the fifth foal out of Group 3 winner Eloping (Choisir) was purchased for another client, believed to be B2B Thoroughbreds’ Ricky Surace.
Ciaron Maher will train the Segenhoe Stud and Longwood Thoroughbred Farm-bred filly who had impressed Gabbedy from the moment he saw her in the Hunter Valley during on-farm inspections last December.
“She was a bit bigger than In Secret,” Gabbedy said.
“In Secret cost $900,000 and she’s won two Group 1s and this is a full sister to her, so she’s always worth a lot of money as a broodmare down the track.
“She’s going to a nice man who breeds later on.”
Godolphin’s In Secret, the 2022 Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and 2023 Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) winner, ran fourth in The Everest (1200m) and third in the Champions Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) at Flemington in the spring.
Below the top end, the market anecdotally proved slightly trickier for vendors on day three, leading to the average ($289,810) falling five per cent year-on-year.
The median of $220,000 was also down $10,000. Vendors were, by and large, still prepared to meet the market. The clearance rate was 85 per cent over the first three days. More than $155 million has so far changed hands for 536 horses.
“At times we were passing in more horses that we’d have liked but overall the stats are in line with [Wednesday],” Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said.
“When a good colt or filly walks into the ring there’s a lot of action. Five million-dollar colts went through the ring today, and 17 overall.
“Kudos to the vendors for continuing their willingness to meet the market. We sold a sale topper – $2.1 million, can’t be more positive than that today.”