Zougotcha has sold for $5.25 million after Coolmore’s Tom Magnier fended off a high-stakes challenge from a Middle Eastern outfit at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
The depth of Coolmore’s stallion ranks is driving the Magnier family’s continued multimillion dollar investment in elite broodmares in support of their proven and emerging sires, particularly shuttler Wootton Bassett, who will stand for an Australian record $385,000 this year.
The sustained demand for high-end breeding stock, which mirrors what’s occurred at the yearling sales in recent years, was evident at the Gold Coast on Tuesday, with $45.529 million traded on 123 mares, 14 of them making $1 million or more.
Zoustar mare Zougotcha, the winner of the Group 1 Flight Stakes, Coolmore Classic and Queen Of The Turf Stakes for trainer Chris Waller, was one of three seven-figure mares bought by the Coolmore Australia principal during the race fillies and mares session.
Magnier also paid $2.1 million for another mare by Zoustar, 2024 Group 1 Robert Sangster winner Climbing Star, and $1.35 million for the stakes-placed I Am Invincible mare Moesha.
The trio will all be served by Wootton Bassett in their maiden seasons at stud.
Magnier and Twin Hills’ Olly Tait, who was believed to have been bidding on behalf of Qatar-based Wathnan Racing, stood at opposite sides of the Magic Millions complex while placing their competing bids, which were going up in $250,000 increments beyond $3 million.
After five minutes courting potential buyers from the rostrum, auctioneer James Hetherington brought the gavel down at $5.25 million, making Zougtocha the second highest-priced mare behind Imperatriz ($6.6 million) to be ever sold in Australasia.
The Chris Waller-trained and consigned Zougotcha will join mares such as Sunlight, Shout The Bar and recent Chairman’s Sale purchases Amelia’s Jewel ($3.8 million), Tiz Invincible ($2.8 million) and Estriella ($2.8 million).
“Having Wootton Bassett back this year, it gives us the confidence to find these mares and what he is doing both in Australia and Europe, we are very fortunate to be in this position and to get this mare,” Magnier said of Zougotcha.
Magnier cited Wootton Bassett’s potency in both hemispheres - he had four Group 1-winning two-year-olds from his first European crop conceived at Coolmore - as well as young Australian-based sires such as Home Affairs as reason to be backing the stallions with the best mares they can acquire.
“You see (these European two-year-olds) Albert Einstein and Italy and all these good horses that are coming out (by Wootton Bassett),” he said.
“Even Wodeton, hopefully he'll come back as a good three-year-old. It just gives us the confidence to really go out and try and get these mares for him.”
Magnier was not alone with his strong presence at the top at Magic Millions’ premier breeding stock sale, with Yulong paying $2.7 million for Zougotcha’s stablemate Atishu who also won three Group 1 races.
Yulong’s chief operating officer Sam Fairgray, whose boss Zhang Yuesheng also paid $1.5 million for last-start South Australian Derby winner and Queensland Oaks winner Femminile as well as $1 million for Sandown Guineas winner See You In Heaven, said Atishu’s sire Savabeel had already left an impression with his stock at the Nagambie farm.
“He’s a fantastic stallion and (Atishu is) from a great family, so if she leaves a yearling that looks like herself, then it will be very popular in the sale,” Fairgray said.
“We’re shareholders in Savabeel and we have some really nice mares on the farm by him that have good foals.
“He is a great broodmare sire and it is great to have a mare like her joining the team.”
Femminile and Lady Laguna, the latter who was bought by agent James Harron for $2.5 million, were both sold by syndicator Terry Henderson’s OTI Racing.
Northern Farm’s Katsumi Yoshida has also been active, spending $3.7 million on three mares: Revolutionary Miss ($1.6 million), Alsephina ($1.1 million) and Socks Nation ($1 million).
The race fillies and mares session averaged $370,159 at a median of $160,000 while the clearance rate was 83 per cent.
“Obviously there were 14 million dollar lots, but they were bought by eight different parties and that shows that there's not any one (buyer) really getting in and dominating,” Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said.
“Fourteen million lots is more than what we had in total last year and when we had eight or nine race fillies on day one who made a million dollars. So, it's pleasing to see that there’s a fantastic thirst for quality.
“It's a very competitive market, so for us to secure a catalogue of this depth and quality is an outstanding effort and I'm thrilled that we'll be able to again succeed with an unbelievably pleasing result for all involved.”
The in-foal mares will be offered on Wednesday, starting at 10am.
