Golden Sixty's half-sister will go under the hammer as part of an unreserved dispersal sale that will signal the end of an era in Australian thoroughbred breeding.
Queensland-based Element Hill will offer more than 40 horses, including the Wootton Bassett yearling filly and her dam Gaudeamus, at the Magic Millions National Sale in May and June.
The outstanding Element Hill property, sitting on 700 acres in the Scenic Rim region on the Queensland-NSW border, will be put up for sale.
General manager Josh Hutchins said the dispersal would be an emotional time for his family as they scale back their thoroughbred interests.
Aside from breeding the world's current highest money-earning racehorse in Hong Kong champion Golden Sixty, the Hutchins family also reached dizzying heights with the 2009/10 Australian Horse Of Year Typhoon Tracy.
"This industry has become part of our family and has given us such incredible memories, but we decided it's now time for the next chapter," Hutchins said.
Bren O’Brien
Hutchins said his family would concentrate on other business interests from property development and investment, to storage and footwear operations.
"It's been an amazing journey and it's something we are very proud of. Not all farms can say that," he said.
"While it is very emotional to be selling the horses - it will be hugely sad to be saying farewell to our incredible staff at the farm. Some have been with us for 10-15 years and become family."
But Hutchins insists his family won't be lost to racing altogether.
"We will focus on just being a buyer and racing a few fillies and standing on the other side of the rostrum," he said.
BREAKING NEWS: Golden Sixty’s Breeder Element Hill to Disperse at National Sale
— Magic Millions (@mmsnippets) January 24, 2024
A quality packed line up of stock from one of Australia’s leading breeding operations will go under the hammer at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Sale.
Read more: https://t.co/fCGYdKYuYv pic.twitter.com/dOLLHQBjEm
Golden Sixty's half-sister was withdrawn from the recent Magic Millions Gold Coast sale where she was expected to be one of the top Lots.
"(She) is a magnificent type and is an exciting racing prospect before you even take into account her breeding value," Hutchins said.
"She is by Wootton Bassett, who was so well received at the Gold Coast this month, and we were so excited to be getting her to the recent sale.
"She just had a minor hiccup, nothing that will affect her future and we are delighted that she will be there headlining the draft."
Jessica Owers
Wootton Bassett lived up to the hype surrounding his first Australian-bred foals offered for sale at the Gold Coast with 32 yearlings selling for an average of $465,625.
His filly out of the Group 1 winner winner Avantage topped the sale at $2.1 million.
Golden Sixty's dam Gaudeamus will be sold in-foal to Home Affairs, who stands on the Coolmore roster alongside Wootton Bassett.
"It's been an amazing journey and it's something we are very proud of. Not all farms can say that" - Josh Hutchins
Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said the Element Hill dispersal offered breeders an outstanding opportunity to tap into the farm's decades of excellence.
"Element Hill is a name that is synonymous with success," he said.
"The Hutchins family have built up an impressive honour roll of success and the fruits of this work will be on offer at the National Sale in May."
