But much interest, not to mention business, is certain to centre on the 11 lots by Newgate Farm’s Extreme Choice, in an auction that could mark his ascension into a bona fide sales superstar.

This year’s yearlings are the subfertile star’s first full crop after he entered the stratosphere of service fees at $275,000 following his stunning first few years of runners.

The 12-year-old, now boasting 11.6 per cent stakes winners to runners - and six individual  elite-level victors of races as diverse as the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) - is now the most expensive stallion in Australia, having completed his ninth book last spring at $330,000.

Already, the quality of this crop has been borne out at Magic Millions Gold Coast, where Extreme Choice had comfortably had the best average price among stallions, at $822,500 for eight lots sold, which included the equal sale-topping $2 million colt out of Hazlebrook (Hinchinbrook), sold by Kingstar Farm to Yulong.

And Inglis’s bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch believes the stallion’s entries this Easter reflect how Australia’s leading breeders clamoured to send some of the finest mares in the country to the stallion in the spring of 2023.

Not only does Hutch describe the Easter catalogue as the finest he’s seen in his seven years at Inglis, he says it contains “the best group of Extreme Choice yearlings ever to go to a sale”.

“The credentials of each of them are outstanding,” Hutch told ANZ News. “This is a proper group of horses by what is a generational stallion. His record is nothing short of extraordinary.

“It’s the first time his mare quality is commensurate, or close to commensurate, with his quality as a stallion.

“In the past he’s had early crop mares. But this crop, after a massive fee hike, you look at the mares who have yearlings by him and all of a sudden there’s far less guesswork required on the likelihood of one of these, or multiple of these yearlings, being really good.

“For people who want to go to a sale and give themselves the best chance of buying a high-class horse, Easter gives them that chance, but the fact there are 11 Extreme Choices with the credentials they have, only enhances that chance further.

“It’s a pretty special opportunity for both domestic buyers, and people internationally who may not yet be aware of the horse but need to become aware of him, because he’s a very special stallion.”

Ten of the 11 Extreme Choices will be offered in Newgate’s draft, including Lot 117, a filly out of Speak Fondly (Northern Meteor), a four-time black type victor whose racetrack highlight came when landing the Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) in 2015, and dam of Brisbane Listed winner Compelling Truth (I Am Invincible).

Lot 71 is a half-brother to Group 3-winning sprinter English Riviera (Deep Field) out of the stakes winning Second Time Lucky (Any Suggestion), while Lot 142 is a colt out of Group 3 victor Tempt Me Not (Strategic Maneuver).

Newgate also offers a filly from Cicatrix (Violence), dam of the Group 1-placed Mayfair (Fastnet Rock), while Lot 306 is out of another US mare in Fashion Faux Pas (Flatter), whose year-older son Nations League (Snitzel) was a $1.7 million yearling.

Lot 26 is the lone Extreme Choice not from Newgate’s draft, in Peachester Lodge’s colt out of the Group 2-winning and Group 1-placed mare Pretty Brazen (Brazen Beau), whose dam Pretty Penny (Encosta De Lago) left five stakes winners.

Hutch’s assertions over the Extreme Choice selection were backed by Newgate’s managing director Henry Field.

“It’s the best compilation of Extreme Choice yearlings that have ever been at one sale, both genetically and physically,” Field told ANZ.

“This is his first full crop after he went to that higher fee of $275,000. He was also at that fee the previous year, but missed the first half of the season for varying reasons.

“We’ve got three colts in the draft that are really top class, plus a number of fillies who are as good a quality of filly as you’d see anywhere at a sale in the southern hemisphere this year.

“I think there’ll be a huge amount of interest in Extreme Choice not just from the local market but from the northern hemisphere as well. He’s certainly a stallion who’s captured everybody’s attention, given the uniqueness of him, 

“He’ll certainly go down as one of the greatest stallions of all time in this country.”

This year’s Easter catalogue also features the penultimate crop of the late, great Snitzel, the most represented sire in the book with 43 yearlings, ahead of I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) with 41, and reigning champion sire Zoustar (Northern Meteor) with 35.

The fact two-thirds of this Snitzel crop are female contributes to the catalogue containing slightly more fillies than colts.

“That’s very rare,” Hutch said. “It hasn’t happened at any time in recent history.

