In today's Straight Shorts, we have the latest from the opening day of Magic Millions' March Yearling Sale, news on the Golden Slipper Marhoona, a New Zealand stud announcement, a name for Mystic Journey's first filly and an update on Broadsiding's autumn.
Trilogy hoping Capitalist colt proves to be a money spinner
A son of Golden Slipper winner Capitalist was the highest-priced lot on a difficult day of trade at the Magic Millions March Yearling Sale where budget-conscious buyers held sway on the Gold Coast.
The $150,000 session topper, a son of the well-performed two-time stakes-winning mare Sold For Song, was bought by Trilogy Racing and bloodstock agent Suman Hedge out of the draft of KBL Thoroughbreds.
He was bred by Queensland farmer Ian Price who raced the Kevin Kemp-trained Sold For Song.
“He is just a lovely strong horse with a great hip on him, sharp looking, really twitchy on the walk and Capitalist is doing a great job, he’s getting winners every week,” said Hedge, who indicated that a decision on who will train the colt won’t be made for a few weeks’ time.
Illustrating the difficulty of the market which has prevailed this year, six of the eight six-figure yearlings sold on day one were bought by interstate or international buyers.
Premier Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan and his agent John Foote bought the first foal, a filly, by Spirit Of Boom out of Listed Calaway Gal winner Sweet Dolly for $140,000 while New Zealand-based South African agent Craig Ramsay paid the same price for another filly by the leading Queensland stallion.
Leading Western Australia trainers Grant and Alana Williams, along with Hedge, paid $110,000 for a filly by Brave Smash and $120,000 for a colt by Spirit Of Boom, the same sire as the stable’s top filly Keshi Boom.
Sydney-based syndicator Proven Thoroughbreds paid $100,000 for the Better Than Ready brother to two-time Queensland winner Alpha Bravo.
Proven Thoroughbreds’ Jamie Walter will keep the colt, who is also a half-brother to the Melbourne winner Lazy Susan, in Queensland to be trained by Matt Hoysted.
South Australia’s Ashtin James paid $100,000 for a daughter of So You Think and local Queensland trainer Ben Ahrens outlaid $100,000 for a Spirit Of Boom colt.
“You could describe today as a selective day in the marketplace. Obviously the right product sold very, very well. We had eight $100,000 horses as opposed to two last year and an increase in average,” Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said.
“It was great to buyers from China, South Africa, Western Australia, Victoria playing at the higher end, which is great to see, but the significant issue in the market today was the pass-in rate.
“We want to lift that (on Tuesday) well into the 70s and I think that’s possible. We’ve got a good line of horses (on day two) … and I hope the local market gets behind the product here because the QTIS bonuses are sensational.”
In all, 101 yearlings changed hands at an average of $37,054, about $3000 higher on the corresponding session last year, and the median dropped $2500 to $26,000.
In all, 103 yearlings changed hands at an average of $37,015, about $3,000 higher on the corresponding session last year, and the median dropped $2500 to $26,000.
The clearance rate was at 66 per cent at the close of the day after sitting at 50 per cent early on day one.
Day two starts at 11am (AEST) on Tuesday.
Magic Millions Gold Coast March Sale - Day 1
Shin soreness ends Golden Slipper winner’s autumn
Golden Slipper winner Marhoona is off to the spelling paddock following her win in the $5 million race.
Trainer Michael Freedman revealed the filly was shin sore following her win over Wodeton and Tempted - just 43 days and two starts after making a winning debut.
“We will give her a nice six-to-eight weeks off and look forward to what we can do with her in the spring,” Freedman told RSN.
“She’s a pretty special filly to be able to do what she’s done.
“Certainly early in the piece wasn’t in our calculations as far as the Slipper was concerned.”
Blue Diamond Stakes winner Devil Night, who ran fifth in the Slipper, has also been spelled.
Too Darn Lizzie to be offered at Chairman’s Sale
Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber will sell their high-class three-year-old filly Too Darn Lizzie, a daughter of champion freshman sire Too Darn Hot, at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale in May.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Too Darn Lizzie, a $1 million Magic Millions yearling purchase by Johnny McKeever for the Watership Down Stud owners, has proven to be consistent in stakes company as a two- and three-year-old, winning the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude at Caulfield last spring.
She was also placed in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas and she has been placed three times in Melbourne this autumn in stakes company
Lord and Lady Webber also own Too Darn Lizzie’s sire Too Darn Hot.
“We bought her with the goal of securing the best Too Darn Hot filly from his first crop, supporting and promoting the stallion,” Watership Down Stud manager Simon Marsh said.
“Never did we imagine she would perform at such an elite level, consistently excelling as a two and three-year-old.
“The decision to sell has been incredibly difficult, but as a commercial breeding operation, reinvesting in mares to support Too Darn Hot makes sense.
“Whoever secures her will have an extraordinary opportunity - she still has a big race in her, and long-term, she’s destined to be an outstanding broodmare, just like her dam.”
