The Exceed and Excel half brother to exciting juvenile Empire of Japan topped Day Five of the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale tonight.
Knocked down to Kia Ora Stud in partnership with TFI, the Corumbene bred colt sold for $1.8 million.
He was one of two youngsters to sell for seven figure prices during the night session bringing the tally to a record 20 youngsters over the five day Book One sale.
Kia Ora's Bloodstock and Breeding Manager Shane Wright was delighted to secure the much admired colt.
"It was a lot of money but he's a beautiful colt," Wright said. "There were two or three colts at this sale that really stood out to us and he was definitely one and we were super happy to be bringing him home."
“Coming from Corumbene we know that they can breed a very good horse and this horse has the profile to be just that. Hopefully going forward, he is."
Wright was aware the price the colt could fetch could vary with the result of today's scheduled Magic Millions 2YO Classic with half brother Empire of Japan a leading contender. But then the final eight races on the card were postponed to Thursday.
"We definitely had that in calculations but you always just look at a horse on what you value them and we were a little bit over what we were hoping to be but with the good ones you have spend it."
"We haven’t decided on a trainer yet but we've got a couple of yearlings left over that we haven't got trainers for. We'll work all of that out."
Tonight's purchase of the Ichihara colt capped off a great Gold Coast Yearling Sale for Kia Ora Stud and their partners including TFI.
"The team here at Magic Millions do a hell of a job and it's been a big two weeks since the start of inspections."
"What Gerry, Katie and Barry have done with the last two weeks with the showjumping, polo, everything throughout, and of course the highlight for us is obviously the sales."
"We’re sold some very nice horses and we feel like we’ve bought some very nice ones too and the next two years will tell us how well we’ve done," Wright added.
The other seven figure sale on the night was Lot 967 - the Zoustar-In Times of War colt from Baramul Stud. He sold for an even $1 million to James Harron for his Colt Partnership.
"We were getting to the end of it - but love the colt," Harron noted. "A beautiful horse with a lovely pedigree and we're very happy to get him."
"We got involved in the bidding a bit later on but it was spirited bidding."
"We think he’s outstanding. A good result," Harron summed up.
Across the five days of selling the Book One section of the Gold Coast Yearling Sale grossed over $228 million for 776 lots sold at an average price of $294,344. The clearance rate currently sits at 88.5 per cent.
"I thought (the strong selling) continued on," Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. "There were good horses walking in the ring and plenty of people there to buy them."
"The clearance rate held, average stayed pretty similar and we'll end up with a gross similar to last year and in the current climate it's a really pleasing result."
"It's a very diverse buyer's bench. There's a lot of buyers on the sheet, I don't think anyone really dominated. I think the leading buyer spent some $11 million and that's well less than 5 per cent of what's been spent here - it shows it's a very good spread across the board."
"When you have a catalogue of 979 horses and you're clearing almost 89 per cent it’s a big effort considering the volume of horses you’ve got and going into the unknown from an economic perspective," Bowditch added.
To view the results of the sale or to make an offer on a passed in lot click here.
The first of the Book Two yearlings on Day Six of the 2023 Gold Coast Yearling Sale will go under the hammer from 2pm (Qld time).
SALE STATISTICS
(2022 in brackets)
Lots Catalogued: 979 (933)
Lots Sold: 776 (777)
Lots Passed In: 101 (61)
Lots Withdrawn: 102 (95)
Top Price: $2,700,000 ($1,900,000)
Sale Gross: $228,411,000 ($228,807,500)
Average Price: $294,344 ($294,476)
Median Price: $215,000 ($230,000)
Sold %: 88.5 (93)
DAY FIVE TOP SELLERS
$1,800,000 - Exceed and Excel-Ichihara colt (Lot 955)
Vendor: Corumbene Stud / Buyer: Kia Ora Stud/TFI Pty Ltd
$1,000,000 - Zoustar-In Times of War colt (Lot 967)
Baramul Stud / James Harron B'stock Colt Partnership
$850,000 - I Am Invincible-Istanford filly (Lot 978)
Newgate Farm (As Agent) / William Johnson B'stock/Snowden Racing
$800,000 - I Am Invincible-In Her Time colt (Lot 965)
Yulong / Matt Laurie Racing
$750,000 - Written Tycoon-Graciousness colt (Lot 909)
Baramul Stud / Yu Long Investments (Australia) Pty Ltd/Mick Price Racing & Breeding
LEADING BUYERS
(ranked by total spend)
$10,100,000 - China Horse Club/Newgate/Go/Trilogy - 18 lots
$7,995,000 - Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing/Kestrel T'breds - 21 lots
$7,340,000 - Ciaron Maher Bloodstock - 13 lots
$5,165,000 - Mulcaster Bloodstock/Chris Waller Racing Pty Ltd - 14 lots
$4,960,000 - Yu Long Investments (Australia) Pty Ltd - 8 lots
LEADING SIRES
(ranked by average - 5 or more sold)
$736,136 - I Am Invincible - 44 sold
$628,667 - Zoustar - 30 lots
$590,000 - Exceed and Excel - 12 lots
$492,500 - Snitzel - 34 sold
$487,083 - Extreme Choice - 12 sold
LEADING FIRST SEASON SIRES
(ranked by average - 5 or more sold)
$378,125 - Blue Point - 16 sold
$276,786 - Too Darn Hot - 14 sold
$263,000 - Pierata - 25 sold
$240,000 - Dubious - 6 sold
$233,077 - Microphone - 13 sold
LEADING VENDORS
(ranked by gross)
$17,225,000 - Newgate Farm - 54 sold
$15,360,000 - Arrowfield Stud - 48 sold
$14,100,000 - Segenhoe Stud - 25 sold
$12,715,000 - Coolmore Stud - 36 sold
$11,955,000 - Yarraman Park Stud - 25 sold
LEADING VENDORS
(ranked by average - 5 or more sold)
$564,000 - Segenhoe Stud - 25 sold
$527,500 - Emirates Park - 8 sold
$483,333 - Silverdale Farm - 6 sold
$478,200 - Yarraman Park Stud - 25 sold
$427,222 - Baramul Stud - 18 sold
