Yulong the Leading Buyer at MM Mares

The Viddora story has been an incredible one. Bred in South Australia by the Hodgson family she was sold through their Riva Ridge Stud draft for $40,000 to her trainer Lloyd Kennewell at the Adelaide Yearling Sale.

During a career that netted multiple Group One wins and a runaway win in a $1 million Magic Millions Snippets, the daughter of I Am Invincible won over $2.8 million in prizemoney.

Presented in foal to Santa Ana Lane and Gytrash's sire Lope de Vega in her first cover, Viddora attracted an opening bid of $1 million. Bids came from around the complex and from online bidders before Yulong and bloodstock agent James Harron went head to head in a bidding battle.

When the gavel dropped it was the online bid from Yulong owner Yuesheng Zhang at $2.55 million that was the winner.

Yulong's Bloodstock Manager Luke Wilkinson said the team was delighted to be able to buy one of the sale's top offerings.

"It’s fantastic for Mr Zhang and his family," Wilkinson said. "He knows a lot about Viddora, being in foal and she's been inspected and she's just an absolute great type. It's great to get a mare like her on the broodmare band."

"Mr Zhang loves his horses and he's known Viddora from day dot. He had talked about her for the Everest slot that he has, so he knows the mare very well and he adores Lope de Vega."

"She is likely to head to one of our stallions this year, probably Alabama Express, who is being well supported in the market but it will be decided in the next two weeks."

"It's a massive commitment to his stallions and he's also got Tagaloa who will be standing with us sooner or later, maybe next season, so he's doing a great job and is building an empire in Victoria. The mare quality is unbelievable."

"We probably valued her at $2-$3 million and it was just dependent on who we were bidding against. Mr Zhang is at home bidding online but there were text messages asking who he was bidding against."

Henry Field, Managing Director for vendor Newgate Farm, said he was pleased to see so many parties bidding for the star of their consignment. 

"I found it encouraging that there were five different people on her at $1.5 million. She’s the real deal, it's that simple. She was the most spectacular mare you will ever see. She was a top-class sprinter and she's special."

"I really hope that Yulong hit it out of the park with her because she was ‘out of the box’ and they bought the real deal."

"For what these elite mares are making, I thought she was reasonably priced. I had her clearly marked as the second-best mare in the sale (behind Sunlight) and she made in the middle of what I thought she'd make. They've bought a very special mare."

"It’s really important that these mares go on and throw a topliner. If there's a mare in this catalogue that goes on to throw a topliner I really believe it will be Viddora."

Across the three day Book One component of the National Broodmare Sale over $55.3 million was traded on 394 lots sold at an impressive average price of over $140,000. The clearance rate of 73 per cent is expected to improve overnight.

"It was great to get the people here so we could expose the sale all over the world and that is the Magic Millions mandate," Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. "That ensures that these elite mares get the attention they deserve and that was our primary motive going into the sale."

"The vendors and owners of these horses have been paid right and it goes to show that this is in the only place to sell those type of elite mares."

"It is a resilient industry, given the fact that racing has continued. The yearling sales were strong earlier in the year and the fundamentals in our country are very good."

"I think the world now looks at us as a leader these days. You’ve only got to look at who was participating on these mares all over the world."

"I guess results like Bounding with Anthony Van Dyck and the success we've had at Royal Ascot for a long time now - that enhances the motivation for internationals to buy the Australian product."

"Congratulations to all at Newgate and SF Bloodstock with what they achieved with Viddora today. It was fantastic theatre when she went through the ring and to see her sell for $2.55 million was a great reward for strong and loyal supporters of Magic Millions."

"It was very hard to predict where this sale would end up, but all in all we are pleased with the results and we are going to work hard to sell as many passed in lots over the next couple of days and give the vendors who have been realistic the opportunity to get an offer on these horses."

"To clear 73 per cent and have an average of over $140,000 and six lots over $1 million is a sensational result and the team at Magic Millions should be very proud of themselves and we thank the vendors for sticking solid, being patient and waiting for the opportunity to have this sale," Bowditch added.

Yulong was the leading buyer at the sale on total spend with $9.985 million spent on 15 lots ahead of Tom Magnier, whose three select purchases (Sunlight, Champagne Cuddles and Invincibella) cost $7.5 million. Chris Lee's A List Group Holdings Pty Ltd was the leading buyer on individual lots with 19 purchases.

The leading vendor on gross was Widden Stud with $5,625,500 realised on 20 lots sold, while Glenesk Thoroughbreds was the leading vendor on average (three or more sold) with a mark of $515,333.

To view the sale results and to make an offer on a passed in lot click here.

Tomorrow is Day One of the National Weanling Sale. To view the online catalogue click here. Selling commences at 2pm (AEST). 

SALE STATISTICS
(2019 in brackets)

Lots Catalogued: 628 (1005)
Lots Sold: 394 (707)
Lots Passed In: 144 (191)
Lots Withdrawn: 90 (107)
Sale Gross: $55,391,000 ($104,025,000)
Average Price: $140,586 ($147,136)
Top Price: $4,200,000 ($2,300,000)
Median Price: $65,000 ($75,000)
Sold %: 73 (79)

DAY THREE TOP SELLERS

$2,550,000 - Viddora (Lot 492)
Vendor: Newgate Consignment (As Agent) / Buyer: Yulong (Vic)

$600,000 - Tremor (Lot 669)
Aquis Farm Operations (As Agent) / Fernrigg Farm (NSW)

$550,000 - Viennese Star (Lot 493)
Edinburgh Park (As Agent) / Daandine Stud/Boomer B'stock (Qld)

$540,000 - Karavali (Lot 667)
Aquis Farm Operations (As Agent) / Zhongli Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd (NSW)

$460,000 - Chachapoyas (Lot 593)
Glastonbury Farms (As Agent) / Cunningham T'breds/BRT B'stock (Qld)

OVERALL SALE TOP SELLERS

$4,200,000 - Sunlight (Lot 80)
Vendor: Widden Stud (As Agent) / Buyer: Tom Magnier (NSW)

$2,750,000 - Unforgotten (Lot 92)
Blue Sky Premium Consignment (As Agent) / Yulong (Vic)

$2,550,000 - Viddora (Lot 492)
Newgate Consignment (As Agent) / Yulong (Vic)

$2,000,000 - Champagne Cuddles (Lot 131)
Turangga Farm (As Agent) / Tom Magnier (NSW)

$1,300,000 - Invincibella (Lot 12)
Glenesk Thoroughbreds / Tom Magnier (NSW)

$1,050,000 - Right Chord (Lot 384)
Godolphin / James Harron B'stock (NSW)

LEADING BUYERS
(ranked by total spend)

$9,985,000 - Yulong - 15 lots
$7,500,000 - Tom Magnier - 3 lots
$2,287,000 - Belmont Bloodstock Agency - 16 lots
$2,250,500 - A List Group Holdings Pty Ltd - 19 lots
$1,942,500 - Mitchell Bloodstock - 10 lots

LEADING VENDORS
(ranked by gross)

$5,625,500 - Widden Stud - 20 sold
$5,013,000 - Blue Sky Premium Consignment - 18 sold
$4,545,000 - Newgate Consignment - 13 sold
$3,941,500 - Godolphin - 45 sold
$3,555,000 - Yarraman Park Stud - 14 sold

LEADING VENDORS
(ranked by average - 3 or more sold)

$515,333 - Glenesk T'breds - 3 sold
$349,615 - Newgate Consignment - 13 sold
$281,275 - Widden Stud - 20 sold
$278,500 - Blue Sky Premium Consignment - 18 sold
$253,929 - Yarraman Park Stud - 14 sold