Shadwell dispersal and A$1 million colt feature in stunning six hours of selling

Buyers seeking quality racing prospects have dominated a dramatic and at times emotional day’s trade at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Sale in a session which saw a A$1 million (£550,000/€635,000) weanling sold in the southern hemisphere for just the second time.

In a stunning six hours of selling on Thursday, which featured the Shadwell Stud Australasia dispersal, a Rick Jamieson-bred I Am Invincible colt cracked the seven-figure mark when purchased by trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace as end-users sought some refuge from a runaway yearling market in order to secure racing propositions.

A further seven weanlings made A$500,000 or more, with at least six of the eight highest-priced foals set to be retained to race rather than being reoffered through a yearling sale next year.

At the end of day one, 160 weanlings had changed hands at an average of A$112,178, a median of A$51,000 and an aggregate of A$17,948,500. The clearance rate was 85 per cent.

Remarkably, the measures were up 87, 71 and 78 per cent respectively on the 2019 Magic Millions National Sale, the last non-Covid-19 impacted sale, so continuing the almost insatiable appetite for stock experienced at this year’s sales.

Shadwell foals shine as buyers take advantage of rare gems

Thursday’s session saw weanlings bred by the late Hamdan Al Maktoum put on the open market for the first and last time, leaving Yarraman Park Stud’s Arthur Mitchell to declare it as the end of an era.

The draft of 20 Shadwell weanlings, comprising high-priced colts by Zoustar, Exceed And Excel and Per Incanto, and quality fillies by I Am Invincible, realised an aggregate of A$5.435m at an average A$271,750.

Speaking soon after completion of the Shadwell session, in which the foals consigned by Yarraman Park were sold back-to-back, Mitchell said: “They’ve been operational in Australia for 30-plus years, so it’s a very sad end of an era for Shadwell and Angus Gold, who has been the driver of this and the selector of these horses.

“They’ve had a wonderful weanling sale and I am sure they’re all very happy. They sold very well, but it’s rather sad that it’s ended the way it has.”

The highest-priced lot of the Shadwell draft was a A$700,000 Zoustar colt who is out of Listed-winning two-year-old Bulbula, making him a half-brother to Group 3 Ottawa Stakes-winning two-year-old filly Aryaaf.

He was bought by agent Justin Bahen and Rosemont Stud. The latter had paid A$1.2m for his Snitzel half-brother as part of the Victorian Alliance syndicate at the recent Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Shadwell had another four weanlings sell from A$500,00 to A$600,000.

Mitchell said: “The Zoustar was a very nice colt, and then there was an I Am Invincible filly who made A$600,000 who is lovely. We think she’s an absolute cracker.

“There were some ones that surprised us, but then didn’t at the same time, like a Per Incanto making A$500,000.

“He’s a lovely horse and we’ve always loved him on the farm, but we certainly didn’t expect him to make that. We thought more like A$250,000, so he certainly doubled our expectations, and the Kermadec colt making A$300,000. He’s a beautiful horse but, again, we certainly weren’t thinking he’d make that.

“It’s funny because the last lot, another Zoustar, made A$200,000 and I thought he might have made a bit more. On the whole, I think they all sold very, very well.”

Mitchell had touched base with Shadwell’s UK-based representative Gold via text message on Thursday and was due to speak to him.

He said: “It’s quite a moving thing for Angus and it’s been quite sad for him. After all those years of putting this together - and no one works harder than Angus, I can tell you - I think it’s very sad the way this had to end.

“While it’s been successful, I really do feel very sorry for Angus for all the work he’s done. He’s done a fabulous job.”

The Yarraman Stud team who were behind the Shadwell dispersal on ThursdayCredit: Magic Millions

Yarraman Park Stud will also consign the Shadwell broodmare band in a special session on Tuesday evening at Magic Millions.

Mitchell added: “Obviously, the way these foals have sold it will be interesting to see how the mares sell. I assume they will sell very well as well,

“There’s a lot of young stakes-winning mares who are going to go forward, so there’s a huge opportunity for people to buy into some lovely families, and the way the foals sold proves that.

“There will be a lot of decent competition on the mares and I think it will be a very strong sale.”

Lost for words

Thursday’s top lot, whose price tag is bettered only by a Redoute’s Choice three-quarters brother to champion two-year-old Dance Hero who sold for A$1.15m at the 2007 Magic Millions National Sale, was an important result for Gilgai Farm owner Jamieson.

Victoria-based Jamieson, who operates the Harry The Hirer business, paid A$1m for the I Am Invincible colt’s dam, stakes-winning Perth filly Ocean Jewel, when she was retired from racing as a four-year-old in a private deal negotiated by agent Damon Gabbedy of Belmont Bloodstock.

An emotional Gilgai Farm manager Kelly Skillecorn was lost for words after the seven-figure result, one that means a lot more to the stud master than just the money.

Skillecorn said: “I am surprised at that. They said he was the best colt at this sale, but it’s still amazing. It helps a lot.

“His business is in a bad way at the moment, so he told me that we’ve got to stand on our own two feet for the next three years. The business can’t help us any more. It’s up to us.

“I must thank Damon Gabbedy for this horse because he could have sold her to anyone but he sold her to us.”

Skillecorn also praised the team at Cressfield, where Gilgai Farm sends its mares to foal down each season and are then housed for three months to be covered by Hunter Valley-based stallions.

Catalogued as Lot 109, the I Am Invincible colt is the first foal out of the former Simon Miller-trained Ocean Jewel, making him a three-quarters brother to Yulong’s dual Group 3-winning juvenile filly Catch Me.

Maher said: "He was off a really good farm, and I had seen the horse up there. Kelly and Rick, they just keep producing winners.

“We'd hoped we wouldn't have to go quite that dear, but the yearling prices are going up and up this year, and we thought it was a good opportunity.

“That's a yearling price, but he's a colt that is clearly a standout, out of a good mare and by the right stallion in I Am invincible.”

Maher revealed the colt would be allowed to grow out at Gilgai Farm near Nagambie in Victoria before being broken in early next year with a view to having him ready for the early-season two-year-old races in 15 months’ time.

“Physically, he has got the movement and strength to make you think he should go early,” the trainer said.

“Someone said to me, ‘It’s the best weanling I have seen at this sale ever’, and they have been coming here for a number of years.

“Obviously, you have to pay for a horse like that.”

Ocean Jewel missed to Deep Field but will return this year to the Newgate Farm-based sire, who has earned a service fee increase to A$88,000.

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