Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis has had a lot of luck with Magic Millions having secured Group I winners from the Gold Coast yearling sale as well as selling Group I winning mares through the auction house and Captured by Love combined both of those things.
Purchased for $525,000 by Te Akau Racing from the Milburn Creek draft at the Gold Coast in 2023, Captured by Love was fast and precocious winning her first four starts at two.
The daughter of Written Tycoon blossomed at three for Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson to win the Group I New Zealand 2000 Guineas beating top class filly Alabama Lass.
Consigned for Te Akau in the Newgate Consignment, she was always going to be a big ticket item at this sale with a strong Black Type pedigree to back her up and was knocked down for $1.5million to Sheng Geng, China.
“Captured By Love has come the full circle. This is where I bought her for $525,000, and to win seven races and to come back and get $1.5 million, Australian dollars, is a big thrill for us,” said David Ellis.
“She has been brilliantly promoted by Newgate and Magic Millions and we’re very happy.”
The Newgate Consignment featured two more mares sold for Te Akau with dual Group I winning Shamus Award mare Quintessa sold for $800,000, also to Sheng Geng,and Group III winner My Lips Are Sealed sold to New Zealand based nursery Rich Hill Stud for $180,000.
Ellis was well pleased with the whole sale and in particular Quintessa.
“Very happy with the price level she reached,” he said.
“I can’t wait to see her yearlings at the sales as I think she’ll be a really good broodmare.”
