Yulong splashes out $1.3 million as Milburn Creek joins southern hemisphere buying power at Keeneland
Zhang Yuesheng and John Muir have both purchased mares during the second session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in the US.
Yulong’s Raging Torrent Syndicate continued its big-spending run at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, paying US$1.3 million for the broodmare Anywho, in foal to Not This Time, during Wednesday’s second session.
The purchase by Zhang Yuesheng, whose Yulong operation is primarily based in Australia, was the first seven-figure sale of the session since 2022 and reinforced the influence of southern hemisphere buyers at the Kentucky auction.
Australian breeder John Muir, whose Milburn Creek stud is based in the NSW Southern Highlands, also made his trip to the US worthwhile, paying US$475,000 for the War Front mare Bullet, a stakes-winning two-year-old in Canada.
Their investment helped lift the session’s gross to US$47.36 million, almost double last year’s total. Keeneland sold 235 horses through the ring, up from 201 in 2024, with the average price rising nearly 38 per cent to US$201,540 and the median increasing to US$160,000.
“The day was outstanding. It was incredibly positive across all metrics. The gross was up nearly 61 per cent over last year. The clearance rate was up to 78 per cent. It was really healthy across the board, ” Keeneland vice president of sales Tony Lacy said.
The Raging Torrent Syndicate had already been active on day one, purchasing two mares in foal for a combined US$1.925 million, both consigned by Grovendale Sales.
Anywho, a five-year-old Grade 3-placed daughter of Bolt d’Oro, was the standout.
“It’s always lovely to sell a horse for a million dollars,” Grovendale’s James Keogh said.
“She was a lovely, lovely mare, and she came from a tremendous female family. She was just impossible to fault.”
The Raging Torrent Syndicate also bought Very Scary, a six-year-old stakes-placed mare by Connect in foal to Into Mischief, for US$625,000.
Zhang recently retired Raging Torrent, a dual Grade 1 winner by Maximus Mischief, and Lope De Vega’s US Grade 1 winner Carl Spackler to stand at Lane’s End in Kentucky.
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