Triple Group One winner Zougotcha became the most expensive horse sold at auction in the Southern Hemisphere this year when she realised $5.25 million at today's Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
The prized daughter of Zoustar was offered as part of a quality Chris Waller Racing draft and she became the second highest priced horse ever sold at the National Sale following Imperatriz's virtual sale at $6.6 million twelve months ago.
Coolmore's Tom Magnier secured Zougotcha - one of 14 fillies and mares to sell for the magical seven figures - on a sensational day of selling on the Gold Coast.
"Well done to Chris Waller and all his team," a delighted Magnier said. "She was a beautiful mare and everybody was on her this week."
"Olly Tait and his team were underbidders. They are very good judges. She will go to Wootton Bassett."
"Having Wootton Bassett back this year, it gave 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.
"We are very close to Sophie Baker and the Waller team. When you look at these top ones that they keep putting through the sale, they're blue chip mares for everyone."
"Hopefully they might be buying the offspring in years to come," Magnier added.
Christine Cook, one of Zougotcha's delighted part owners during her racing career, wiped away tears when the gavel fell.
"I only ever cry happy tears," she said. "It's the end of one era and the start of another."
"That's crazy stuff (the sale price). It's just what every racehorse owner ever dreams of doing."
"It's not what you think of when you buy them, but it’s so lovely to see that she’s so well thought-of as an animal, as a horse, that somebody thinks she's worth that."
"She was just such an amazing animal. The people we were in her with were just incredible, we had so much fun with her – there was never any arguments about where she was going and what she was doing. We just went on her ride, which was wonderful."
"It’s just unbelievable, genuinely unbelievable," Cook added. "I just hope she makes beautiful babies."
Another triple Group One winner from the Chris Waller Racing draft offered today was the Go Racing syndicated star Atishu.
The outstanding daughter of Savabeel was purchased by the powerful Yu Long Investments (Australia) team for $2.7 million.
"Mr Zhang was very impressed when he saw her," Yulong's Sam Fairgray said. "She's a beautiful type so it is great to have her in the broodmare band."
"She doesn't need to take on Via Sistina (on the track) so she's going straight to the breeding barn."
"She will probably go to Alabama Express. I think it is a really nice cross. She's a beautiful mare so it is exciting to have her."
"She’s always been one of those very consistent mares in good races, so to have a three-time Group One winning mare and she gets in there with some lovely other blue hens," Fairgray added.
Group One winner Lady Laguna was another star to sell today - she sold to James Harron Bloodstock for $2.5 million after a spirited bidding battle.
The Canterbury Stakes winner was offered as part of the Newgate Consignment for OTI Racing.
"She's an outstanding mare," Harron said. "Really tough, durable, resilient, across all age groups."
"Just a stunning individual who presented in just incredible health. Very excited to get her. I think that is what we've come to learn that these mares are worth."
"We'll get her back home and work out a mating and go from there. The plan was to see how it went this evening," Harron added.
The other multi-million dollar seller was Climbing Star, another Group One winning daughter of Zoustar. She went to Tom Magnier for $2.1 million from the Widden Stud draft.
"She'll go to Wootton Bassett," Magnier confirmed. "In fairness, Zoustar is going to be an unbelievable broodmare sire, we've sent a lot of mares to Zoustar and we will continue to do so and I'd like to think Antony is going to give me a discounted rate now!"
"These are very special mares, very well-bred, very good-looking and we've got a great bunch of people behind us."
"We're looking at horses that we think will work with Wootton Bassett and these are the ones you have to have and broodmare sires are very important."
"The market's very strong and there's a crowd here that would be at a yearling sale so it shows the appetite that is in the industry at the moment," Magnier added.
In all there were 14 lots that sold for $1 million or more on the day with Revolutionary Miss ($1.6 million), Femminile ($1.5 million), Moesha ($1.35 million), Skirt the Law ($1.35 million), Written in Code ($1.2 million), Alsephina ($1.1 million), Socks Nation ($1 million), Amazonian Lass ($1 million), Kuroyanagi ($1 million) and See You in Heaven ($1 million) all achieving seven figure prices.
"I thought it was an unbelievable day," Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. "I thought there was great confidence and electricity in the ring from the very start."
"I think the first two hours set a great tone that it was a very genuine market. There were horses buyable at all ends of the market. I think our owners were willing to put their horses on the market and let the market find its feet."
