Frankel foals up front again on the Gold Coast

Foals by Frankel were top of the list for buyers at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale, with a colt by the champion stallion topping the first day at $500,000 and a filly by the same sire going for $450,000.

Frankel weanlings have averaged $620,000 in Australia over the past four years and provided the top two lots for this sale last year. So, it was little surprise that his two foals on Day 1, Lot 15 and Lot 144, were the most in demand of the day.

Lot 15, a colt offered by Coolmore, offered an Australian influence in her pedigree through her dam Amicus, who won the Thousand Guineas. Her two Galileo colts to date have both been stakes placed, Okita Soushi and Chief Little Rock, while the family also contains Coolmore stallion Starspangledbanner.

It was Cunningham Thoroughbreds, who tasted success on the Gold Coast in January through their colt Storm Boy, who won the day, thanks to bloodstock agent Jim Clarke.

“He’s lovely colt, big pedigree, so we were delighted to get him,” Clarke said.

“The stallion is a freak. He is equally good in this part of the world as he is in the northern hemisphere, he’s an extremely versatile stallion. He gets two-year-olds, they train on, they go to various distances and suit all sorts of conditions.”

Bjorn Baker Racing was also on the docket, with the colt destined for a racing career at the Warwick Farm trainer’s stables.

It repeats a formula from two years back when the same three buyers secured a Frankel colt for $560,000 at this sale. Named Viktor, he is as yet unraced in the Cunningham colours but shows potential.

That colt’s dam, Fix, was a Group 2 winner, so this year’s buy, on face value looks better value,  

“Obviously, (Lot 15) being out of a mare that was a Group 1 winner here, there’s a lot of familiarity in that pedigree. She’s done a really good job so far from her first couple to the races,” Clarke said.

Later in the day, North’s Mick Malone was the last man standing in bidding for Lot 144, a Frankel filly also from Coolmore, paying $450,000.

She is out of a War Front mare called Kipralova, who was unraced but is a sister to three stakes winners, including Grade 1 winner Avenge.

Malone purchased her on behalf of undisclosed clients and said a decision would be made whether she might be retained or re-offered through next year’s yearling sales.  

“International pedigrees like that are hard to buy and by Frankel, later on as broodmare, she’ll just be star. I’m very happy to have her coming home,” Malone said.

“I can see her growing not a lovely yearling and then into a beautiful mare.”

Coolmore may have sold the top two lots but would have also been very pleased that first-season stallion Home Affairs had the next two highest-priced lots.

Lot 21, a filly offered by Coolmore out of stakes-placed Fastnet Rock mare Art Collection, who is a half-sister to champion sprinter Lankan Rupee, sold to Lindsay Maxsted for $380,000.

Then Lot 127, a Home Affairs colt consigned by Newgate, sold to Riverstone Lodge and Suman Hedge for $350,000. He is out of Grade 2-winning American mare Inthemidstofbiz.

Home Affairs led the way of all sires on day one, with $1.51 million of receipts across 10 purchases, an average of $151,000.  

The overall first day average of $76,916 was down on the opening day of last year when it was $85,000, while the clearance rate increased from 70 per cent to 75 per cent.

With 68 fewer foals catalogued on the first day, gross spend comparisons aren’t possible, although the median fell from $60,000 to $45,000, under the influence of a more value-minded buyers’ bench.