Just three lots after the I Am Invincible filly from Avantage sold for $1.6million, the Magic Millions had it’s second million dollar youngster when the Yulong bred and offered first foal of Away Game sold for $1.8million to North American investor John Stewart of Resolute Bloodstock in conjunction with Ciaron Maher Racing.
A beautiful Written Tycoon filly from Snitzel’s Champion 2YO Filly Away Game, she always looked a potential sale-topper on paper and had the looks to back up her pedigree.
Written Tycoon has had plenty of success with mares by Snitzel with the nick producing Group I winners Private Life, Captured by Love and Velocious and Ciaron Maher is looking forward to training the first foal of his former star filly. Away Game was purchased for $425,000 at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale back in 2019 when offered by Mill Park and became the dominant two year-old filly of her season winning the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and finishing second in the Golden Slipper.
“I’m rapt, I thought she was clearly one of the fillies of the sale,” Maher said.
“Away Game took her and her owners – who were from the States as well, funnily enough – on a great ride and hopefully this filly can take John and Chelsea (Stewart) on a similar ride.
“She’s a beautiful filly, (from a) great farm and hopefully she can be as good as her mum.”
Maher sees similarities between the $1.8million filly and her famous dam.
“(There’s) similar movement, she’s probably got a little bit more substance than Away Game, who was relatively neat,” he said.
“She was an overachiever on the track and it looks like she’s going to be an overachiever in the breeding barn as well.”
Away Game was purchased by Yulong for $4million at the 2022 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale and has had a perfect start to her stud career with a colt to follow by Written Tycoon born last spring and then a cover to another of the Yulong sires in Pierata.
“We are absolutely stoked. It’s the best result we’ve had at Yulong ever. It’s a great result for Mr Zhang and his family to realise a price in that order, it’s just wonderful,” said Yulong’s General Manager, Vin Cox.
“You never expect that sort of money, you always hope, and it was well beyond where we’d hoped.”
Cox was quick to praise the entire team at Yulong for their dedication and hard work.
“It’s justification for all the investment and the time and faith that Mr Zhang has, obviously in the industry generally, but here in Australia as well,” Cox said.
“I think the guys that should be congratulated are the staff. They’ve worked really hard, they’re under a lot of pressure when you’ve got a horse like this.
“We’ve got other horses who potentially won’t make as much money, but are equally high-profile, and for them to handle that pressure and deliver results is a great credit to them.”
