At the Magic Millions Yearling Sale in 2024 a first season sire produced the top lot when the Wootton Bassett (GB) filly from Avantage sold for $2.1million and the same thing happened this year with another Coolmore stallion Home Affairs producing an exceptional filly from the great mare Sunlight that sold for $3.2million.
Home Affairs was the most expensive first season sire when he went to stud in 2022 at a fee of $110,000 and was the most represented sire at this sale so was always going to be at the top of the sire averages and it would have been a big shock if he was not.
Leading First Season Sires Book 1 (three or more sold)
|
Sire |
Sold |
Avge |
Agg |
Top Price |
2022Fee |
|
Home Affairs |
45 |
$396,333 |
$17,835,000 |
$3.2million |
$110,000 |
|
Noverre (NZ) |
3 |
$350,000 |
$1,050,000 |
$500,000 |
$10,000 |
|
Stay Inside |
34 |
$295,147 |
$10,035,000 |
$1million |
$77,000 |
|
Sword of State |
6 |
$240,833 |
$1,445,000 |
$380,000 |
$15,000 |
|
Pinatubo (IRE) |
15 |
$229,667 |
$3,445,000 |
$700,000 |
$55,000 |
|
St Mark's Basilica (Fr) |
20 |
$216,500 |
$4,330,000 |
$700,000 |
$44,000 |
|
Palace Pier (GB) |
11 |
$182,273 |
$2,005,000 |
$425,000 |
$55,000 |
|
Jonker |
3 |
$165,000 |
$495,000 |
$300,000 |
$16,500 |
|
Wild Ruler |
21 |
$142,381 |
$2,990,000 |
$320,000 |
$38,500 |
|
Captivant |
5 |
$132,000 |
$660,000 |
$200,000 |
$27,500 |
|
Profiteer |
3 |
$106,667 |
$320,000 |
$120,000 |
$16,500 |
|
Portland Sky |
6 |
$104,167 |
$625,000 |
$180,000 |
$27,500 |
|
Tiger of Malay |
3 |
$100,000 |
$300,000 |
$140,000 |
$16,500 |
|
Acrobat |
3 |
$71,667 |
$215,000 |
$150,000 |
$13,750 |
Outside of the Sunlight filly, he also had another filly from Champagne Cuddles sell for $1,050,000 to give him two individual million dollar yearlings and 23 of his 45 sold made $300,000 or more.
Given he was the busiest first season sire in 2022 expect to see more Home Affairs second tier yearlings at Inglis Classic and Premier before we get to his final group of first cut yearlings at Inglis Easter, but whether he has anything as good as the Sunlight filly remains to be seen although the first foal of dual Group I winner Shout the Bar (a colt) and a filly from blue chip producer Hips Don’t Lie look good on paper.
What is surprising about the table of first season sire averages at the Gold Coast is the high placement of Kiwi based sires Noverre (G1 winner by Savabeel – Waikato Stud) and Sword of State (G1 winner by Snitzel – Cambridge Stud).
The thinking is to offer a small selection of cracking types in an elite Australian marketplace to get Australian buyers interested enough to get on the place to Karaka to see the motherlode of yearlings by these sires and you’d have to say mission accomplished.
Noverre is a stunning looking son of Savabeel that made $800,000 as a yearling when he was bought by David Ellis at Karaka , so he is entitled to get good looking yearlings and the ones at the Gold Coast were certainly that. His top seller at $500,000 the filly from proven producer and Group II winner Shopaholic that was bought by Michael Freedman Racing/Michael Wallace.
Sword of State was likewise an expensive yearling, again bought by David Ellis, but from Magic Millions for $600,000 and he too is producing a good looking yearling with his best result at $380,000 the colt from Needle and Thread bought by Ridgmont/Bjorn Baker Racing/S & J Gosling /Clarke Bloodstock Pty Ltd .
For the record at Karaka Books 1 and 2, Noverre has 43 entries and Sword of State has 36.
Newgate Farm’s Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside is a lot more fertile than his famous dad Extreme Choice and covered 188 mares in his first season, which was not much less than Home Affairs on 202, so as a result there are plenty of his offspring to be had.
He had 15 yearlings sell for $300,000 or more with his best result the $1million colt from Bleu Zebra that was offered by Eureka Stud and bought by James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership/Tony Fung Colts.
Shuttle stallions filled the next three places on the list and the market seems very receptive to these horses given the performance in Australia of sires like Justify (USA), Too Darn Hot (GB), Harry Angel (IRE) and Wootton Bassett (GB).
Pinatubo (IRE) got his best result at $700,000 with the Rosemont Stud consigned colt from Group II winning I Am Invincible mare Fiesta that sold to Lindsay Park Racing.
St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) also had a top seller at $700,000 with the Arrowfield Stud bred and offered colt from Mantra of Life (USA) bought by Tom Magnier.
Palace Pier (GB) did best with a $425,000 colt from So We Are offered by Mill Park Stud and bought by Ryan & Alexiou Racing Pty Ltd.
Special mention should be made of Spirit of Boom’s Group I winning son Jonker, who managed to get a $300,000 yearling with a Ridgmont consigned filly from Café Rizu selling to outstanding judges Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA)/Ciaron Maher Bloodstock.
She is the first foal of Café Rizu, a metro winning Rubick mare from a good, but not great female family which tells you that this filly must have been absolutely outstanding on type. Not surprisingly her dam went back to Jonker at Aquis last year at a fee of $12,500.