“But we’ve been given a very unique opportunity to sell a group of fillies that would compare favourably to any group of fillies that’s ever been offered for sale in Australia.

“In a current environment where access to quality bloodlines and breeding stock becomes ever more difficult, the sale represents a pretty rare opportunity for people to access a large volume of fillies that can be significant race fillies and broodmares of the future.

“There’s no more effective way of demonstrating the importance of fillies at Easter than by pointing out the dams of each of the past three winners of the Group 1 Golden Slipper were sourced as yearlings at Easter.”

Of course great interest will centre on one star Snitzel colt to be offered as Lot 187 in Coolmore’s draft on the first of the two days of the sale on March 29 and 30, whose dam is the great Winx.

Although Kepitis has said she’ll be content to see this one go, and while the underbidder on her $10 million filly Jon Stewart was noticeably absent at the Gold Coast, the colt will be odds-on to comfortably pass the seven-figure threshold.

“I saw him two weeks ago at Coolmore, and he looks really well,” Hutch said.“He’s a late November foal, so he’s on a slightly different trajectory to other horses at the sale, but he’d grown and strengthened quite a lot from a couple of months earlier.

“I don’t see him as having a precocious profile, but he moves nicely. I think he’ll just get better with time, and we’ll see the best of him when when he’s three.

“If he was any other yearling and you saw him, you’d go, ‘He’s quite a nice horse’.”

Among other catalogue highlights are Lot 451, Arrowfield Stud’s brother to Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner and current sire at that farm, Switzerland (Snitzel).

Lot 308 is Widden Stud’s brother to Zougotcha (Zoustar), Lot 195 is Yulong’s half-sister by Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice) to another three-time Group 1-winning mare in Sunshine In Paris (Invader), while Lot 324 is Sledmere Stud’s half-brother to Hong Kong hero Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro).

Golden Slipper queen Fireburn (Rebel Dane) has a sister in the sale offered by Goodwood Farm as Lot 452, while Milburn Creek has a half-brother to star sprinting mare Magic Time (Hellbent), as Lot 153.

Siblings are on offer to a host of other elite-level winners including Private Eye (Al Maher), Celestial Legend (Dundeel), Hitotsu (Maurice), Cool Archie (Cool Aza Beel) and Estijaab (Snitzel).

Winx is just one of 51 Group 1-winning mares with progeny on offer.

Unsurprisingly, several other such lots come from the Yulong draft including two filly first foals by their stallion Alabama Express. Lot 318 is from three-time elite-level winner Forbidden Love (All Too Hard), while Lot 345’s dam is Empire Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) heroine Icebath (Sacred Falls).

Yulong also offers Lot 424, a filly second foal from New Zealand’s 14-time Group 1 winner Melody Belle (Commands), by their Japanese sire Diatonic (Lord Kanaloa).

Three-time elite-level winner Sunlight (Zoustar) - bearer of last year’s record $3.2 million Gold Coast sale topping filly by Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) - will this year be represented at Easter, by Lot 128 - Coolmore’s filly by Justify (Scat Daddy).

Other Group 1-winning mares represented include Lighthouse (Mizzen Mast) with a filly by red-hot first season sire Anamoe, Montefilia (Kermadec) with an Alabama Express colt, Mizzy (Zoustar) with a Snitzel filly, Personal (Fastnet Rock) with an I Am Invincible filly, and Pippie (Written Tycoon) with an I Am Invincible colt.

The Easter catalogue features 80 lots that are either the progeny of or siblings to Group 1 winners, and 259 who are the progeny of or siblings to black-type victors.

Arrowfield are comfortably the most prominent vendors this Easter with 65 entries - up from 42 last year - ahead of Yulong’s 43, which is up from just 11 in 2025. Coolmore comes next with 37, ahead of Widden’s 28.

“It’s certainly the best Easter catalogue I’ve seen in my time at Inglis,” said Hutch, who arrived there in 2019.

“We feel we’ve consolidated a catalogue of real quality with incredible depth to it across a number of drafts. The support of a huge volume of vendors has been extremely strong.

“It felt during the spring that the response to each of our sales was very positive, more positive than I’ve experienced. I think the fact we ran good sales in 2025, despite some challenges in the market, has given vendors confidence that we can run good sales again.

“People recognise we work hard and endeavour to get the best results with every yearling. The reward for our effort in that respect is having a catalogue like this for Easter, and it’s just a case of us making sure we have as many buyers at the sale as possible.”

