We've looked back through the last nine Magic Millions Yearling Sales back to 2010 looking at the leading first crop sires and where are they now.
2010 – Holy Roman Emperor (IRE) led the averages by three or more sold with eight yearlings averaging $106,563. The fortunes of this Coolmore shuttler have waxed and waned, but essentially he's shown himself to be a high class sire of 79 stakes-winners worldwide.
He's just finished a season at Aquis Farm in Queensland and is now back at Coolmore in Ireland where he stands at a fee of 15,000 euros.
Interestingly in the 2010 list was Written Tycoon, who had one yearling at the Gold Coast fetch $45,000. That yearling became Trump, who would go on to become one of his first winners and also one of his first stakes-winners when winning the Group III BRC Gunsynd Classic at Doomben.
2011 – The Darley duo of Street Sense (USA) and Bernardini (USA)led the averages, the former with nine yearlings averaging $136,944 and the latter with 12 yearlings averaging $115,417.
Both sired Group I winners in this country, but neither were able to sustain lasting commercial success to warrant continued shuttling, although both remain on the Darley Kentucky roster. Bernardini stands at a fee of $US50,000 and Street Sense also at $US50,000.
2012 – Was an interesting year as it marked the debut of Widden Stud's heavy hitters Sebring and Northern Meteor, but interestingly neither were the top first crop sire by average. That honour went to Darley shuttler New Approach (IRE), whose three yearlings averaged $172,500. He shuttled for just four seasons and remains on the UK Darley roster at a fee of 30,000 pounds.
For the record, Sebring had 26 yearlings average $154,423 and is now a well established leading sire, while Northern Meteor had 35 average $104,929. Northern Meteor went on to claim the title of Australian Champion First Season Sire, but died tragically after just four seasons at stud. His legacy is now secure with his brilliant son Zoustar dominating his peers and is among the most represented sires at the 2019 Magic Millions.
2013 – A Group I winning son of Fastnet Rock, Wanted was the clear leader with 11 yearlings averaging $149,773. His progeny failed to run up to their looks and Wanted has slipped from favour with commercial breeders, although did sire Leicester to win the Group I South Australian Derby last year.
Further down the list with nine yearlings averaging $81,667 was Yarraman Park's
bargain sire I Am Invincible, who was thought to have had a very good sale with
his progeny coming off an $11,000 fee. This year he is the most represented
sire at this sale and may well provide the sale-topper as he did last year.2014 – Starspangledbanner was the leader with six yearlings averaging $127,500 while not far behind was Hinchinbrook with 13 yearlings averaging $123,077 and Star Witness with 18 averaging $112,9178. Starspangledbanner has had well documented fertility issues that have hampered his career, while Hinchinbrook (sadly deceased last year) and Star Witness have emerged as serious Group I sires.
2015 – Sepoy smashed it out of the park with 26 yearlings averaging $286,346, a phenomenal average for a first season horse. Sadly, his progeny race results did not reflect his sale ring success and Sepoy has just one yearling entered for the sale this year.
Runner-up was So You Think with 16 yearlings averaging $234,688. The ten time Group I winner has proven a reliable source of classic horses and Group I winners and has 21 entries in this year's sale.
2016 – Pierro led the way with 37 yearlings averaging $262,568, just ahead of his arch rival All Too Hard with 38 yearlings averaging $221,842. Pierro had the wood on All Too Hard in the sale ring and has also had it over him on the track finishing as Champion First and then Second Season Sire with All Too Hard also doing a good job, just not as good as Pierro.
2017 – Dundeel set the standard with 10 yearlings averaging $272,500 over Zoustar next with 32 yearlings averaging $265,156. Dundeel is showing good promise as his progeny mature, but Zoustar has left him in the dust at this point in time and is showing all signs of being an outstanding stallion.
Spirit of Boom had six yearlings average $120,000 again a result seen as very positive for a stallion off a modest $11,000 fee.
2018 – Deep Field had 39 yearlings average $219,231 to top the averages over Kiwi base Charm Spirit ($216,250) and Dissident ($203,824). With seven months of the racing season to run anything can happen on the first season sires table, but at the moment only Deep Field features in the Top 5 and he's number five.
Better Than Ready had only two yearlings in Book One last year and they made $80,000 and $22,000, while his four Book Two yearlings averaged $43,000.
