A recap of those who sold for at least $1 million on Day 1 of the National Broodmare Sale
Two of the most expensive mares ever sold in Australia were among eight million-dollar lots on a successful first day of the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast.
Away Game ($4m) and Tofane ($3.1m) contributed greatly to a gross of $44,935,500 which averaged out to $249,642 per lot on a day that realised an 87 percent clearance rate.
Below is a summary of the mares who sold for at least $1 million and what the future holds for them
AWAY GAME – $4,000,000: Exceeded the expectations of many when she was easily the highest-priced lot of the race fillies and mares section. The 4YO daughter of Snitzel and Elusive Wonder, who was a $425,000 yearling, became the fourth highest-priced mare ever sold in Australasian when knocked down to Yulong. A Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner and Golden Slipper runner-up, she will have a date with Written Tycoon this breeding season, but not before contesting more Group 1 races, starting with this Saturday's $700,000 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm.
"We've seen the market is so strong on these fillies that have been dominant, especially with two-year-old form. She's a beautifully filly and if she leaves progeny looking like herself she'll definitely do well in the sale ring," Sam Fairgray said.
TOFANE – $3,100,000: Yulong also bought the day's second most expensive lot; four-time Group 1 winner Tofane. A daughter of Ocean Park and Galileo mare Baggy Green, the Mike Moroney-trained mare is rising seven but may also have more races in store.
"She's no certainty to go to stud this year, we'll just see how things unfold. She's showed in the last year that she's getting better as she gets older so if she's still got that interest in racing then we may race her on," Fairgray said.
LIGHTHOUSE – $1,700,000: The best-performed mare in the supplementary section of the catalogue sold to Dermot Farrington. Bred in the USA, the grey is a daughter of Mizzen Mast and the North Light mare More Hoping, who was a consistent performer for Ciaron Maher ad David Eustace this season, winning the G1 Coolmore Classic (1500m). Farrington bought for a client who has not ruled out racing on.
"You'd be silly to pay that much for a mare and not have everything on the table. She's not just a high-class mare, she's one of the better ones in the country and that'd attract you every day of the week," Farrington said.
MAC 'N' CHEESE – $1,600,000: Yulong were not done after buying the day's top two lots, also digging deep in the supplementary section. Mac 'N' Cheese has appeal as a Stakes-performed 3YO daughter of Sebring and the deceased Thorn Park mare Bonnie Mac, whose only others to race are G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Exceedance and G2 Caulfield Sprint winner Oxley Road.
"She's got a strong pedigree behind her and she's well performed herself. She'll continue to race on, it's just whether she has a spell now or has another start because she's only going to mature as she gets older," Fairgray said.
FOREVER YOU – $1,350,000: Also heading to Yulong is Irish mare Forever You, a daughter of Galileo and Danehill Dancer mare Devoted To You who has won three of her six starts including a last-start win over 2400m at Warwick Farm.
"We actually own her full sister and we sold a Lope de Vega colt for $600,000 here at the Magic Millions Sale. We'll probably keep her in work and give her a couple of starts and see how she goes," Fairgray said.
RUBISAKI – $1,000,000: The 5YO daughter of Rubick and Senro Kisaki (Danehill Dancer) who won a G2 Kewney Stakes (1400m) and was placed in the G1 Sangster Stakes (1200m) was the first seven-figure lots of the sale. She will head back to Victoria after being purchased by James Harron in partnership with Morningside Stud.
"I think she'll probably go to one of Australia's champion sires in Written Tycoon, but we'll wait and see," Morningside's Will Rowsthorn said.
SWIFT WITNESS – $1,000,000: Last year's G2 Silver Shadow Stakes winner, a daughter of Star Witness and the Commands mare Taylor's Command who was trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, was knocked down to Farrington on behalf of an overseas client but will remain in Australia to visit a yet-to-be-determined stallion.
"She's one of those ones we thought we'd have to fight hard for, we did and we're delighted to get her. Besides having a really nice page and being a very good race mare, she's probably one of the best types here," Farrington said.
BALLISTIC LOVER – $1,000,000: The explosive Smart Missile 4YO mare, who counted a couple of Listed wins among her six career wins and finished fourth in last year's G1 Moir Stakes for Sydney trainer Joe Pride, was bought by China Horse Club with the daughter of Show A Heart mare She's A Sweetheart set to visit one of their high-profile stallions.
"She is a mare that can go to support our stallions such as Extreme Choice, Zoustar (or) Russian Revolution. She could go to any of those and she is a long-term mare for us," CHC's Michael Smith said.
The first day comprised the race fillies and mares on offer at this year's sale with the first day of two days' worth of broodmare selling to take place on Wednesday.