Some vendors have tipped Easter’s top end to return dazzling results this year, with the fact “only” 15 seven-figure lots sold at the Gold Coast indicating to some that many breeders were steering their finest yearlings towards Inglis’s feature sale.

Hutch, however, points out Easter had 25 seven-figure lots last year, after 13 sold at the Gold Coast, which could suggest the numbers might be roughly similar this time around.

But in any case, he believes there’ll be ample opportunity for major buyers to make plays on elite lots.

“For people looking to invest at the top end of the market at Easter, based on our observations at the start of the year, that part of the market might not be as daunting as people feel it may be,” Hutch said. “There’ll be a lot of opportunities to get involved.”

Still, also highlighting that “the number of million dollar lots shouldn’t be the measure of any sale”, Hutch was also keen to emphasise the attractiveness of the often-overlooked lower end of Easter.

“It’s also important to note that at the 2025 renewal of Easter, 104 yearlings could have been bought for $200,000 or less, highlighting the value on offer,” he said.

“Easter also possesses the highest stakes winners to runners ratio of any Australasian yearling sale and buyers are 31 per cent more likely to find a Group winner at Easter than the Magic Millions January Sale.”

The show must go on

An innocent question

New Zealand studs bred thoroughbreds long before the first National Sale but sales were held regionally, at studs or at race meetings. Among the more prominent breeders was George Currie and his Koatanui Stud near Wanganui who imported and stood highly successful stallions Absurd (Sundridge) and Limond (Desmond). He also imported New Zealand Hall of Fame broodmare Eulogy (Cicero).

Currie was ahead of his time and by rail and sea sent a high proportion of his annual draft to the Sydney Easter Yearling Sale. His involvement with the New Zealand National Yearling Sale was a huge factor behind its foundation and subsequent success but it was an innocent question by Wright, Stephenson & Co’s Feilding stud stock representative Harry Toose which may have been the catalyst for the sale’s existence.

At a private yearling sale at Waikanae (near Wellington) he turned to his boss, Charlie Robertson, and asked: “Why can’t New Zealand have a national sale?” Whenever Robertson raised the idea with breeders the feedback was positive. Currie, along with WG Stead (Flaxmere Stud), TH Lowry (Okawa Stud), JD & F Ormond (Karamu Stud), IG Duncan (Elderslie Stud), JF Buchanan (Kinloch Stud), AF Roberts (Seadown Stud) and J Donald (Westmere Stud) agreed and the first sale was staged on Friday, January 21, 1927.

The Trentham racecourse birdcage served as the venue for the first four sales. Four auctioneering companies and two catalogues were involved. Wright Stephenson & Co, Wellington in conjunction with H Chisholm of Sydney produced one catalogue while Pyne, Gould, Guinness Ltd, Christchurch teamed up with Sydney’s Wm Inglis & Sons on a second catalogue.

A press release in December 1926 included a comment from auctioneer Ken Austin: “No higher class collection of yearlings has ever been offered than these, whose particulars are fully set out, for they represent practically every well-known breeder throughout New Zealand. This sale affords buyers a great opportunity of acquiring yearlings from the most fashionable and successful lines of blood in the Dominion.”

A coin toss to determine which catalogue would be sold first was won by Pyne, Gould, Guinness and first lot, a filly later named Little Gift (Archery), was sold for 55gns at 11:30am. She was a winner at Gisborne as a four-year-old. At 1:00pm the sale paused for lunch!

Lot 1 of Wright, Stephenson’s catalogue fetched 600gns and was later named Shot Silk (Leighton). His record included winning twice on the same day at Marlborough.

From Trentham to Karaka

In 1931 loose boxes and an outdoor sales ring were built adjacent to the junction of the chute and the home straight of Trentham racecourse but by that time there was just a single catalogue. Wm Inglis & Son dropped out, yet returned in 1935 replacing H Chisholm & Co. From 1941 until 1972 the sale was held jointly by Wright, Stephenson & Co and Pyne, Gould, Guinness. A renamed Wrightson NMA Ltd and Pyne, Gould, Guinness ran the sale jointly until 1978 but in 1979 the sale was a one company affair, Wrightson Bloodstock Ltd. The new company appointed four directors. Managing director was Michael Floyd who was joined by Peter Kelly, Joe Walls and pedigree maven Pat O’Brien.

