Mariamia repays Newhaven with $1.8 million windfall

Mariamia is the latest Group 1-winning mare to head to the Yulong broodmare band after being sold in foal to I Am Invincible for $1.8 million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

Offered by Newhaven Park, who paid $335,000 for the daughter of Toronado before she won the Group 1 Galaxy in 2023, Mariamia was signed for on Wednesday by Yulong associate Zhijun Zhao.

“We got lucky. That’s what we got. We bought her to go to Xtravagant and we put her in work to race. She proved to be a lot better than that and she improved into the autumn and won a Group 1,” Newhaven Park’s John Kelly said.

“Then we brought her up here, sent her to I Am Invincible in early September and she sold terrific.

“It is a wonderful price. It has probably exceeded our expectations. When you get up to that level, how do you know what horses are worth? It is a matter of who wants to win.”

She becomes the 19th Australian Group 1 winner to go to Yulong and she will be joined by another mare in foal to I Am Invincible, Biscayne Bay, who was purchased by the Panthalassa Syndicate – also Yulong related – after paying $1.2 million for her.

“We thought she was really well bought. She’s a gorgeous mare, a Sebring mare, a stakes winner,” Yulong’s Troy Stephens said.

“She ran third in an Oaks and is carrying a beautiful pregnancy. She’s already inbred to Danehill but she’d really suit one of our young sires like Pierata.”

Biscayne Bay won a Group 3 SA Sires’ Produce and was placed in VRC Oaks. She is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Tenley and in her extended family is the Golden Slipper winner Vancouver.

The third million-dollar lot of the day was the imported stakes winner Grande Dame, a daughter of Lope de Vega, in foal to Frankel. James Bester purchased her for $1.2 million on behalf of Victoria’s Morning Rise Stud.

“With Robert McClure’s Morning Rise we bought Legacies and now this one,” Bester said.

“He doesn’t want to buy green bananas anymore. This is a very all-or-nothing market and if you’re not playing at the top level you might as well not be playing.

“The thought of having a Frankel out of such a good mare and such a good type of mare was very enticing.”

“He doesn’t want to buy green bananas anymore. This is a very all-or-nothing market and if you’re not playing at the top level you might as well not be playing.” – James Bester

The overall average is marginally higher than it was after two days, to $234,735 from $233,351, while the median has fallen from $110,000 to $100,000.

The overall clearance sits at a solid 81 per cent, an increase on last year when it was 76 per cent, while the aggregate through the first two days is slightly down on $75.8 million compared to $76.8 million in 2023.

Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch was broadly pleased with the second day’s trade.

“There is obviously an eye for quality out there for the right product. I think vendors in most cases are being realistic and willing to put them on the market at value,” he said.

“I think the market found a good level today. There was enough confidence out there and if a mare that walked in that had strong appeal, people were prepared to buy it.

“These mares are in foal to particularly good stallions and they’re on their way. They are willing to foal them down and trade away.”

The final day of the National Broodmare Sale is on Thursday.