The Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale kicks off on Tuesday with a stellar draft of race fillies and mares with one of the star lots tipped to be Zougotcha, who has many similarities with the 2020 sale-topper Sunlight.
Both fillies were bred and offered for sale as yearlings with Widden retaining an interest in their ownership as racehorses.
Sunlight was sold at the 2017 Magic Millions as a yearling for $300,000 to Aquis/McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Blue Sky Bstock. She was the 11th most expensive of his 32 yearlings sold at that sale at an average $265,156, so at the upper end of middle of the road.
Zougotcha was sold at 2021 Inglis Easter for $500,000 to Chris Waller Racing / Mulcaster Bloodstock. She was the seventh most expensive of his 24 yearlings sold at that sale at an average $390,625, so would be at the lower end of the top bracket.
Sunlight was a fast and precocious 2YO winning the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and placing in the Golden Slipper, but hot peak form at three to win the Group I VRC Newmarket Handicap, Coolmore Stud Stakes and MVRC William Reid Stakes, her overall record 11 wins and eight placings from 24 starts with prizemoney topping $6.5million.
Zougotcha won a metro maiden at two, then blossomed at three to dominate the Princess Series culminating in her first G1 win in the ATC Flight Stakes and returned at four to win the Group I ATC Coolmore Classic and Queen of the Turf Stakes, her overall record eight wins and two placings from 18 starts with prizemoney in excess of $2.8million.
When it came time to sell Sunlight, she topped the 2020 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale fetching $4.2million when bought by Tom Magnier and her stud career has proven every bit as successful as her racing career to date.
Her first foal, a colt by Justify (USA) sold for $1.4million and is now the stakes-winner Dawn Service and her second, a colt by Wootton Bassett (GB), also sold for $1.4million and has had one barrier trial which was encouraging and his name is Central Coast.
Her third foal is a filly by Home Affairs that topped Magic Millions when selling for $3.2million and she has now been exported to Japan.
Zougotcha is a mare that will attract global interest and the subsequent story of how Sunlight’s future has played out will be lost on nobody, so all eyes will be on the sale ring tomorrow as we see who takes her home and for how much?
