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It is possible that everyone in the racing industry worldwide has heard of Global Glamour (Aus) (Star Witness {Aus}). That is because, as Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox put it, everyone in the racing industry knows at least one of the dual Group 1 winner’s 40 owners.
In the space of just seven days in October, Global Glamour wrote Magic Millions the best advertisement it could dream of when winning the G1 Flight S. and G1 Thousand Guineas for the syndicate of 40 women spread across the globe that came together to buy her on the Gold Coast in 2015 for A$65,000. With just five starts under her belt, Global Glamour has earned A$641,500.
Global Glamour, of course, isn’t the only filly to fly the flag on the global stage this year for the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The incomparable Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) was a A$230,000 buy in 2013, and she has now won 13 straight races including nine Group 1s and two Cox Plates, and earned over A$9.3-million. The Gold Coast Sale has also produced the last two winners of the G1 Golden Slipper in Vancouver (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro) and Capitalist (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}).
The 2017 edition of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale takes place Jan. 11 to 17. The first four days comprise Book 1, and include three daytime sessions followed by an evening session on the Saturday that takes place after the A$10-million Magic Millions Race Day across the street from the sales complex at the Gold Coast Turf Club. Book 2 takes place Sunday the 15th, followed by Book 3 on the 17th. There are 1030 yearlings catalogued across Books 1 and 2, and while a quick flip through the catalogue pages suggests the sale could be one of the strongest renewals ever held, Magic Millions’s Vin Cox and Barry Bowditch said that rather than waxing poetic, they’d prefer for the judges to decide for themselves.
Bowditch noted, however, that entries–and quality among those entries–were up for this renewal.
“We had more quality horses than ever to choose from,” he said. “Therefore, we were able to be very selective about what we took. The depth in the higher level of the catalogue is much deeper than we’ve ever had in the past–we have 60 more horses in Book 1.”
While as recent as a few years ago the Gold Coast sale was considered chiefly a source of precocious juveniles, the sale can no longer be pigeonholed, Bowditch said.
“The depth and the diversity–nearly 100 stallions represented over the books–is pretty important,” he said. “We’re not too one-dimensional in any way; there should be a horse for everyone there.”
The catalogue includes 34 siblings to Group 1 winners and the progeny of 21 Group 1-winning mares, as well as the relations to many other prolific stakes performers and members of some of Australia’s–and the world’s–most prolific families, including several descendants of the great Shantha’s Choice (Aus) (Canny Lad {Aus}), whose worldwide appeal was highlighted recently when a War Front colt out of her granddaughter Drifting Cube (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) was the highest-priced weanling at Keeneland’s November Sale when bought by MV Magnier for $1.45-million.
Highlights of the catalogue on paper include lot 73, a colt from the first crop of The Factor who is a half to G1 Coolmore Stud S. winner Japonisme (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}); lot 81, a Fastnet Rock (Aus) daughter of Australian champion 3-year-old filly Heavenly Glow (Aus) (Spinning World); lot 141, a Smart Missile (Aus) half-sister to this year’s G1 Golden Slipper winner Capitalist; lot 232, a Dundeel (NZ) colt out of champion Miss Finland (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}), already the dam of Classic winner Stay With Me (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}); lot 266, a Pierro (Aus) colt who is the first foal out of French Group 2 winner Never Forget (Fr) (Westerner {Fr}); lot 294, a Pierro filly out of Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Pane In The Glass (Aus) (Testa Rossa {Aus}); lot 302, a Fastnet Rock son of G1 Tattersalls Tiara S. winner Pear Tart (Aus) (Dehere); d, a Not A Single Doubt (Aus) half-sister to Group 2 winners Catch A Fire (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) and Seaburge (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}); lot 339, a full-brother to G1 Golden Slipper winner and successful sire Sebring (Aus) (More Than Ready); lot 353, an Equiano (Fr) half-brother to Group 1 winner Srikandi (Aus) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Group 3 winner Rain Gal (Aus) (Galileo {Ire}); lot 420, a full-sister to champion 3-year-old Brazen Beau (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}); lot 459, an I Am Invincible colt out of multiple group winner Sister Madly (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}), whose Sepoy colt made A$1.2-million here two years ago; lot 490, a Bernardini colt who is the first foal for four-time Group 1 winner Streama (Aus) (Stratum {Aus}); lot 570, an I Am Invincible daughter of Group 2 winner Vormista (Aus) (Testa Rossa {Aus}), and a half-sister to G1 Blue Diamond S.-second Reemah (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}); lot 607, an I Am Invincible half-brother to Group 1-winning sprinter Sizzling (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}); lot 642, a filly by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) from the immediate family of Group 1 winner Mikki Isle (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}); lot 648, a Snitzel half-brother to this season’s G1 Emirates S. winner Awesome Rock (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}); lot 765, a Fastnet Rock half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Miracles of Life (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}); lot 805, an Exceed and Excel (Aus) colt out of G1 South Australian Oaks winner Episode (Aus) (Scenic {Ire}), and therefore a half-brother to G1 Flight S. winner First Seal (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}).
There are almost 60 yearlings out of American-bred mares catalogued, including lot 72, a Snitzel filly out of dual Grade II winner Gypsy Robin (Daaher); lot 98, a Fastnet Rock filly out of a half-sister to Horse of the Year Wise Dan (Wiseman’s Ferry); lot 165, a Tapit filly out of dual stakes winner Leinan (Ready’s Image); lot 203, a Medaglia d’Oro colt out of GI Spinaway S. winner Mani Bhavan (Storm Boot); lot 336, a Fastnet Rock colt out of GI Hollywood Starlet S. winner Pure Fun (Pure Prize); lot 375, an All Too Hard (Aus) colt out of GI Ballerina S. winner Rightly So (Read the Footnotes); lot 532, a Tapit colt out of GII Schuylerville S. winner Touch Love (Not for Love), who is already the dam of three stakes horses including stakes winner Starfish Bay (Elusive Quality); and lot 797, a Fastnet Rock half-sister to dual Grade III winner Pachattack (Pulpit).
The aforementioned lots just scratch surface of the international appeal in the catalogue, a trend that has been apparent Down Under for a number of years now. Americans and Europeans have been traveling in increasing numbers to Australia to buy yearlings, often in partnership with each other and local buyers, and in turn Australians have been traveling far and wide to source broodmares with commercial appeal on a worldwide level. Speaking from Keeneland during the November sale, Vin Cox said, “we’ve been saying for a long time the globalization of the industry has been happening for 10 to 15 years, with the proliferation of the shuttle stallions. Now, you’re getting more and more Australians coming here to buy mares so the Americans can then recognize those pedigrees when they come to our sales. And a lot of these American owners and Australian owners are teaming up in horses, whether it’s in Australia or in America, which happened this year [at Keeneland] September. Everyone knows each other; it’s a small pool that we deal in and it’s great that there’s this cross-pollination of the industries.”
While the appearance of new international visitors always generates excitement for a sales company, it is important to note that the majority of spending is still done by domestic buyers.
“Last year the total spend roughly from internationals was 30%, so the other 70% was the domestic market,” Cox said. “Of the 30% the internationals spent, the majority left their horses in Australia to race for obvious reasons: the prize money is outstanding, the racing is great and if you can get a horse that turns into a Capitalist, a Vancouver, a Pierro–they’re worth a lot of money. That’s one thing our market is: if you do get the right colt, it’ll change your postcode, as we say at home.”