Floyd joined the company as an office junior in 1953. Ten years later he rose to general manager and when the bloodstock division of Wrightson NMA Ltd became Wrightson Bloodstock Ltd, Floyd was named managing director. He remained at the helm until 1992 employing many new and innovative ideas which strongly benefitted the company and the industry. He was responsible for opening up the Asian market and his input and drive was such that he was inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame in 2023.

Until 1960 the yearlings were sold outdoors. The auctioneers huddled in a tiny booth while the public sat in a ring which could be covered with tarpaulins if it rained. A covered arena was often talked about. A massive dust storm in 1960 caused auctioneers Dave Clarkson and Bill Paterson to both lose their voices part way through day two. Retired Pyne, Gould, Guinness auctioneer Gordon McCredie came to the rescue and completed the sale. By the following year a purpose built pavilion was constructed and bad weather, which still occurred, became less influential on proceedings.

Sixty-one sales were held at Trentham, the last in 1987 but as early as 1969 there were questions raised as to whether the central New Zealand location was in the best interests of buyers and vendors especially, as there had been a gradual migration of the breeding industry, north to the Waikato region.

Rumblings about moving the sale continued, the issue leading discussions again in 1976 and again in 1981. One of several feasibility studies favoured Ellerslie as the new home but Wrightson Bloodstock’s managing director Michael Floyd was wary regarding renting or leasing land, believing that the company needed to have complete autonomy regarding their business operations. In 1986 the auctioneers announced the purchase of 34.4 hectares of prime land approximately 40 kilometres south of Auckland, next to the Papakura exit of the Southern Motorway, the site now known as the Karaka Sales Complex.

Designed from the ground up, the new venue included a bold new concept of auction selling. The auditorium features “the wall”, behind the auctioneers which made auctioneering much more efficient as all bids were in front of the rostrum. Also, a buyer could follow a yearling from the outside parade ring to the covered parade ring and right through to the sales ring. Peter Kelly, chief auctioneer at that time, believed it important to be able to “eyeball” the buyer.

The grounds allowed for ample vendor parade areas and the boxing was state of the art with indoor alleyways and sliding doors. In a surprisingly compact layout, each barn is within close proximity to the auditorium. Floyd, along with architect Rod Macdiarmid travelled the world, visited all the major sales venues and gathered together all the best ideas for the complex. To this day it is recognised as the leader in terms of efficient function and design.

Under new management

Some time in 1996, Wrightson Bloodstock’s parent company Fletcher Challenge Corporation offered the company for sale, explaining that bloodstock no longer fitted their overall profile. William Inglis & Sons were understood to be interested but there was a general belief and desire that the company should remain New Zealand-owned. A small group of breeders raised the necessary funds to buy the company, however, after making approaches to further breeders the deal foundered.

In December 1996, the Vela Brothers, owners of a hugely successful fishing and export business, stepped in to buy the auction house. Peter (now Sir Peter, ONZM) and Philip, long-time clients and close associates of Cambridge Stud’s Patrick Hogan, decided, as a bridge, to own and run the business for two years so as to allow a breeders’ consortium to take over once their finances were in order but such efforts came to nothing and the Velas became the permanent owners, operating as New Zealand Bloodstock. Joe Walls retained his post as managing director. The 1998 sale was the first over which the new owners had complete control, from taking entries through to the sale itself.

Current managing director Andrew Seabrook joined Wrightson Bloodstock in 1992. When the Vela Bros took ownership, Seabrook held the position of financial controller but was promoted to general manager in 2002. By 2008 he rose to be co managing director (bloodstock & finance) and in 2016 assumed the post of managing director.

The incentives

A significant incentive was the introduction of the $1 million Karaka Million (RL, 1200m) for two-year-olds, announced before the 2007 sale which was set to be run the following year. All NZB sale graduates were eligible.

Three of the winners were truly memorable and were consecutive. Melody Belle (Commands) was in command in 2017 and would ultimately score 19 wins, of which 14 were Group 1s. She was joined a year later by Avantage (Fastnet Rock), also an outstanding performer whose record included nine Group 1s among 16 career wins.

