Demand for horseflesh showed no signs of slowing on day four of the season-opening Magic Millions yearling sale extravaganza Jan. 14, in which a new milestone was set for a proven young stallion and one of the industry's most progressive stud farms moved closer to a maiden leading vendor title at the Gold Coast.
Three seven-figure yearlings changed hands at the raceday eve session: a daughter of I Am Invincible for AU$1.1 million (US$789,351) to James Harron, a Pierro colt for AU$1 million ($718,091) to Tom Magnier, and a colt by Deep Field also for AU$1 million, the sire's first to hit the benchmark.
The trainers of Deep Field himself, Michael, Wayne, and John Hawkes, were behind the breakthrough purchase of the colt, as the biggest sale in Magic Millions history continued at a relentless pace on Friday.
With the final Book 1 session of 93 lots still to go under the hammer, Magic Millions has sold 15 million-dollar yearlings, three more than the company's previous best of 12 in 2021, and the sale aggregate reached AU$205,847,500 ($147,735,092), almost AU$26 million ($18,654,790) more than at the same stage of last year's then record-breaking sale.
After four days of trade, the average of AU$294,080 ($211,029) fell from Thursday's peak of AU$298,668 ($214,291) and the median held firm at AU$230,000 ($165,069) as any expectant lull in the market was quickly dismissed after buyers clamored for yearlings, which has seen the clearance rate at 93%.
"Any sale that vendors can come and sell 9.3 of 10 horses they have in a sale is incredible. I've had sale companies all over the world texting me saying this is amazing, it's sensational," Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said last night.
"Our dream is to get to a clearance rate with a nine at the front of it at the end of the sale, and we've been there since the start.
"The thirst for horses here in Australia has never been stronger than it is at Magic Millions, January 2022."
Harron Handpicks Special I Am Invincible Filly
The first million-dollar lot sold on Friday was a Segenhoe Stud-raised I Am Invincible filly, the stallion's fifth yearling to hit the magical mark this week, who was bought by agent Harron on behalf of a long-time client.
She was immediately on the market after she drew a AU$500,000 ($358,745) opening bid and, despite some stalling, the competition from the buying bench heated up before Harron landed the knockout punch, as he has on so many occasions in the past, at AU$1.1 million.
When Harron puts his hand up for a yearling, you can be assured that the due diligence has been done and nothing left to chance, so when he says there is "quite a lot happening" in the family of the I Am Invincible filly, it is worth paying attention.
"We like to handpick a few of these special fillies throughout the year if we can," said Harron.
"She was a standout, an absolutely beautiful filly, with a fantastic pedigree. There's quite a lot happening in the family, actually, and she was just a lovely filly by a stallion doing a fantastic job with all his progeny but is very good with his fillies."
Cataloged as Lot 669, she is the second foal out of breeder John Camilleri's Reisling Stakes place-getter Villa Carlotta, who is a half sister to the stakes-placed Fasano, while her second dam is group 3 winner Florentina.
Florentina has a 2-year-old colt by Kingman who made AU$1.8 million ($1,291,485) at last year's Magic Millions sale and forms part of Coolmore's colts partnership, while the valuable filly's dam, Villa Carlotta, has produced a 2-year-old colt by Merchant Navy. She was covered last September by Wootton Bassett.
"John (Camilleri) has been a terrific breeder, one of the best breeders in Australia, and Segenhoe is one of the best-producing farms, so hopefully we can have a bit of luck," the agent reasoned.
The million dollar, Newgate-consigned Pierro colt, offered as Lot 798, was Coolmore's fourth seven-figure purchase of the sale, having also taken home the current sales topper in the AU$1.9 million ($1,363,614) I Am Invincible colt and sons of Snitzel and Not A Single Doubt for AU$1.1 million each, all on Thursday.
The Pierro yearling, a half brother to the Jamie Richards-trained unbeaten 3-year-old Mohawk Brave, is the third foal out of U.S. grade 3 winner Ben's Duchess, a Munnings mare bought at the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for $350,000.
Tom Magnier said: "Again, Chris (Waller) and the whole team liked this horse a lot. Obviously, Munnings (the colt's dam sire) needs no introduction; it's a very good page and it was the type that got us.
"Pierro is a stallion who is just going from strength to strength and he is a champion sire in the making."
The Coolmore-organized colts partnership, which has already hit the jackpot with group 1 winner Home Affairs, send all their horses to Waller to be trained, but they will first be broken-in at their Jerrys Plains property.
Magnier added: "We've got a few nice colts this week and fingers crossed (they can gallop). They'll all head back to the farm at the gym there and start to be broken in next week."
