It was a frenetic finale to the 2023 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale this afternoon when a pair of Frankel colts were sold for $925,000 and $725,000 respectively.
After prolonged bidding battles, both colts were knocked down to the bid of Sam Fairgray of Yulong Investments.
The $925,000 sale topping colt, from the unraced mare Upside, was presented as the star attraction of a quality draft from South Australia's Cornerstone Stud.
He is the first foal of his dam, a Muhaarar half sister to Europa Point and Harbour Watch. She is catalogued as Lot 1189 at next week's National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast.
Fairgray was delighted to secure the colt for Mr Yuesheng Zhang and the Yulong team.
"Obviously Frankel is a fantastic stallion and Mr Zhang has a passion for his progeny and has for a long time," Fairgray said.
"He was a lovely, great moving colt and Mr Zhang is very happy that he'll be running in the Yulong colours."
"With a colt like that, we're hopeful that he can be successful on the racetrack and end up in the stallion barn at Yulong," Fairgray added.
Only minutes after signing for the $925,000 sale topper, Fairgray and Yulong were back in the action, going to $725,000 to secure the other Frankel colt offered.
Presented by Coolmore Stud the colt from the Zoffany mare Walk This Way was a member of the supplementary catalogue as Lot 453.
The honour of being the day's top selling filly was shared by Phoenix Broodmare Farm's So You Think three quarter sister to Elliptical and Yarraman Park Stud's half sister by Hellbent to Shades of Rose and Scallopini who both sold for $400,000.
The successful buyers of the $400,000 fillies were Suman Hedge Bloodstock (Lot 272) and Bruce Mackenzie (Lot 354).
Yulong Investments was leading buyer by spend with an outlay of $3.475 million on their 12 purchases.
Cornerstone Stud, who sold all seven of their offerings, rounded out the sale as leading vendor by average (two or more sold) - nosing out Yarraman Park Stud for that honour. The leading vendor by gross was Edinburgh Park with over $2.8 million of trade for their unreserved dispersal lots.
"Two proper prize fights for the two lovely Frankel colts," Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. "He is an outstanding sire and to have quality Frankels in the sale is something we're very thankful for and I am pleased the market saw them accordingly."
"On the sale topper, I think there were about six or seven (bidders) still playing above $500,000. It was a very, very good battle - it was great to watch!"
"Mr Zhang has a huge opinion of Frankel and why not?! He's probably the world's most commercial leading sire at the moment - it's great and it bodes well for the mares next week."
Across the past two days of selling at the Gold Coast over $22 million was given for 267 lots sold at an average price of over $83,000 and clearance rate of 72 per cent.
"All numbers, outside the clearance rate, are really pleasing. To have a gross that is marginally up on last year and a really healthy average of $83,000 is fantastic."
"We had 77 horses make over $100,000 and that's a big number to have at a foal sale. It just shows there's a great thirst for quality horses out there."
"It's positive for the industry and positive for next week," Bowditch added.
To view the results of the National Weanling Sale or to make an offer on a passed in lot click here.
The focus now immediately switches to the National Broodmare Sale which will commence on Tuesday at 11.30am.
The sale of race fillies and maiden mares will commence at midday but will be preceded by the sale of 15 stallion nominations in a fundraiser for the family of Dean Holland and the National Jockeys Trust. For more information on that sale click here.
To view the catalogue for the National Broodmare Sale click here.
SALE STATISTICS
(2022 in brackets)
Lots Catalogued: 478 (402)
Lots Sold: 267 (247)
Lots Withdrawn: 105 (91)
Lots Passed In: 106 (64)
Sale Gross: $22,165,000 ($22,161,000)
Average Price: $83,015 ($89,720)
Median Price: $50,000 ($55,000)
Sold %: 72 (79)
DAY TWO TOP SELLERS
$925,000 - Frankel-Upside colt (Lot 449)
Vendor: Cornerstone Stud (As Agent) / Buyer: Yulong Investments (Australia) Pty Ltd (Vic)
$725,000 - Frankel-Walk This Way colt (Lot 453)
Coolmore Stud (As Agent) / Yulong Investments (Australia) Pty Ltd (Vic)
$400,000 - So You Think-Marquise Da Rossa filly (Lot 272)
Vendor: Phoenix Broodmare Farm (As Agent) / Buyer: Suman Hedge B'stock (Vic)
$400,000 - Hellbent-Rose of Mulan filly (Lot 354)
Yarraman Park Stud (As Agent) / Bruce Mackenzie (NSW)
$375,000 - I Am Invincible-Melba Avenue colt (Lot 277)
Yarraman Park Stud (As Agent for Yarradale Stud) / Belmont B'stock Agency (Vic)
LEADING BUYERS
(ranked by total spend)
$3,475,000 - Yulong Investments (Australia) Pty Ltd - 12 lots
$1,530,000 - Jim Carey - 5 lots
$953,000 - Belmont Bloodstock Agency - 5 lots
$835,000 - Suman Hedge Bloodstock - 4 lots
$720,000 - Ciaron Maher Bloodstock - 4 lots
LEADING VENDORS
(ranked by gross)
$2,826,500 - Edinburgh Park (Unreserved Dispersal) - 23 sold
$2,499,000 - Milburn Creek - 14 sold
$1,640,000 - Coolmore Stud - 11 sold
$1,397,000 - Cornerstone Stud - 7 sold
$1,356,000 - Three Bridges Thoroughbreds - 10 sold
LEADING VENDORS
(ranked by average - 2 or more sold)
$199,571 - Cornerstone Stud - 7 sold
$198,583 - Yarraman Park Stud - 6 sold
$178,500 - Milburn Creek - 14 sold
$149,091 - Coolmore Stud - 11 sold
$135,600 - Three Bridges Thoroughbreds - 10 sold
LEADING SIRES
(ranked by average - 2 or more sold)
$825,000 - Frankel - 2 sold
$271,875 - Zoustar - 8 sold
$253,000 - Snitzel - 2 sold
$205,714 - Written Tycoon - 7 sold
$186,667 - Blue Point - 3 sold
MM Release