In 2017 the auctioneers announced a sister race for three-year-olds, named the Karaka Millions 3YO Classic (RL, 1600m). Probabeel (Savabeel) cemented her place in sale, as well as Karaka Millions history when she landed, not only the 2YO Millions, but returned the following years to score the sister race. Probabeel raced very successfully against the best in Australia and took out four Australian Group 1s as part of a 13 win haul.

Taking incentives into the stratosphere, prior to the 2024 sales series, NZB in conjunction with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) and Entain/TAB announced The NZB Kiwi, a slot race for three-year-olds conceived, bred or sold through NZB. Funds for the $3.5 million race over 1500 metres were raised by an auction, entitling successful bidders a slot in 2025, 2026 and 2027.

The inaugural winner was Damask Rose (Savabeel), who also won the 2025 Karaka 3YO Classic. All four fillies were purchased by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis. Three have been commemorated in the NZB’s Best Performers catalogue, published in conjunction with the centenary.

From the rostrum

Auctioneers Ken Austin and Reg Inglis Snr were the early voices followed by Charlie Robertson and Gordon McCredie. Later still, Robertson was joined by Bill Paterson and Dave Clarkson until Robertson's retirement in 1955. Paterson and Clarkson were joined by Peter Kelly in 1961 and in 1972 Kelly took over as chief auctioneer after Paterson's and Clarkson's retirements. Joe Walls assumed the responsibility in 1990 and he was succeeded by current head auctioneer Mike Kneebone in 2020.

Ken Austin died in late 1959. One of the auctioneers at the inaugural 1927 sale, Austin was known prior to the setting up of the National Sale. He was auctioneer for H Chisholm & Co then assisted Wright, Stephenson & Co when Chisholm ceased their involvement. Later he managed Elderslie Stud before setting up his own Inglewood Stud. Austin was a giant in the bloodstock and sales industry. His experience, talent and knowledge were revered even apart from his great success as a breeder and he was duly recognised by the industry when inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame in 2023.

The major force behind the first National Yearling Sale was Charlie Robertson who in 1955 bade farewell to 30 years as general manager, including 16 years as auctioneer, as he headed for retirement. At the completion of the sale Ken Austin, on behalf of the NZTBA, presented a special award to Robertson and was one of a number of breeders who spoke of Robertson's major achievements in not only establishing the sale, but also maintaining and improving the event through the years. After a long illness Robertson died in April 1960. Aside from his company duties he also co-bred and sold champion Rising Fast (Alonzo).

The 1961 sale ushered in auctioneer Peter Kelly who later became a director of Wrightson Bloodstock and whose auctioneering capabilities were world renowned. Kelly was also one of New Zealand's all-time great racing commentators and was inducted in the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame in 2008. Karaka 1989 was the last sale for Kelly who, the following August, reached an enforced retirement age and whose health led to his departure. He died in December 1997 and was honoured with a minute’s silence prior to the 1998 sale getting underway.

During 1972 an aspiring Joe Walls joined the company based in the Hamilton office. After taking in his first Trentham sale, Walls expressed an interest in auctioneering and was given a trial at the Northern Spring Mixed Sale. Mentor Peter Kelly noted some promise: “You might have a future,” and suggested that Walls gain more experience by auctioning cattle and pigs at weekly Frankton sales before being invited to join Kelly on the rostrum.

Walls took over as head auctioneer in 1990. After a brief upheaval within the company he resigned in 1993, yet was contracted to continue as auctioneer. He started his own auction house and was drawing many times more entries for his company’s sales than Wightson Bloodstock. Fletcher Challenge’s Sir Ron Trotter saw the writing on the wall, approached Walls to return to the fold and immediately promoted him to managing director.

With New Zealand Bloodstock, Walls was appointed as chairman in 2006, maintaining his role as head auctioneer until retiring his gavel in 2017. He received a standing ovation from the auditorium. Firstly with Wright, Stephenson & Co then with Wrightson Bloodstock Ltd and finally with New Zealand Bloodstock, Walls served the industry for 45 years. The following year he was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to the thoroughbred industry. He was not about to fade away however, remaining as chairman of New Zealand Bloodstock until 2024.

Sunday, January 11

There are a few cultural differences between sales in Europe and sales in Australia, not least a prolonged period of inspections. That might be handy for prospective purchasers. Less so for traveling sales reporters. 

Writing one preview per sale is usually more than enough, and I certainly didn’t spend 24 hours on a plane just to write a month’s worth in a matter of days. 

