Proven sires did dominate at the 2024 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, but there was also a spectacular response to Coolmore shuttler Wootton Bassett (GB), who was a runaway leader in the first season sire division and produced the sale-topping filly from Avantage that sold for $2.1million, but it wasn’t all about him, so let’s look a little closer at this cohort of young guns.
The $2.1million for the Avantage filly set a record for a first season sire in Australia, but it’s probably a bit unfair to put Wootton Bassett in that first season bracket in a historical context as while he is unproven in this country, in the Northern Hemisphere he’s a well proven commodity at the highest level.
It is extremely rare that we see an accomplished fully established elite sire from the Northern Hemisphere shuttle to Australia.
Usually we get them in the first few seasons when they are unproven. Superstars Galileo, Dubawi, Invincible Spirit and Lope de Vega were all here early days, as were champion US sires Giant’s Causeway and Unbridled’s Song and then when they became champion sires in their home land that was that, no more Australia. Only Danehill and More Than Ready kept shuttling as elite sires right through their careers.
The big question is will Wootton Bassett replicate his success in Australia and there seemed to be enough market confidence to suggest it is not only possible, but likely, although time will tell.
In any other year, Kia Ora Stud’s Golden Slipper winner Farnan would have earned all the plaudits with his 29 yearlings averaging $309,483 with a highlight $1.2million colt from I Am Excited, while their second string sire Prague was also placed highly on the first season sires by average list. His five yearlings averaged $217,000 with a benchmark of $375,000 for a filly from Sabatini.
Rosemont Stud’s Hanseatic had three sell at an average of $238,333 with his highest the colt from Cameo selling for $375,000. His statistics here bode well for Inglis Premier where there are 30 of his stock to choose from.
Also in the Top Five by average in fourth place was Vinery Stud’s Ole Kirk, whose 23 yearlings averaged $219,565 with his top seller a $1million filly from Supara.
Widden Stud have stepped outside the speed square in standing Russian Camelot (IRE), a dual G1 winning son of staying sire Camelot and he had two yearlings at the sale, fillies from Dinkum Diamond and Insensata that sold for $220,000 and $200,000. He stands at Widden Victoria and will have 15 in Inglis Premier.
Also from Widden, but more fitting to their speed profile is Anders, who was very well received with nine yearlings averaging $210,000 and a benchmark of $330,000 for a filly from Candy Bar.
Further down the list we have a couple of the heavy hitters in terms of numbers in Bivouac and King’s Legacy, who returned similar figures despite the former standing at $66,000 at Darley with the latter for half that fee, just $33,000 at Coolmore.
Bivouac had 26 sell at an average $172,788 with his top seller a filly from Secretly Discreet that sold for $675,000, while King’s Legacy had 26 average $161,731 with his top seller a colt from Serenade that made $775,000.
Bivouac had 19 yearlings sell for $100,000 or more and King’s Legacy had 22.
The first season sire off the cheapest fee was Kingstar Farm’s Time to Reign and his results are worth mentioning as he had just three yearlings in Book 1 that were all sold on Friday and averaged $160,000 off his $9,900 fee giving hope to breeders that can’t afford the expensive sires and have to roll the dice and hope they can produce a type!
Kitchwin Hills Graff was another sire from the bargain basement off a fee of $13,200 and he also had 100% clearance with four yearlings averaging $163,750 with his top seller a filly from Seventhchic that made $350,000.
