Yulong closed out its extraordinary Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale buying spree by adding a second member of the Sunshine In Paris family trilogy of fillies and mares to sell this week, as the group 1 winner’s three-quarter sister Macroura topped the final Gold Coast session at AU$1.5 million (US$984,998, AU$1-US$0.6566).
Trade at the three-day broodmare auction surpassed AU$107 million, the turnover helped by three million-dollar in-foal mares sold at the Bundall-based complex May 25 and the AU$33.466 million spent across this week by Yulong founder Zhang Yuesheng, a figure which smashed his own AU$29 million outlay at the 2022 National Broodmare Sale.
Zhang took home the most expensive mare of the week in three-time group 1 winner Forbidden Love for AU$4.1 million, as well as AU$3.2 million mare Snapdancer and Isotope (AU$2.3 million)—who all sold Tuesday—and today group 3 winner Macroura was added to his 60-strong haul of purchases.
A three-quarter sister to Surround Stakes (G1) winner Sunshine In Paris, who made AU$3.9 million during Tuesday’s opening session, Macroura (Lot 991) will join her dam Zenaida (AU$1.4 million) as a member of the Yulong broodmare band after being offered through the Vinery Stud draft early on Day 3.
Agent James Harron purchased Sunshine In Paris as a racing and breeding proposition, with the trio of horses netting AU$6.8 million for the week.
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Macroura, one of just six mares in foal to the now pensioned Newgate Farm stallion Deep Field, was always going to garner interest given the popularity of her family this week and the scarcity of pregnant mares in foal to Hong Kong’s champion stallion.
“It’s great to secure her after buying her mother yesterday and we’ll try and build the family with her,” Yulong’s chief operating officer Sam Fairgray said. “We’ll keep breeding and try and keep the fillies and see how we go.”
Macroura leaving the sales ring at Magic Millions
Macroura was sold by Vinery on behalf of A List Stud’s Chris Lee.
“We were fairly optimistic coming in (to the sale), but she exceeded our expectations, which was good, but that’s what the sale is doing at the moment with mares of that quality,” Vinery Stud’s general manager Peter Orton said. “Just speaking to Sam, they’re really keen on the family and building the family up. She’s a beautiful mare and she’ll be a lovely one to join their ranks.”
A List Stud paid AU$420,000 for Macroura at the 2021 Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
“He’s put a lot into the game and it’s good to see him get a little bit more out,” Orton said of Lee’s level of investment. “He’s been buying more over the last few years, which is good for everybody, and it’s good to see him get a result.”
Twin Hills Stud principal Olly Tait, who sold the dam of group 3 winner and leading Stradbroke Handicap (G1) contender Yellow Brick to Yulong for AU$775,000 soon after Macroura went through the ring, said the market was still “pretty healthy”.
Tait said it was the right time to part with Magical Mist, who is also the dam of stakes winners Ballistic Boy and Splendiferous, and was sold in foal to Maurice .
In conjunction with G1 Goldmine, Tait paid AU$60,000 for Magical Mist, who was in foal to Performer at the time of the 2020 National Sale.
“It’s a lot of money, she’s a beautiful mare, she’s given us so much excitement since we’ve owned her,” Tait said. “Splendiferous became a group 3 winner after we bought the mare and Yellow Brick has become the horse that he has in the last 12 months, and looks like he’s going to do even better things.”
The sale of Magical Mist was not the first successful trade Tait has pulled off, having bought Lipari for AU$170,000 in 2017 and reselling her two years later for AU$1.6 million on the back of the emergence of her sons; the Australian Derby (G1) winner Levendi and group 3 winner Marcel From Madrid.
Twin Hills also featured on the buyers’ sheet this week, signing for six mares at a cost of AU$915,000.
“As everyone always says at a horse sale, it’s always hard to buy the one you want and there’s areas of the market that are quite thin, but it’s pretty healthy,” Tait said. “I thought the clearance rate was ok, the horses are making a lot of money. We are trying to buy mares and we get knocked out on more than we actually buy, so it’s a decent market.”
Yulong was not the only operation to break records at this week’s National Broodmare Sale, with vendor Newgate Farm selling 58 mares for AU$27,358,500, the highest turnover earned by any consignor in Magic Millions’ history, as the Henry Field-led operation achieved back-to-back leading vendor titles.
Piping Hot at the Magic Millions Sale
Coolmore’s Tom Magnier, who on Tuesday paid AU$3 million for Piping Hot, the dam of dual group 1-winning sprinter Coolangatta, was the second-leading buyer with AU$6.1 million spent across three mares.
Belmont Bloodstock’s Damon Gabbedy bought 15 yearlings on behalf of clients, while Newgate Bloodstock reinvested on 11 mares and Kingstar Farm’s Matthew Sandblom also bought 11 mares at the sale.
The aggregate of AU$107,130,000 ($70,348,521), the average of AU$217,744 ($142,985), and the median of AU$100,000 ($65,666) were all down compared with the past two years, as was the clearance rate of 77%.
However, it was not unexpected in the current market conditions and Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said the turnover generated across the past three days was in line with expectations.
“Ideally, we would have liked to sell a few more at the low-to-mid end, but I think the top end made up for that from the gross perspective, and it’s our job to continue to increase the clearance rate in the hours and days to come,” Bowditch said. “I think we’ve got a very motivated group of vendors who are willing to meet the market, so I think in the days to come there will be many a horse transacted and that’ll add to the market.”
Bowditch acknowledged Yulong’s contribution to the sale and Zhang’s investment in the wider Australian thoroughbred industry.
He said: “Sixty horses at any end of the market is a huge number to take home, let alone at all ends and very much so at the top—AU$33 million is a big go. Mr. Zhang has got some amazing broodmares to breed to his stallions for this year and in years to come. It’s very exciting for Australia, and it’s exciting for Victoria, and the whole industry’s cheering Yulong on for their successes in the years to come.”
On Newgate as a vendor, Bowditch said it was an amazing effort.
“They’re a well-oiled machine, their marketing is exceptional, and, from their perspective and their client’s perspective, I’m sure they’re very happy with the results they’ve achieved,” he said. “Congratulations to Newgate. They’re a very important component to all our major sales here on the Gold Coast. They’re a two-time leading yearling vendor and, for the second year in a row, they’ve been the biggest seller at the National Broodmare Sale.”
The Magic Millions National Yearling Sale will be held next Tuesday and Wednesday, with the National Racehorse Sale to be also held May 31.