First-season sires have featured prominently at the Gold Coast sale the last two years, with a son of Sepoy topping the sale at A$1.2-million two years go and Pierro last year producing two seven-figure lots, including the sale’s most expensive filly. This year’s line up boasts some exciting prospects in the likes of Camelot (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}), Dawn Approach (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), Declaration Of War (War Front), Dundeel (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}), Epaulette (Aus) (Commands {Aus}), Eurozone (Aus) (Northern Meteor {Aus}), Fiorente (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), Shamus Award (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), Sizzling (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), The Factor (War Front), Unencumbered (Aus) (Testa Rossa {Aus}) and Zoustar (Aus) (Northern Meteor {Aus}).
The Australian yearling market hit unprecedented heights last year, and the Gold Coast sale itself became the Southern Hemisphere’s highest-grossing yearling sale since 2008. Last year’s average and median each climbed 15% to A$195,679 and A$150,000, respectively, but perhaps the most remarkable figure was the 88.5% clearance rate for 591 sold. Cox suggested Australia’s syndication model is a big reason why so many horses are able to be sold.
“The biggest difference between our market and the North American market or European market is the syndication model we have,” he said. “Something like one in 300 Australians owns a share in a horse, which is a staggering statistic, when you think about it. When you’ve got that sort of awareness of horses, ownership and investment in horses, it’s an easy sell.”
Another driving factor in Magic Millions sales has been its race day, contested annually on the Saturday after the first three days of selling. The race day received a significant prize money injection last year, making it the first A$10-million race day ever staged in Australia. The races are restricted to graduates of Magic Millions sales and are highlighted by the A$2.5-million Magic Millions 2YO Classic and the A$2-million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas. The 2YO Classic also features the Magic Millions women’s bonus: A$500,000 split between the first four all female owned horses across the line.
“There’s no doubt it’s had a significant effect,” said Cox of the influence of the race day on the sale. “Going back to the syndicators, it’s an easy sell for them to say, ‘you’ve got a horse that’s qualified for the Magic Million race series,’–it’s a lifetime member of the Magic Millions club, if you like. You don’t necessarily have to come for the 2-year-old race, you can come back the next year as a 3-year-old or as an older horse. But we’re finding a number of people saying they want to buy a horse for the 2-year-old race.”
In other words, no matter what way you look at it, there should be something for everyone on the Gold Coast in January.
Continue reading...
In the space of just seven days in October, Global Glamour wrote Magic Millions the best advertisement it could dream of when winning the G1 Flight S. and G1 Thousand Guineas for the syndicate of 40 women spread across the globe that came together to buy her on the Gold Coast in 2015 for A$65,000. With just five starts under her belt, Global Glamour has earned A$641,500.
Global Glamour, of course, isn’t the only filly to fly the flag on the global stage this year for the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The incomparable Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) was a A$230,000 buy in 2013, and she has now won 13 straight races including nine Group 1s and two Cox Plates, and earned over A$9.3-million. The Gold Coast Sale has also produced the last two winners of the G1 Golden Slipper in Vancouver (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro) and Capitalist (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}).
The 2017 edition of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale takes place Jan. 11 to 17. The first four days comprise Book 1, and include three daytime sessions followed by an evening session on the Saturday that takes place after the A$10-million Magic Millions Race Day across the street from the sales complex at the Gold Coast Turf Club. Book 2 takes place Sunday the 15th, followed by Book 3 on the 17th. There are 1030 yearlings catalogued across Books 1 and 2, and while a quick flip through the catalogue pages suggests the sale could be one of the strongest renewals ever held, Magic Millions’s Vin Cox and Barry Bowditch said that rather than waxing poetic, they’d prefer for the judges to decide for themselves.
Bowditch noted, however, that entries–and quality among those entries–were up for this renewal.
“We had more quality horses than ever to choose from,” he said. “Therefore, we were able to be very selective about what we took. The depth in the higher level of the catalogue is much deeper than we’ve ever had in the past–we have 60 more horses in Book 1.”
While as recent as a few years ago the Gold Coast sale was considered chiefly a source of precocious juveniles, the sale can no longer be pigeonholed, Bowditch said.
