$500,000 Mikki Isle Colt Tops MM 2YO's in Training

Entering the ring late in the day, the colt attracted bids from a number of parties from on the complex, via the phone and online before selling for $500,000.

The fastest overall juvenile from the four sessions held around the country prior to the auction, the colt was offered by O'Gorman Racing Stables and purchased by Sydney based trainer Gary Moore on behalf of a Hong Kong based client.

Moore, bidding via the phone through Magic Millions Sales Director David Chester, was delighted to be able to secure the prized colt.

"It's very exciting," Moore said. "I did the homework. I had a very good client and at the moment he is staying in Australia for one of my owners in Hong Kong."

"I watched him numerous times and I particularly watch them when they go past the winning post and he really lengthened. I've bought some really nice horses out of this sale."

"He was just a great type and had a lot of presence. I didn't think we'd have to go that far but my client wanted to buy him.

"From what I gather, he has a half-brother (Azaly) who is one of the favourites for the (Australian) Derby next year who is trained out of Victoria (at Lindsay Park)."

"These horses are hard to find," Moore added. "So it is pretty exciting to get him and, don’t forget, he's come off one of the best nurseries in the land in Arrowfield, so he has been on good pasture and he's been consigned by Mel O'Gorman who is one of the best in the business, so you couldn't ask for any more."

O'Gorman wiped away tears when auctioneer Lincoln McKinlay brought down the gavel at $500,000. She purchased the colt for $82,500 at January's Gold Coast Yearling Sale. 

"What an incredible result," O'Gorman said. "I just can't believe it. He was a lovely colt and I'm just rapt with the final price."

The second top seller of the day was the Nicconi-Life's Zerprise colt offered by KBL Thoroughbreds who was purchased by Winners Bloodstock for $280,000.

The colt, who was originally purchased from the Adelaide Yearling Sale, will join the stables of leading local horsewoman Gillian Heinrich.

Kenmore Lodge's Hinchinbrook colt from Paris March was snapped up by Hong Kong's Lisa Ngai for $270,000, while Darby Racing and William Johnson Bloodstock teamed up online to secure the Exceed and Excel half brother to Chica Fuerte for $250,000 from the Nolen Racing draft.

Across the day over $6.5 million was traded on 123 lots sold at an average price of $53,569 and an ever growing clearance rate of 70 per cent.

"We were really pleased with how the sale ended up," Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said.

"We have to applaud the vendors who have come here to meet the market and we have a core of vendors that do this year in and year out and again they bring a great product to the sale."

"It was a great result for Mel O'Gorman to see her colt make that much money so late in the day - he was an outstanding colt and I'm thrilled for Mel and her team."

"To get a clearance rate of 70 per cent, given the circumstances, with no internationals in attendance and no Victorians and no Sydney buyers on the grounds - it makes things very difficult."

"We had a lot of new faces here and hopefully they are happy with what they've bought and it gets them open minded for this sale going forward."

"I think it was a genuine sale, but there is no point sugar-coating the results - we are down on last year but under the circumstances the results are more than adequate," Bowditch added. 

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

SALE STATISTICS

Lots Catalogued: 218
Lots Sold: 123
Lots Withdrawn: 42
Lots Passed In: 53
Top Price: $500,000
Sale Gross: $6,589,000
Average Price: $53,569
Median Price: $34,000
Sold %: 70