That said, another cultural difference between Europe and Australia is how open and engaging those in the southern hemisphere tend to be. They’re not prone to taking themselves too seriously. I don’t think that’s specific to the sales scene, either. There’s next to no airs and graces here.

What I needed was someone prepared to go on record with something other than the usual bland preview platitudes. People sitting on the fence gathering splinters in their arse really is journalistic kryptonite.

Step forward Peter O’Brien. The man from Segenhoe Stud proved the ideal interviewee on the subject of Anamoe’s first yearlings, comparing the nine-time Group 1 winner’s offspring to those of the breed-shaping Danehill back in the day. No splinters here then. 

Then came Peter’s piece de resistance. 

“Honestly, I will literally run naked from here to Sydney and back if he’s not a good stallion,” he concluded. Come on, Peter, don’t be shy. Tell us what you really think. Like I said, there’s no airs and graces here. 

For those not au fait with Australian geography, that would be a 1,000-mile or so round trip. In the buff. Even applying the requisite amount of sun cream would be a feat of human endurance. 

Monday, January 12

As no-one threatened to run anywhere in a state of undress, Monday’s scene-setter proved much more routine. 

Now, I’d like to think I have the Aussie lingo down pat (see what I did there?). However, something was lost in translation when a colleague shared tales of a recent interview that had gone awry. 

I was told the interviewee had proved less than helpful (so much for being open and engaging, eh?) on account of “crackin’ the shits.” Crumbs. 

I subsequently learned this meant the man in question had a cob on. Had thrown his toys out of the pram. However, at first hearing that he was “crackin’ the shits” I thought he must have been suffering from a dicky tummy. 

Broadcasting that sort of information really would be taking being open and engaging to the extreme.  

Tuesday, January 13

The sale’s first major transaction came when David Redvers and Ciaron Maher secured an I Am Invincible colt at A$950,000 – about £480,000/€550,000. You can do the conversions from here.

It seemed business as usual until another of those cultural differences surfaced. A member of the Silverdale Farm team, who sold the six-figure youngster, descended on the table to deliver a natty looking hamper as a token of appreciation. 

It was a classy touch from the vendor, but I couldn’t help cracking a wry smile at the thought of David carrying the wicker basket through the airport on his way back to Tweenhills. Very fetching. 

I hope a farm or two back home will read this and feel inspired to try something similar. I look forward to seeing Anthony Stroud or MV Magnier walking around Book 1, arms laden with wicker picnic hampers. 

Not long after the wicker-based whimsy, the A$950,000 ‘Vinnie’ colt was superseded at the head of the market. A son of Frankel was knocked down to Coolmore’s Tom Magnier at a cool A$2 million. 

You might think selling a Magic Millions top lot would be a source of excitement for any breeder. Not so. John Camilleri, the man best known for breeding Winx, seemed too busy multi-tasking to get caught up in the moment.

Plenty of people commented on how family friendly the whole Magic Millions offering is, and John brought the point into sharp relief by spending much of the session-topper’s time in the ring on childcare duty with his grandson, Harry.  

We were told John was likely to run a mile at the sight of the press pack, but after a textbook pincer movement he had little choice but to answer our questions. The first line of inquiry was about his babysitting duties. 

“You’ve got to get your priorities right,” he said, “and my two-year-old grandson is more important than any horse sale.” 

It was hard to argue with that sentiment. Although, having once again abandoned my own family in the name of a horse sale, I couldn’t help wondering whether my wife had put him up to that comment. Call it a guilty conscience, I guess. 

Being flown to the other side of the world in the middle of January isn’t the only perk of this job. I occasionally get the chance to speak to interesting or important people who have made their fame and fortune beyond the racing bubble. 

As regular readers of this column may recall, I’m an unashamed rugby league tragic. So getting the opportunity to speak to Billy Slater – Magic Millions ambassador and many people's idea of the game’s greatest ever full-back – was something of a professional bucket list item. 

A mutual acquaintance agreed to put me in touch. 

“I’ve told him to look out for you,” my contact said once the meeting had been arranged. 

“Tall, pasty, English . . .” Erm, thanks. I guess Billy couldn’t miss me anyway. 

He proved every bit as – you guessed it – open and engaging as I’d hoped, talking me through his bloodstock ambitions and explaining how his time working for Gai Waterhouse helped shape his rise to rugby league immortality. And they say you should never meet your heroes.