"I think buyers got involved accordingly. It was great to see a huge cross section of buyers and not any one buyer dominating the market today."
Bowditch said being able to market and sell Zougotcha on behalf of her ownership group was an incredible honour.
"I thought from the time we understood that she was going to go to market this year that she was the number one seed and evidently she was clearly the number one seed."
"Delighted with what she made and delighted that there was great, spirited bidding - three or four parties on her at a higher level."
"Tom Magnier is always very hard to beat on the best mares. He bought Sunlight, a similar article, here for $4.2 million some years ago. It is fantastic to see him back here, contributing and playing an important part in the market."
"We're delighted for Chris Waller and his team, (led by) Sophie Baker. They've brought an outstanding group of mares here today and they've been rewarded accordingly."
Bowditch was delighted with the depth of buyers participating across all levels of the market.
"I think there were eight buyers above $1 million today - there were 14 lots but they were bought by eight different parties. That shows that there's not any one dominating."
"To secure a catalogue of this quality is a fantastic effort. An unbelievably pleasing result."
"The gross at this point is $47.5 million. Last year we might have catalogued 40 more lots so we are $4 million down - I think that is a great result. The average of $363,000 lines up well ahead of last year's $309,000 and we had a $6.6 million horse (in Imperatriz) last year."
To view the results of the today's sale or to make an offer on a passed in lot click here.
Day Two of the National Broodmare Sale will commence at 10am (QLD time) tomorrow.
"I think there are some outstanding mares out there tomorrow. Some real highlight lots with great covers. When you look through the likes of Too Darn Hot, Extreme Choice, Snitzel, Zoustar, I Am Invincible and many others."
"It is a quality group of young mares and there are opportunities at all ends of the market. For anyone that couldn't get what they wanted today, there are quality mares with one in the belly on Day Two," Bowditch summed up.
SALE RESULTS
(2024 Day One in brackets)
Lots Catalogued: 199 (230)
Lots Sold: 131 (167)
Lots Passed In: 31 (32)
Lots Withdrawn: 37 (30)
Sale Gross: $47,574,500 ($51,725,000)
Average Price: $363,164 ($309,731)
Top Price: $5,250,000 ($6,600,000)
Median Prince: $160,000 ($120,000)
Sold %: 81 (83)
TOP SELLERS
$5,250,000 - Zougotcha (Lot 503)
Vendor: Chris Waller Racing (As Agent) / Buyer: Tom Magnier (NSW)
$2,700,000 - Atishu (Lot 517)
Chris Waller Racing (As Agent) / Yu Long Investments (Australia) Pty Ltd (Vic)
$2,500,000 - Lady Laguna (Lot 563)
Newgate Consignment (As Agent) / James Harron B'stock (NSW)
$2,100,000 - Climbing Star (Lot 540)
Widden Stud (As Agent) / Tom Magnier (NSW)
$1,600,000 - Revolutionary Miss (Lot 466)
Yarraman Park Stud (As Agent for Triple Crown Syndications) / Katsumi Yoshida (Japan)
$1,500,000 - Femminile (Lot 561)
Newgate Consignment (As Agent) / Wei Jiaoqi (Vic)
$1,350,000 - Moesha (Lot 445)
Widden Stud (As Agent) / Tom Magnier (NSW)
$1,350,000 - Skirt the Law (Lot 567)
Eureka Stud (As Agent) / Widden Stud/Double R T'breds (NSW)
$1,200,000 - Written in Code (Lot 501)
Yarraman Park Stud (As Agent) / Watership Down Stud/McKeever B'stock (UK)
$1,100,000 - Alsephina (Lot 510)
Newington Farm Premium Consignment (As Agent) / Katsumi Yoshida (Japan)
$1,000,000 - Socks Nation (Lot 483)
Newington Farm Premium Consignment (As Agent) / Katsumi Yoshida (Japan)
$1,000,000 - Amazonian Lass (Lot 511)
Newgate Consignment (As Agent for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott) / Nocab Racing Pty Ltd/Kestrel T'breds (Qld)
$1,000,000 - Kuroyanagi (Lot 571)
Glenesk T'breds (As Agent) / Dean Hawthorne B'stock (NZ)
$1,000,000 - See You in Heaven (Lot 572)
Vinery Stud (As Agent) / Yu Long Investments (Australia) Pty Ltd (Vic)
