Sister to G1 Winner In Secret Brings AU$2.3 Million

A sister to dual group 1-winning mare In Secret (AUS) produced fireworks during the second session of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Jan. 8 when she was bought by Randwick-based trainer John Sargent and owner Ian Moses for AU$2.3 million (US$1,428,564, AU$1=US$0.62) under the Laguna Partnership banner. The filly became the most expensive lot to sell at the sale this year—eclipsing the AU$1.8 million Resolute Racing's John Stewart paid for the filly out of Away Game (AUS) during Tuesday's opening session—and was just AU$300,000 short of the Magic Millions record price for a filly, which was set in 2023 by Sunlight (AUS)'s Zoustar (AUS) sister, the Coolmore-owned listed winner Clean Energy (AUS). Moses and Sargent were forced to fight off fierce competition from Chris Waller and his bloodstock agent, Guy Mulcaster. After a prolonged bidding battle, they held firm and eventually the gavel fell in their favor. "I've been training for Ian, a fellow Kiwi, for a long time and he's now building a broodmare band. You've got to buy the best and I think this was the best filly in the sale today," said Sargent. Bred by Segenhoe's owner Kevin Maloney in conjunction with Michael Christian of Longwood Thoroughbreds, the I Am Invincible (AUS) filly is out of Eloping (Choisir), whose progeny offered at public auction have now totaled more than AU$5 million, with Godolphin's 2022 Coolmore Stud Stakes (G1) winner In Secret, who herself was bought at the same sale for AU$900,000, the most high-profile of her produce. "She probably has a bit more size than In Secret but a similar temperament and to buy a full sister to a Coolmore winner is very hard to get. A good investment in the long run and hopefully we can get some black type for her," Sargent said. Moses, who sold his United States-headquartered global animal grooming franchise, Aussie Pet Mobile, in late 2021, and retired to Byron Bay on the New South Wales North Coast, said he was focusing on building a high-quality broodmare band which he keeps at Coolmore. "She was the dominant filly with a great temperament," he said. "I realized that if you want to be in this business at the top end, you've got to put in the investment. "The long-term strategy is to have at least 10 high-quality broodmares stationed at Coolmore and I'm almost up to 10 now on the track and at the stud farm." Segenhoe's general manager Peter O'Brien was candid in his assessment of the result, admitting he thought the filly would make far less than the amount she eventually realized. "I thought she'd make between AU$700,000 and AU$1 million, in and around there, so it was an incredible surprise," O'Brien said. Co-breeder Christian was thrilled with the final result. "She's a beautiful filly. When you're selling—and full credit to Segenhoe—and once you get around that million mark you've got to get lucky because there's only one player," he said. "The mare has done an incredible job. In Secret was a superstar and without sounding too greedy it was unfortunate for Godolphin that she didn't train on and run in The Everest. She would have been a formidable opponent." The good results didn't stop there for Christian. Later on in the day he sold, under his Longwood Thoroughbred banner, the Zoustar full brother to impressive juvenile winner Space Rider (AUS) out of his homebred mare Fuddle Dee Duddle (Red Ransom) to China Horse Club/Newgate Bloodstock and Partners for AU$675,000. I Am Invincible enjoyed an incredible day and he heads into Day 3 with his 16 yearlings at the sale having sold at an average of AU$739,688 for an aggregate AU$11,835,000. After two days of trade, Magic Millions reported AU$97,555,000 (US$60,592,867) had been spent on 352 lots at an increased clearance rate of 81%, which is down 4.7% from the same point 12 months earlier, which finished with an aggregate of AU$101,833,000. The average also dropped 4.7% to AU$277,145 (US$172,139), while the median took a hit, finishing at AU$200,000 (US$124,223), a 9% decrease from the AU$220,000 recorded after Day 2 last year. "Day 2 I thought it built upon the foundation set on Day 1," Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said. "You could see by the start of the sale—I think we went 25 lots before we passed one in—so there was a good confident start and that built off yesterday and then momentum during the day was really, really sound. "I thought, all in all, to increase the clearance from under 75% to above 81% was a great effort and that was attributed to a better ring rate today and also deals being done outside the ring. "It's great that equilibrium is being found between buyer and vendor and I think it's a good healthy genuine market." Day 3 of the sale kicks off at 10 a.m. (AEST) Jan. 9.