I’d like to think I remained as professional as ever (what do you mean 'not very'?) during the interview, but can’t promise my inner rugby league fanboy didn’t make a fleeting appearance. 

There was a brief awkward moment when I asked Billy where his farm was situated. Maybe I didn’t word the question particularly well, as I’d simply meant which state is he operating out of. 

He shot me a slightly concerned look and said: “We don’t really give out our location.” I can only assume I’d come on a bit strong and he was worried I’d turn up uninvited. 

Thankfully, he was such a gent that even coming face to face with a potential stalker wasn’t enough for him to bring our conversation to a premature end. 

It wasn’t until we came to wrap things up that I realised we’d spent the entire interview leant up against the air conditioning unit of the ringside canteen. 

I’d long hoped I’d get the opportunity to speak to Billy, and he certainly didn’t disappoint. This, however, was not the most salubrious setting for a scrapbook-worthy interview. I guess you can’t have it all. I hope he didn’t think the smell of warm grease was coming from me. 

As we parted ways, a little old lady clocked Billy, did a shocked double take before grabbing his arm and blowing him a kiss. At least I hadn’t taken my fanboying to those lengths. Maybe next time. 

Wednesday, January 14

This was another day of strong trade headed by another A$2m top lot. On this occasion it was Yulong Investments stumping up for a son of subfertile sensation Extreme Choice. 

Another cultural difference between the two hemispheres is the way in which sales house bigwigs communicate with the press. In Europe we tend to receive a written end-of-sale statement once the whole damn shooting match is said and done. 

But at Magic Millions, managing director Barry Bowditch makes his way to the press room to shoot the breeze at the end of each and every session. Is this strictly necessary? That’s open for debate. 

However, one upside is that Barry arrives bearing gifts. Namely, a bottle of champagne and a couple of buckets brimming with cans of the local tipple, known more broadly as four-ex. 

I guess I could be persuaded to get on board with a daily end-of-sale press conference after all. That said, this works just fine when selling finishes not long after 5pm. Whether it would prove quite so agreeable given Europe’s open-all-hours approach is another matter.

A civilised finish time left ample opportunities for post-sale relaxation. In the time-honoured journalistic tradition, that meant a tour around the various watering holes of Broadbeach.  

We wound up in Moo Moo, which seems to be something of a Gold Coast institution. 

A steady evening gradually descended into one of those nights when every time you plan on making your escape, someone else arrives with a fresh round of drinks. Damn. What hardship. 

There’s no knocking the hospitality, but the conversation became increasingly surreal. 

First, a high-ranking member of the Coolmore camp proved he’d read my Anamoe piece by producing an AI mock-up of Peter O’Brien running to Sydney and back in nothing but his birthday suit. At least, I hope it was an AI mock-up. Either that or Peter comes out with such an outlandish prediction every year just as an excuse to get his kit off. Hmm. 

In hindsight, I can see why industry professionals in the northern hemisphere are so content to sit on the fence. Better to get splinters in your arse than risk having someone broadcast an AI rendering of your behind to all and sundry. 

We then went well and truly through the looking glass when MV Magnier wandered past our table. 

“Is that the guy from Godolphin?” asked one of the more sozzled members of our party. Erm, not exactly. If ever there was a sign it was time to call it a night, that was it.

Thursday, January 15

Given this diary has already been longer than the sale’s inspection period, I’ll keep this entry short and sweet. 

In summary: Hermitage Thoroughbreds bought the A$1.6m top lot while James Harron proved the day’s MVP with two seven-figure signings. 

I also caught up with John Warren, who was on a “busman’s holiday” to the Gold Coast to watch his Anamoe colt sell for A$850,000. 

John was in such good form that he not only told me about how “a little bit of diversification” is part of Highclere’s strategy, he even shared a parenting hack for when your child’s birthday clashes with a major yearling sale. 

Suffice to say, that is not a sentence I thought I’d be writing when I boarded the plane for Australia.

The only flaw in John’s childcare cheat code is, while Lady Carolyn may have been on board, I’m pretty sure my own wife would string me up if I suggested pulling such a fast one. 

I rounded out the evening with another high-grade eating experience. 

Now, I’ve never had a problem with solo dining. In fact, there’s something almost therapeutic about sitting alone with your thoughts. Not that thinking has ever been a strong suit of mine. 

