In the space of 10 minutes and $3.4 million later, two potentially elite fillies joined the growing arm of American John Stewart's Resolute Racing empire as the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale moved into overdrive on Tuesday.
In quick succession, auctioneer Steve Davis took Stewart’s online bids for the I Am Invincible filly out of champion New Zealand mare Avantage and the Written Tycoon daughter of Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Away Game.
Stewart paid $1.6 million for the Coolmore-bred and sold second foal of Avantage - her first foal by Wootton Bassett topped last year’s Magic Millions sale at $2.1 million when bought by Te Akau - and $1.8 million for Away Game’s first foal.
The frenetic mid-afternoon trade topped off a nine-horse day one spending spree of $5.32 million by the Resolute Racing founder who was bidding via his laptop from Geneva.
Ciaron Maher, who prepared Away Game to win the 2020 Magic Millions 2YO Classic and four other stakes races, will train the mare’s first foal for Stewart and his girlfriend Chelsey Stone as well as some stable clients.
“Clearly, they have some very good quality horses and would dare to go after the ones they want,” Maher said.
“He had her marked down as one of the best fillies in the sale, so he was taking it home, I think, no matter what and, fortunately, I've got a relationship with him.
“Hopefully, she can take these owners on a similar journey that Away Game took (her owners on).”
Tim Rowe
Minutes before Stewart landed the Yulong-bred filly out of Away Game, Te Akau’s David Ellis, whose trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson prepare champion mare Avantage’s first foal by Wootton Bassett, was the underbidder on the Coolmore-bred I Am Invincible filly.
Coolmore’s Tom Magnier paid NZ$4.1 million in 2021 for nine-time Group 1 winner Avantage when she was retired from racing by Te Akau.
Her two foals to go through the ring to date have realised $3.7 million with another I Am Invincible filly at foot with the Fastnet Rock mare in foal to Zoustar.
“She was a lovely filly and she’s been that since she was a foal,” Magnier said.
“John Stewart, he’s a great friend of ours and he’s been a great supporter of us down here and I wish him every success with this filly.
“It is a great page and a great family and I hope she becomes a successful broodmare. She’s very nice. We had a reserve on her and we were happy to keep her up to a level. Fair play to Magic Millions for getting the overseas people involved in the sales.”
Aushorse Investor’s Guide 2025
- More Races worth $1 million+ than Europe & America combined
- More than 140,000 Australians involved in racehorse ownership
Stewart revealed his phone had “blown up” from trainers offering to take on his Magic Millions horses and a decision on who would prepare the I Am Invincible filly will be made in the coming weeks.
He already has two-year-olds purchased at last year’s Inglis Easter sale in training with Chris Waller, Maher and Bjorn Baker and Stewart hasn’t ruled out expanding his roster of Australian stables including Te Akau.
Stewart had intended to be at the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions but a family emergency saw him turn back.
While he was unable to see the horses in the flesh, his agent Gavin O’Connor and girlfriend Stone provided advice on the horses’ conformation from photos and videos while Stewart also had some trusted friends on the Gold Coast also cast their eye over his shortlist.
The extension of Stewart’s enormous bloodstock operation to include Australia, which started last year, is helped by the low Australian dollar.
Tim Rowe
“Of course, I'm converting everything to US dollars and we got through the first four or five purchases, and I was like, ‘Chelsey, we haven’t even spent a million (US) dollars and we’ve got five horses, so it's a pretty good deal,” he said.
“But we also knew that we were going to pay out for some horses later in the sale, and we did on those two fillies. Overall, I spent about US$3.4 million and I’ve got nine horses, so I’m pretty happy with that.”
