How John Warren struck gold while on a ‘busman’s holiday’ at Magic Millions
Highclere Stud’s John and Lady Carolyn Warren were among the breeders toasting a big result at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale on Thursday after their half-brother to Group 1 performer Tannhauser (Dundeel) sold for $850,000.
The youngster, who is set to sport the My Racehorse silks for trainer Michael Freedman, is by Darley’s red-hot first-crop sire Anamoe (Street Cry). The nine-time Group 1 scorer is tied with Rebel’s Romance (Dubawi) as Godolphin’s most prolific elite-level winner.
“We had huge regard for the sire when he was racing, you couldn’t not,” said John Warren. “Such a phenomenal horse who did it at two, three and four, and he even placed in the Golden Slipper. We went to see him at James Cummings’ while he was in training because we wanted to use him and we were very impressed.
“We have four or five mares here in Australia and it’s just great fun to dabble and be able to use horses of that calibre. A little bit of diversification is part of our business plan and it’s such a strong and broad market here.”
Warren said the team from Milburn Creek deserved all the plaudits for producing the six-figure colt.
“From the day he was born we’ve had great reports,” he continued. “We came to see him last year as a foal and were impressed with him back then. Milburn Creek deserve all the credit. It’s the most beautiful farm, an hour and a half south of Sydney in the southern highlands.
“They’ve got a phenomenal team, headed by Scott Holcombe, who’s an outstanding horseman. Living so far away, it’s always difficult to get a handle on your stock, but he treats them all, every horse he rears, like they’re his own. The feedback is fantastic, so we’ve enjoyed the journey.”
The Anamoe colt had been the subject of some positive whispers among the judges on the ground, and Warren said confidence within the camp had also been high leading up to the sale.
“When we arrived two weeks ago and saw him at the farm, he fulfilled all that we’d heard about him,” he said. “We saw all of the Anamoes when we came to the sale and were very impressed, but we sensed he was right up there physically. He ticked the boxes and we’re grateful to Milburn Creek for doing such a great job.”
Warren described his annual trip to the Gold Coast as “a busman’s holiday”, praising the Magic Millions team for orchestrating an event where business and pleasure go hand in hand.
“This place is remarkable,” he said. “Magic Millions, their promotional team, the energy behind it, it’s very impressive. This is the equivalent of the summer holidays for children, everyone’s migrated down here and there’s such a buzz and atmosphere. It’s a really good experience to witness how it unfolds.
“These things don’t happen lightly and they put a huge amount of effort into it. Barry Bowditch [managing director] is really on the ball, and Gerry [Harvey] and Katie [Page-Harvey, co-owners] are just remarkable.”
While Warren was more concerned with selling on this occasion, he suggested the timing of the sale presented an interesting proposition for those looking to unearth a future star.
“If you convert this to Britain, this is the equivalent of selling yearlings at the beginning of July,” he said. “You’re dealing with a thousand immature horses, and that’s what makes this sale fascinating. You’ve got to view them, not just based on what they look like today, you’ve got to visualise what they’re going to be like in 18 months’ time. That’s the fun.”
Highclere’s Australian endeavours have already yielded some notable results, not least Coolangatta (Written Tycoon). She won two Group 1 prizes during her time in training with Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, namely the Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) and Black Caviar Lightning (Gr 1, 1000m).
Fittingly the barn the Anamoe colt was stabled in this week has been named in honour of Coolangatta.
“That was the first thing we noticed when we came down to look at this colt, we were very proud,” said Warren. “Our few little mares have done us really well.”
Warren reported that the dam of the Anamoe colt is back in foal to Too Darn Hot’s (Dubawi) four-time Group 1-winning son Broadsiding.
He said planning matings on the opposite side of the world is not without its challenges, particularly the legwork of having to remain on top of such a variety of bloodlines and racetrack results. However, he suggested having to put in the extra due diligence helped sharpen his focus.
“It’s hard work,” he said. “You can’t be that removed and just hope, you have to be tuned in to understand what’s going on. Home is second nature, it’s every day. This has been a really good journey, though.”