Out of Group 2 Blue Diamond Prelude winner Enbihaar, Too Darn Lizzie is also from the same family as this season’s Debutant Stakes winner Miss Celine.
“She is a lovely physical type and has shown both speed and precocity, as well as the ability to train on through her Classic season, which is a very rare blend,” Bott said.
“Her form has been remarkably consistent throughout her career at the elite level, and importantly, she will get her chance to add a Group 1 victory to her resume at Morphettville (in the Australasian Oaks) next month.
“She is still lightly raced and looks to have plenty of upside in her future racing career.”
The Chairman’s Sale will be held at Riverside Stables in Sydney on May 8
Group-winning son of Dark Angel to stand at White Robe Lodge
Quality European middle-distance stakes winner Alflaila has been secured for stud duties by White Robe Lodge, introducing the potent Dark Angel sireline to New Zealand.
Bred and raced by the famed Shadwell operation, Alflaila won the Group 2 York Stakes (2100m), a race that has tested some of Europe’s best middle-distance horses, and is by the same sire as the influential Australian shuttler Harry Angel.
A winner on debut as an early two-year-old over 1200m, Alflaila trained on to showcase his talent over the ensuing three seasons for trainer Owen Burrows in which he won seven of his 19 starts.
“Marcus Corban has been pivotal in helping us land Alflaila,” said Jack Stewart of White Robe Lodge.
“He’s a great family friend but also one of the great minds of our industry and he facilitated David Redvers inspecting the horse on our behalf.
“He provided a glowing review, describing Alflaila as a very attractive, classy individual with a great action and very good conformation standing at around 16hh.
“As soon as I showed my grandad (Brian ‘BJ’ Anderton) his race performance, pedigree and photos he simply said, ‘get it done’.”
Alflaila is out of the stakes-placed Oasis Dream mare Adhwaa, who in turn is a daughter of the stakes-winning Darshaan mare Hammiya, also the dam of Listed winner Shaqira.
Shadwell, which also raced top New Zealand stallions Zabeel and Per Incanto, is retaining an interest in Alflaila, who will stand at an introductory fee of $NZ7,000 (plus GST).
A limited number of lifetime breeding rights are available.
Mystic Journey’s first filly joins stable of Japanese Derby-winning trainer
The first filly out of Australian Guineas and All-Star Mile winner Mystic Journey has been named Bicheno, after a coastal Tasmanian town.
The Kizuna filly, who is now a two-year-old, was recently named through the Japanese studbook, with a nod to her Tasmanian heritage.
Mystic Journey was foaled, raised and trained in the Apple Isle during a brilliant career which saw her win 12 of her 28 starts and more than $4 million prize money.
She was privately sold to Northern Farm at the end of her racing career and was mated to Japanese Derby winner Kizuna.
Her first filly was foaled in February 2023, and is set to race for Sunday Racing, being syndicated for a total value of 50 million yen ($A530,000).
Bicheno has joined the stables of Shogo Yasuda, who trained last year’s Japanese Derby winner Danon Decile as well as multiple Group 1 winner Omega Perfume.
Her half-sister by Saturnalia, now a yearling, was sold for 46.2 million yen ($490,000) to Hironobu Koyano at a Northern Farm Mixed Sale last October. She is yet to be named.
Godolphin star Broadsiding saved for All Aged Stakes
Having immediately ruled Broadsiding out of the ATC Australian Derby despite a gritty win in the Rosehill Guineas, trainer James Cummings is also unlikely to pit the colt against Via Sistina in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
And with the weights seemingly against Broadsiding in the Doncaster Mile, Cummings will switch his attention to an end-of-carnival weight-for-age race at Group 1 level.
Broadsiding will brought back in distance to contest the $1.5 million All Aged Stakes over 1400m at Randwick on April 19.
The All Aged will be the three-year-old’s second start against all-comers after contesting last year’s Cox Plate when filling the minor placing behind Via Sistina.
Broadsiding regained some lost autumn gloss following a Randwick Guineas defeat when he staved off the filly Aeliana in the Rosehill Guineas.
NZB Gavelhouse Plus broodmare sale confirmed
New Zealand Bloodstock’s online platform Gavelhouse Plus will once again conduct a digital breeding stock sale on the eve of the new racing season.
The Gavelhouse auction will start on July 27 with bidding closing at 7pm (NZ time) on July 7.
Entries, at a cost of $400 with a five per cent commission and no pass-in fees, will open in early June.
“We are pleased to offer this standalone sale to breeders, which has become a popular trading avenue at a key time in the breeding season,” NZB bloodstock sales manager Kane Jones said.
“It is the perfect opportunity for breeders to assess their portfolio and use a proven platform to buy and sell quality mares.
“We’ve seen some great investment results with the resulting foals, with many of their offspring going on to achieve great returns at Karaka.”
