Straight Up – Private or public – How to sell Australia’s best mares

In this edition:

• ‘People just want to stick them online’ – How digital sales are killing the private mares market
• Rowe On Monday – The Oaks for sale, Sheikh Fahad’s Tycoon play and Grays united
• Farnan made to wait for black-type stamp despite North England’s Gift success
• PointsBet scotches takeover rumours as share price doubles since September
• Run The Numbers – A huge Cup week for J-Mac, Waller and Yulong
• Cup carnival media rights switch delivers higher ratings
• Sunshine, Brightside and a Via Sistina repeat dose as J-Mac breaks Flemington record

November is traditionally a quite time in Australia for trade in mares, but last week we saw Yulong complete a private deal to buy dual Group 1 winner Magic Time, adding to their formidable broodmare band once her racing days are over.

A price was not revealed, although you would estimate her worth to be at least $2.5 million on the open market.

It’s rare to see these deals done these days, given how strong the Australian broodmare auction market has become and how many options there are with the dominance of digital sales.

The Straight’s Tim Rowe spoke to three bloodstock agents, including the man who brokered the Magic Time deal, Damon Gabbedy, about how the mares market has changed and the art of getting the best deal for a client.

Tim’s Rowe On Monday column this week revealed that The Oaks Stud, Dick Karreman’s farm near Cambridge, is on the market, while he also talked to David Redvers about Sheikh Fahad’s latest stallion investment, Southport Tycoon.

It has been a big couple of weeks in Australian racing and this week’s Run The Numbers looks at the big winners of Cup week at Flemington, including the leading jockeys, trainers, owners, breeders, sires and damsires.

The VRC would be particularly pleased with the numbers coming out of the first year of their broadcast deal with the Nine Network. Among the highlights was national reach for the week increasing by 30 per cent on 2023.

It was a massive final day at Flemington, and Michael Lynch was there to reflect upon Champions Day, where James McDonald was dominant, and the Sprint, Mile and Stakes all produced highlight results.

It was Five Diamonds day at Rosehill on Saturday, while a Golden Gift victory booked promising colt North England a spot in the Golden Slipper.

However, confusion still reigns over the status of Saturday’s two-year-old feature. While Racing Australia claims it was a Group 3 race, the victory won’t appear as black type on the resume of either North England or his sire Farnan.

Finally, in the wagering world, rumours that PointsBet may be at the centre of a $300 million takeover have been scotched by the company itself. A huge surge in the wagering company’s share price had fuelled the speculation, but they appear eager to continue as a public company.

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Regards

Bren O’Brien

Managing Editor and Founder

The Straight