“The depth and the diversity–nearly 100 stallions represented over the books–is pretty important,” he said. “We’re not too one-dimensional in any way; there should be a horse for everyone there.”
The catalogue includes 34 siblings to Group 1 winners and the progeny of 21 Group 1-winning mares, as well as the relations to many other prolific stakes performers and members of some of Australia’s–and the world’s–most prolific families, including several descendants of the great Shantha’s Choice (Aus) (Canny Lad {Aus}), whose worldwide appeal was highlighted recently when a War Front colt out of her granddaughter Drifting Cube (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) was the highest-priced weanling at Keeneland’s November Sale when bought by MV Magnier for $1.45-million.
Highlights of the catalogue on paper include lot 73, a colt from the first crop of The Factor who is a half to G1 Coolmore Stud S. winner Japonisme (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}); lot 81, a Fastnet Rock (Aus) daughter of Australian champion 3-year-old filly Heavenly Glow (Aus) (Spinning World); lot 141, a Smart Missile (Aus) half-sister to this year’s G1 Golden Slipper winner Capitalist; lot 232, a Dundeel (NZ) colt out of champion Miss Finland (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}), already the dam of Classic winner Stay With Me (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}); lot 266, a Pierro (Aus) colt who is the first foal out of French Group 2 winner Never Forget (Fr) (Westerner {Fr}); lot 294, a Pierro filly out of Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Pane In The Glass (Aus) (Testa Rossa {Aus}); lot 302, a Fastnet Rock son of G1 Tattersalls Tiara S. winner Pear Tart (Aus) (Dehere); d, a Not A Single Doubt (Aus) half-sister to Group 2 winners Catch A Fire (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) and Seaburge (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}); lot 339, a full-brother to G1 Golden Slipper winner and successful sire Sebring (Aus) (More Than Ready); lot 353, an Equiano (Fr) half-brother to Group 1 winner Srikandi (Aus) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Group 3 winner Rain Gal (Aus) (Galileo {Ire}); lot 420, a full-sister to champion 3-year-old Brazen Beau (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}); lot 459, an I Am Invincible colt out of multiple group winner Sister Madly (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}), whose Sepoy colt made A$1.2-million here two years ago; lot 490, a Bernardini colt who is the first foal for four-time Group 1 winner Streama (Aus) (Stratum {Aus}); lot 570, an I Am Invincible daughter of Group 2 winner Vormista (Aus) (Testa Rossa {Aus}), and a half-sister to G1 Blue Diamond S.-second Reemah (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}); lot 607, an I Am Invincible half-brother to Group 1-winning sprinter Sizzling (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}); lot 642, a filly by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) from the immediate family of Group 1 winner Mikki Isle (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}); lot 648, a Snitzel half-brother to this season’s G1 Emirates S. winner Awesome Rock (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}); lot 765, a Fastnet Rock half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Miracles of Life (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}); lot 805, an Exceed and Excel (Aus) colt out of G1 South Australian Oaks winner Episode (Aus) (Scenic {Ire}), and therefore a half-brother to G1 Flight S. winner First Seal (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}).
There are almost 60 yearlings out of American-bred mares catalogued, including lot 72, a Snitzel filly out of dual Grade II winner Gypsy Robin (Daaher); lot 98, a Fastnet Rock filly out of a half-sister to Horse of the Year Wise Dan (Wiseman’s Ferry); lot 165, a Tapit filly out of dual stakes winner Leinan (Ready’s Image); lot 203, a Medaglia d’Oro colt out of GI Spinaway S. winner Mani Bhavan (Storm Boot); lot 336, a Fastnet Rock colt out of GI Hollywood Starlet S. winner Pure Fun (Pure Prize); lot 375, an All Too Hard (Aus) colt out of GI Ballerina S. winner Rightly So (Read the Footnotes); lot 532, a Tapit colt out of GII Schuylerville S. winner Touch Love (Not for Love), who is already the dam of three stakes horses including stakes winner Starfish Bay (Elusive Quality); and lot 797, a Fastnet Rock half-sister to dual Grade III winner Pachattack (Pulpit).
