Steady Book 1 for Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearlings

A diverse buying bench and deep catalog combined to ensure the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale concluded Book 1 Jan. 16 with a decidedly healthy set of figures. A smaller offering meant turnover was always liable to dip year on year, but after four sessions of lively Book 1 trade, aggregate sales were just 2% behind 12 months ago at AU$202,597,500 (US$135,415,156, AU$1=US$0.67). The average price, underpinned by 15 seven-figure lots, increased marginally to AU$273,180 (US$183,031), while the median held firm at AU$200,000 (US$134,000). The clearance rate was up close to three points at 86% as 741 yearlings found a new home. "I'm delighted," Magic Millions' managing director Barry Bowditch said. "AU$200 million was a real goal leading in, but to have 40 less horses cataloged, and there were 20-plus more withdrawals, and some significant withdrawals in recent days, it was pleasing to get close to last year's gross. To increase the clearance rate, which is closing at 86%, and an average that's up on last year, all the key numbers are reflective of what we believed leading in was a strong catalog. "We worked hard to get the best buying bench we possibly could. There were a lot of trainers here, a good diverse bunch from a lot of the regional areas, be it Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland; the buyers from New Zealand and throughout Asia were fantastic. It was a diverse buying bench but we really made sure we marketed the sale so people could come over here and have a great selection of horses within all budgets." He added: "What pleased me was the spread of buyers. There were 45 different buyers who spent a million or more, which is a big spread. That shows there's a great thirst for yearlings in Australia and a great thirst for the Magic Millions product. It's been busy from the moment we turned the lights on at 11 a.m. on Tuesday." Chris Waller and Guy Mulcaster topped the buyers' chart with 14 new recruits costing a combined AU$8.685 million. The two priciest members of the group were picked up during Day 4, led by a Snitzel colt who fetched AU$1.5 million late in the piece. The Coolmore-consigned youngster is the first foal out of Vangelic, the second-highest earner sired by Vancouver (AUS). The dam had plenty of talent on the track, winning the 2021 Golden Pendant (G2) and reaching the podium in the 2021 Surround Stakes and 2020 Flight Stakes (both G1). Vangelic joined the Coolmore broodmare band when purchased by Tom Magnier for AU$1.5 million at the 2023 edition of the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale. "He looked really sharp and he did really well through the prep," Mulcaster said. "He looks like an early runner and moves beautifully. I think what we paid for him is pretty well on the mark. It's a helluva lot of money but that's what they seem to cost. When you get good colts that return to stud then they look cheap, but if they don't, well, whatever will be will be. He's a beautiful horse though. The mare ran in a lot of good stakes races and acquitted herself very well." The Gold Coast Yearling Sale concludes with Book 2, which starts at 12 noon local time Jan. 18.