WA trainers urged to back Perth Yearling Sale after strong summer
Traders also expected to seek out value options at Magic Millions auction
Interstate trainers and agents along with participants from the Asian racing capitals of Hong Kong and Singapore are set to bolster the local buying bench at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale.
The 185-lot Book 1 sale will be held this afternoon and the catalogue features yearlings by Western Australian stallions Blackfriars (Danehill), Snippetson (Snippets), the regular stakes-producing War Chant (Danzig) and newcomers such as Awesome Rock (Fastnet Rock) and King’s Troop (Redoute’s Choice).
Eastern seaboard sires represented include Deep Field (Northern Meteor), who had a colt top last week’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Zoustar (Northern Meteor), Choisir (Danehill Dancer), Divine Prophet (Choisir), Dundeel (High Chaparral), Headwater (Exceed And Excel) and Hinchinbrook (Fastnet Rock).
Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said the company’s Western Australian raceday, conducted at Pinjarra earlier this month, had created “a positive vibe going into the sale”.
“There’s a good number of interstate buyers and a smattering of internationals here, which is great, including from Singapore and a few from Hong Kong,” Bowditch told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“The four main eastern states are also well represented, but what we are going to be reliant on is the local market, as always, with the Westspeed system over here.
“With those bonuses and what they are racing for week in, week out is quite phenomenal. I think any owner or trainer over here who is not playing their part in trying to pick up these well-bred and well-conformed horses at the sale for what money they are racing for is insane.”
The Perth sale has provided professional agents with strong trading opportunities in recent years, including a knockout result for Guy Mulcaster emerging from last year’s WA auction.
The New Zealand agent, signing under the Oakwood Farm Molton banner, selected a Shamus Award (Snitzel) colt for $52,000 from the Mogumber Park draft. He subsequently became the highest-priced horse sold at the Australasian two-year-old sales in the spring.
The colt was knocked down for $550,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale of 2YOs in November, providing a terrific return for Mulcaster’s clients.
In 2017, Damon Gabbedy of Belmont Bloodstock bought a Written Tycoon (Iglesia) filly for $110,000 from Dawson Stud before capitalising on the popularity of the leading Victorian sire four months later by selling her for $300,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale.
“The trade market here always provides great opportunity and it will again this year,” Bowditch said.
“Guy is back here, as are the breeze-up guys and the ones who get them up and trial them to take east or internationally and make a dollar are here looking to find a few trade horses as well.”
Yarradale Stud’s War Chant, who sired his 43rd individual stakes winner on Saturday when Flower Of War took out the Cyril Flower Stakes (Listed, 1200m), has 16 yearlings on offer in Perth.
Awesome Rock has 17 yearlings while champion local sire Blackfriars has 15 and Snippetson (Snippets), the sire of Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) winner Gemma’s Son, has 19 lots catalogued.
Mungrup Stud’s Playing God (Blackfriars), who is the sire of this season’s Kingston Town Classic (Gr 1, 1800m) winner Kay Cee, has a dozen yearlings set to go under the hammer.
Amelia Park Racing and Breeding will offer a select seven-lot draft, all of whom are by interstate stallions including Pierro (Lonhro), Shooting To Win (Northern Meteor) and Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry).
Farm manager Sarah Brown said Amelia Park’s draft had come under strong scrutiny from local and interstate buyers during a full day of inspections yesterday.
“I am really happy with our draft. They are still commercial enough that they are in a price bracket that Perth can get involved, but being by eastern state stallions, that has created interstate interest for us,” Brown said yesterday.
“Today was really busy and it was a bit hectic. There were a lot of eastern state buyers here, which is really good for everyone in Perth, and then there were the locals who always show up.”
Last year’s Perth Book 1 sale, the first at Magic Millions then near-complete Swan Valley complex, saw 111 yearlings sold. The top price was $260,000 at an average of $64,667 with a median of $52,500.
The 2020 Perth sale continues this year’s circuit, which started at the Gold Coast in January with a strong auction, followed by a competitive market at Karaka in New Zealand and encouraging figures recorded at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in Sydney last week.
Bowditch laboured the point that Western Australian owners and trainers would underpin the Perth sale but believes some market confidence can be gained from what has occurred at other sales so far this year.
“Generally, you have got to look at some of those indicators and if those markets in the east are strong, it should reflect here in Perth in some way I would have thought,” he said.
“Some of the interstate buyers are still on their way in and then you’ve got the local guys who will do their work in the morning and then are able to come out and do four or five hours of inspections before the sale begins.
“With the auditorium and the new complex here, horses are well presented and it has got a positive vibe about it. All in all, I think the state deserves to have a successful sale with the effort they put in.”
The Book 1 session starts at 1pm local time today with Book 2 taking place from 11am tomorrow.