The aforementioned lots just scratch surface of the international appeal in the catalogue, a trend that has been apparent Down Under for a number of years now. Americans and Europeans have been traveling in increasing numbers to Australia to buy yearlings, often in partnership with each other and local buyers, and in turn Australians have been traveling far and wide to source broodmares with commercial appeal on a worldwide level. Speaking from Keeneland during the November sale, Vin Cox said, “we’ve been saying for a long time the globalization of the industry has been happening for 10 to 15 years, with the proliferation of the shuttle stallions. Now, you’re getting more and more Australians coming here to buy mares so the Americans can then recognize those pedigrees when they come to our sales. And a lot of these American owners and Australian owners are teaming up in horses, whether it’s in Australia or in America, which happened this year [at Keeneland] September. Everyone knows each other; it’s a small pool that we deal in and it’s great that there’s this cross-pollination of the industries.”
While the appearance of new international visitors always generates excitement for a sales company, it is important to note that the majority of spending is still done by domestic buyers.
“Last year the total spend roughly from internationals was 30%, so the other 70% was the domestic market,” Cox said. “Of the 30% the internationals spent, the majority left their horses in Australia to race for obvious reasons: the prize money is outstanding, the racing is great and if you can get a horse that turns into a Capitalist, a Vancouver, a Pierro–they’re worth a lot of money. That’s one thing our market is: if you do get the right colt, it’ll change your postcode, as we say at home.”
First-season sires have featured prominently at the Gold Coast sale the last two years, with a son of Sepoy topping the sale at A$1.2-million two years go and Pierro last year producing two seven-figure lots, including the sale’s most expensive filly. This year’s line up boasts some exciting prospects in the likes of Camelot (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}), Dawn Approach (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), Declaration Of War (War Front), Dundeel (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}), Epaulette (Aus) (Commands {Aus}), Eurozone (Aus) (Northern Meteor {Aus}), Fiorente (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), Shamus Award (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), Sizzling (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), The Factor (War Front), Unencumbered (Aus) (Testa Rossa {Aus}) and Zoustar (Aus) (Northern Meteor {Aus}).
The Australian yearling market hit unprecedented heights last year, and the Gold Coast sale itself became the Southern Hemisphere’s highest-grossing yearling sale since 2008. Last year’s average and median each climbed 15% to A$195,679 and A$150,000, respectively, but perhaps the most remarkable figure was the 88.5% clearance rate for 591 sold. Cox suggested Australia’s syndication model is a big reason why so many horses are able to be sold.
“The biggest difference between our market and the North American market or European market is the syndication model we have,” he said. “Something like one in 300 Australians owns a share in a horse, which is a staggering statistic, when you think about it. When you’ve got that sort of awareness of horses, ownership and investment in horses, it’s an easy sell.”
Another driving factor in Magic Millions sales has been its race day, contested annually on the Saturday after the first three days of selling. The race day received a significant prize money injection last year, making it the first A$10-million race day ever staged in Australia. The races are restricted to graduates of Magic Millions sales and are highlighted by the A$2.5-million Magic Millions 2YO Classic and the A$2-million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas. The 2YO Classic also features the Magic Millions women’s bonus: A$500,000 split between the first four all female owned horses across the line.
“There’s no doubt it’s had a significant effect,” said Cox of the influence of the race day on the sale. “Going back to the syndicators, it’s an easy sell for them to say, ‘you’ve got a horse that’s qualified for the Magic Million race series,’–it’s a lifetime member of the Magic Millions club, if you like. You don’t necessarily have to come for the 2-year-old race, you can come back the next year as a 3-year-old or as an older horse. But we’re finding a number of people saying they want to buy a horse for the 2-year-old race.”
In other words, no matter what way you look at it, there should be something for everyone on the Gold Coast in January.
Continue reading...