'The price exceeded our highest expectations' - Espiona sells for A$4.15m at Magic Millions

Espiona became the fourth highest-priced mare to be sold in Australasian bloodstock history when she made A$4.15 million (£2.1m/€2.5m) in an enthralling Magic Millions Virtual Auction on the Gold Coast on Wednesday.

The Star Thoroughbreds-owned Group 1 winner was purchased by Zhijun Zhao, who also bought record-breaking A$6.6m mare Imperatriz at the Magic Millions Broodmare sale on the Gold Coast in May.

A maiden mating for Espiona, who has been under lights at Glenesk Thoroughbreds in New South Wales for the past few weeks, has not been disclosed.

Clint Donovan conducted the auction from Magic Millions’ Gold Coast sales complex, with the opening bid for the unreserved Coolmore Classic winner taken online at A$1m, as was the second bid of A$2m and A$2.2m before phone players got involved.

Arrowfield Stud was the underbidder of the five separate parties who attempted to buy Espiona, one of two mares to have won at the highest level by Extreme Choice.

Coolmore paid A$3.4m for Extreme Choice’s other Group 1-winning daughter, the Champagne Stakes and VRC Oaks scorer She’s Extreme, at this year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale.

Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch was optimistic the sale of Espiona would garner strong competition from a number of investors in high-end bloodstock.

“We always had confidence there was great interest in her, and that was reflected in what happened in the sale,” Bowditch told ANZ Bloodstock News. 

“A mare of her talent, her physique and her pedigree deserved a great price, but it even exceeded our highest expectations. She’s the third highest-priced mare we’ve sold here behind Imperatriz and just behind Sunlight.

“It shows a very viable and exciting way to sell these high-quality lots.”

Syndicator Denise Martin watched the 12 minutes and 21 bids of drama unfold in Sydney with a large proportion of the Star Thoroughbreds owners and the mare’s trainer Chris Waller by her side. Champagne bottles were being popped shortly after to toast the more than A$7.4m windfall and adrenaline rush Espiona had provided them on the racetrack and in the sales ring.

“When she reached A$4 million, to say the least, we were elated and A$4.15 million was just fantastic,” said Martin.

“She’ll go to a great farm and have her chance. She’s got a very good pedigree and I think she’s a mare who could be mated [to a lot of different stallions] quite easily. 

“We thought she’d probably make more than A$3 million, but A$4.15 million was a very lovely surprise.”

Espiona burst onto the scene as a spring three-year-old, winning decisively on her debut at Warwick Farm in October 2021 before producing another brilliant performance when easily winning the Listed Desirable Stakes at Flemington.

The victory had ratings gurus and pundits declaring the Waller-trained filly a Group 1 winner in waiting. 

That took longer than perhaps many expected, eventually coming in the 2023 Coolmore Classic in which she defeated Pride Of Jenni and fellow Group 1 winner Sheeza Belter.

Espiona was placed at the highest level on a further three occasions in 12 subsequent starts.

A A$190,000 purchase by Star Thoroughbreds and Randwick Bloodstock’s Brett Howard at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Espiona was bred by Torryburn Stud and Frank Cook, being the first of only two foals out of Dahooil.

A Warwick Farm Benchmark winner at three when racing just five times for Waller, Dahooil died prematurely in February 2022. She was a sister to the now Widden Stud-owned Listed winner Bonny O’Reilly, the dam of two million-dollar yearlings.

From the first crop of Newgate Farm’s Extreme Choice, who has a 12 per cent stakes winners-to-runners ratio, Espiona is also from the same family as Coolmore Classic winner Steps In Time and dual Group 2 winner Forgot You.

Magic Millions will hold another virtual sale on August 27, on the eve of the breeding season.

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