Virtual Star - Olentia makes $2.6 million at Magic Millions sale

The auction exploits of syndicator Denise Martin have continued to reap serious dividends for her Star Thoroughbreds clients as Zoustar mare Olentia fetched $2.6 million at the Magic Millions Virtual Sale.

A year after selling Group 1 winner Espiona for $4.15 million on a sales platform that is starting to gain traction in the bloodstock space, one of Martin’s Star mares gain took centre stage.

While Olentia hasn’t matched the racetrack deeds of Espiona, her three black-type successes, which include the Group 2 Emancipation Stakes, made her a standout offering.

And interest opened accordingly at $500,000 before Twin Hills Stud’s Olly Tait won out on the telephone in a spirited duel with online bidders.

Tait, a key figure in the rise of Qatari outfit Wathnan Racing, was the underbidder on another highly sought-after Zoustar mare Zougotcha, who sold for $5.25 million to Coolmore during this year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

“Olly Tait is such a respected international racing participant, and for him to like her as much as he did today - and to buy her - was an enormous thrill for us,” Martin told The Straight.

“We had a reserve of $2 million on the mare, and we felt that, in our view, she was worth the figure … so $2.6 million was a wonderful result.”

Olentia was a $310,000 purchase for Martin and Brett Howard’s Randwick Bloodstock outfit at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling and is a half-sister to stakes winners Wandabaa and Malkovich.

It was Howard’s Glenesk Thoroughbreds operation that acted as consignor on Tuesday, continuing a successful business partnership between syndicator and agent.

“Over the years, (Brett) has found for us many very good mares, including Noire, Fiesta, Invincibella, Kiku, Espiona, and now this mare today. He's been a great help to Star,” Martin said.

Unraced as a two-year-old, Olentia started her career out of Chris Waller’s Queensland satellite stable before leaving her mark as an autumn three-year-old with a Group 3 win in the James H B Carr Stakes at Randwick.

She added the Emancipation Stakes to her winning record in 2024 with the most recent of her seven career victories coming in the Group 3 Nivison during last year’s Sydney spring carnival.

Olentia last raced when filling the minor placing in the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara at Eagle Farm in late June.

Despite not winning at the highest level, Olentia defeated Group 1 winners, including Amelia’s Jewel, Manaal, Zougotcha, Fireburn and Magic Time.

Martin is one of Australia’s most successful syndicators but she is also making a name for herself as a vendor in recent years.

Espiona, sold as a breeding proposition, was the second-most expensive race mare publicly auctioned in 2024 when purchased as one of the more valuable domestic additions to Yulong’s broodmare band.

Other prominent sales involving mares under the Star Thoroughbreds banner have included Invincibella for $1.3 million (2020), Fiesta for $1.35 million (2021), and Kiku for $1.46 million in 2023.

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Olentia wasn’t the only seven-figure lot sold on Tuesday, with stakes-winning mare Vienna Princess, also trained by Waller, fetching $1 million to a successful bid attached to the Yulong bloodstock team.

A Snitzel half-sister to Yulong’s Group 2 winner First Settler, Vienna Princess was offered on behalf of a syndicate that included Peter Tighe’s Magic Bloodstock and Neil Werrett.

Vienna Princess has won the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes as well as the $500,000 Silver Eagle among four career victories while banking almost $1.2 million in earnings during a 23-start career.

The same bidder went to $500,000 to secure Divine Prophet mare Fortunate Kiss, winner of the Listed Glasshouse Handicap in July.

Meanwhile, a breeding right share in all-conquering stallion Extreme Choice sold for $500,000 to bloodstock agent Sheamus Millis.