But it dawned on me only as I paid the bill that I’d dined alone at a restaurant called Social. I can safely say I’ve never consumed a more ironic meal.

Friday, January 16

I thought I’d landed another interview with someone who has made their fame and fortune beyond the racing bubble when Brendon McCullum, head coach of the England cricket team, paid A$340,000 for a daughter of So You Think late in Friday’s session. 

I approached ‘Baz’ after he was done posing for photos with his purchase, only to be told he was “off” the media at the moment. Fair enough. 

Having Googled his name before making my approach, I could see why. Commentary on his methods – and ongoing employment – hadn’t exactly been glowing in light of England’s Ashes thrashing. 

I stressed that there wouldn’t be any cricket-related questions, but he shook my hand, smiled warmly and told me he’d leave me to it. I was a bit miffed at being brushed off, but fair play for doing it in such a pleasant manner. I dare say he’s had plenty of practice declining interviews of late. 

It’s an often discussed phenomenon that stallions perform well in one hemisphere but not the other. Well, I think the same might be true of bloodstock agents – at least when faced with press commitments. 

Chris Waller’s chief talent scout Guy Mulcaster is something of a regular at Tattersalls, where he has picked up any number of notable runners. He may be a prolific purchaser in Newmarket, but he has never been a prolific interviewee. 

During one visit I attempted to break the ice by asking if he enjoyed his jaunts to headquarters. He simply gave a wry smile and said “see ya!” as he headed in the opposite direction. See ya indeed. 

I was therefore surprised to learn that when confronted by the Aussie press, he took on a much more avuncular persona. That was until I piped up. 

Guy had already been approached for numerous comments, including earlier in the day, before making his biggest signing of the sale. The A$1.5m son of Snitzel duly topped Friday’s fourth and final Book 1 session. 

He shared his own brand of forthright insight with the assembled press corps, saying: “When you get good colts that return to stud then they look cheap, but if they don’t, well, whatever will be will be.” Ain’t that the truth. 

As it was late in the piece, I thought I’d ask the man of the moment to sum up the week’s events. But no sooner had I opened my mouth than he shot back with an exasperated: “Surely no more questions!” 

Ah, that’s more like it. I look forward to seeing which version turns up for the horses-in-training sales later in the year. 

After a final post-sale debrief with Barry – and yes, a final post-sale four-ex – it seemed only right to bring the curtain down on proceedings by getting stuck into the local nightlife. 

Dinner called for a trip to the unusually named Nobby Beach, where the “hyper-local produce” at Lars was, frankly, off-the-charts good. At least, it was once we finally placed our order. 

I dined with four European agents, one of whom took charge of what we’d be eating. Fair dinkum, he did a mighty job. In the end. 

All I’ll say is, if it takes Johnny McKeever as long to select a yearling he likes, I can see why Magic Millions have so many inspection days after all. 

From there it was back to Moo Moos then onto the casino, where Nick Luck forgot my drink order. Hey, it happens. Especially when you’re in the post-sale trenches. 

But given Nick’s never forgotten a single racing factoid, including, as I learned at the TBA National Hunt Awards one year, granular details of Hexham hunter chase form from yesteryear, I was a bit put out that he couldn’t remember the words “vodka, soda and lime” for a mere 60 seconds. 

He’d later chastise me for describing his Lucky Down Under syndicate buying two yearlings for a combined A$470,000 as a “spending spree.” He added sarcastically: “My wife really enjoyed reading that!” 

Okay, okay. You forgot my drink order, I’ve caused a rift in your marriage. I think we can call it quits now. 

Heading to the sales often feels like disappearing down a rabbit hole. A journey into a parallel universe. Sometimes in a good way, other times, well, never mind. 

But hats off to Magic Millions for getting the balance oh so right. 

Yes, the location and the weather and the time of year are all in their favour. But there’s something intangible here that makes the whole event sing. Even the tractor shed with delusions of grandeur somehow adds to the whole affair. 

It’s entirely accessible as well as thoroughly enjoyable. Business and pleasure going hand in glove. Given the upward trajectory of this event, I’m certain there’s more at play than just serendipity. And no, this isn’t just the post-sale four-ex talking. 

It had been nine years since I last ventured to the Gold Coast. If I’m made to wait another nine years before I return, I’ll definitely be ‘crackin’ the shits’.