Bowditch pleased with results as action comes to a close on the Gold Coast
Magic Millions managing director declares the bigger Magic Millions sale a success
The Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale has provided an important barometer for the Australasian bloodstock market and set a solid platform for the season ahead, according to Barry Bowditch.
As the seven-day sale bonanza came to a close last night, the Magic Millions managing director declared the 2024 racing and sales carnival during the Gold Coast’s peak tourism period as a success and stood by the company’s decision to increase the size of both Book 1 and 2 catalogues.
Bowditch said the Magic Millions carnival and sale on the Gold Coast’s holiday hotspot was an important event for the industry and one that was recognised globally.
“It brings everyone together on the Gold Coast, whether it be our sellers, our buyers, our owners or just racegoers and it sets the year off on the right note,” Bowditch told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“It’s an important economic barometer for our industry year in, year out that Magic Millions can set a tone for what’s to come.
“This year, I think we’ve set a very strong tone. We’ve set a solid market and, as I’ve said throughout the week, when we reflect on this sale in the months to come, we’ll say it was a very, very good horse sale.”
Although 196 more horses were sold at the extended two-book sale compared to 2023, the aggregate fell from $243,250,000 to $239,557,000 year-on-year, arguably a sign that the middle to lower end of the market is feeling the effects of the economic downturn.
Harvey Norman founder and Magic Millions owner Gerry Harvey reported in late last year that the electrical goods retailer’s sales had declined 7.8 per cent from July 1 to November 25 and Magic Millions had reassessed its own expectations given the general economy.
With that in mind, Bowditch was delighted with Book 1, which saw trade down by about two per cent.
“It’s averaged almost $280,000 and it’s cleared 87 per cent. It’s … a result we would have taken at the start of the week.
“When you look at the entire sale overall, to be able to sell some 1100 yearlings, average $215,000 and to clear 83 per cent of them is an extraordinary level and you wouldn’t see that at too many other horse sales around the world.”
Forster strikes for pair by Better Than Ready
The last of seven days of selling was completed yesterday as the two-day Book 2 sale came to a close, and it was Brisbane trainer Desleigh Forster who signed for the day’s most expensive horse, a filly by prolific Queensland sire Better Than Ready (More Than Ready), paying Lyndhurst Stud Farm $195,000 for the youngster.
Forster was enamoured by the filly and her pedigree was also appealing, being a three-quarter sister to the trainer’s former stable star Group 1-winning sprinter Apache Chase (Better Than Ready), who is himself a half-brother to the filly’s nine-time winning sprinting dam, Rockette Rocket (Captain Sonador). Rockette Rocket is also a half-sister to Group 2 winner Churchill Downs (Danehill).
Like most owners and trainers, Forster hopes the filly will prove forward enough to be racing at the Gold Coast this time next year.
“She’s a really nice filly, she ticks all the boxes. She’s a lot like her three-quarter brother Apache Chase, so she’s a beautiful filly and she’s going to be pretty easy to syndicate,” Forster said.
“I think of the last two days she’s probably been the pick of the sale in Book 2, but as I said, if you buy nice horses you’ve got to pay for it.”
Forster also paid $155,000 for a Better Than Ready half-brother to recent Just Now (Listed, 1300m) winner Chatty Lady (Spirit Of Boom), a five-year-old mare trained by Mark Currie.
Cosmic Force colt joins half-brother in Campton’s stable
Also yesterday, Adam Campton bought the second highest-priced lot of the day and you can understand why with the $180,000 Cosmic Force (Deep Field) colt being a half-brother to the Gold Coast-based trainer’s stakes-placed sprinter Deepour (Exosphere).
The trainer also has the colt’s year older sister, a $45,000 Inglis Classic sale graduate, in his Ascot Court stable. He is the sixth foal out of five-time winner Misshiraz (Secret Savings) and was offered by Figtree Thoroughbreds.
After a long week-and-a-half at the sales, Campton was thrilled to be able to buy a yearling from the second crop Newgate Farm’s Cosmic Force in the dying hours of the January sale, on a day where he also outlaid $170,000 for a filly by Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo).
“He’s a horse we’ve had our eye on for the past few weeks, so it was good to see him parade so well [at the complex],” Campton said of the Cosmic Force colt.
“He’s a lovely bodied horse and he’s a close relation to one of my best horses. I’ve also got his full-sister at home and she showed us a lot in her first prep with us.
“I just love this colt’s mannerisms. He’s such a smart horse and, in saying that, the whole family is like that.
“They’ve got good brains.”
The Spirit Of Boom filly, who was sold by Kenmore Lodge, is the second foal out of the unraced mare Temptress (Sebring), who is from the same family as this season’s Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Tom Kitten (Harry Angel).
Leung gets in on the action
Meanwhile, Hong Kong agent Willie Leung also had a busy Tuesday, signing for three yearlings in quick succession, two for Lucky Sweynesse’s (Sweynesse) trainer Manfred Man and one for fellow Hong Kong trainer Michael Chang.
Man has recently had his Hong Kong licence extended for an additional five years, prompting an increased presence at the sales by the trainer in an effort to unearth another champion Group 1-winning sprinter.
The Magus Equine principal bought a son of Exosphere (Lonhro) for $170,000 from Oaklands Stud and, six lots later, added a Eureka Stud-consigned Encryption (Lonhro) colt for $80,000. Both will be trained by Man.
The Exosphere is the third foal out of four-time winner Oratry (Oratorio), herself a half-sister to Western Australia’s Listed winner Rose Of Choice (Choisir).
“Manfred had an Exosphere a couple of years ago [called Flying Season] who won two in a row,” Leung said. “He was a very good sprinter and the stallion’s progeny are going very well in Hong Kong and that’s why we wanted to try to secure another one for him.”
The Eureka Stud-sold colt by their resident sire Encryption, who is a half-brother to the stakes-placed Excused (Medaglia D’Oro) and three other winners, is a horse that Leung believes will be well suited to the rigours of racing in Hong Kong.
He said: “They’re tough horses and I know that because they perform well in Australia and the fast ground in Hong Kong will probably help and that’s why I picked him.”
Soon after, acting for Chang, Leung paid $170,000 for a first crop colt by Widden’s sprinter Anders (Not A Single Doubt). The colt is the second living foal out of Rebel Cry (Street Cry), the winner of two sprint races over 900 metres from just three starts.
“He’s a lovely horse who may take a little bit more time to mature, but he looks very muscular and a sprinting type,” Leung said.
“I bought him for Michael and hopefully he can come to Hong Kong [in time] for next season’s Griffin races.”
Overall, Book 2 was topped by Star Turn (Star Witness) ($230,000) and D’Argento (So You Think) ($220,000) were sold during Monday’s opening session.
The larger Book 2 catalogue of a full two days – 448 lots compared to 294 in 2023 – is a format Magic Millions wants to grow after receiving record entries for the 2024 January sale in August last year.
It averaged $47,877 at a clearance rate of 75 per cent, generating $14,363,000 in revenue.
“Even right to the end there, there was plenty of competition and, all in all, we’re delighted with how Book 2 went. It really showed that there’s some quality horses in the sale and the buyers got behind those horses,” Bowditch said.
“We’ll listen to our clients as well as what works best for us as well and I think we’ll reflect on Book 2 and say it was a very healthy market over the next few months.”
Attention now turns to the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, which gets underway a week on Sunday.