Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

Hancock was one of many cheering home the Shane and Cassie Oxlade-trained Sghirripa (Lonhro) at Flemington; South Australians deservedly proud of the up and coming 4-year-old who has been successful at half of his 14 starts to date.

Easily putting 3l on his Standish rivals, the 2021 Adelaide Magic Millions graduate is - Hancock said - typical of the sort of horse who can be sourced at the sale; secured by Francesco Sghirripa for $70,000 from the draft of his breeders Grenville Stud.

“It is a nice horses sale,” Hancock said, noting that nothing makes him happier on sales day than seeing buyers wandering around the complex saying, “Oh that’s a good type, who is that?!”

Especially when said horses are affordable to a wide range of buyers, noting that the sale's average has hovered around $50,000 the last two years… “the sort of horses most can afford to buy, making this a very marketable sale.”

And one, Hancock added, that people “love coming to.”

“It’s a lovely atmosphere here, it is a user-friendly sale. We are 15 minutes from the beach, 20 minutes from the city so coming here is an enjoyable experience.”

Unique atmosphere

The Morphettville sales yard being so close to Glenelg tends to create a unique atmosphere come sale time with many breeders, owners and trainers choosing to stay by the ocean - meaning that everywhere you go, there are racing people!

“South Australian breeders are keen to sell - they bring their nicest horses here as do breeders from all around the country; this year we have each state except Western Australia (those breeders busy preparing for their own Magic Millions sale) represented.”

Which means buyers from everywhere as well, including locals who love a sale in their own backyard - “South Australians have spent over $4 million at this sale which is a big effort, so it is our duty to provide them with just the sort of horses they - as well as trainers and syndicators from interstate - want to buy.”

Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch agreed saying, “Our team has worked hard to assemble a catalogue that will impress buyers and will certainly extend the fine record that sale graduates possess.

“From G1 Caulfield Cup and G1 Victoria Derby winners to sizzling Group 1 sprinters and elite milers to superstar juveniles, our Morphettville-based auction delivers every year.”

"And it has the most outstanding record of being a pinhooker's paradise."

Both Bowditch and Hancock are particularly excited by the variety and class of stallions with progeny going through the Adelaide ring this year - including yearlings “by every active Australian stallion currently in the top 17 Champion Sires' list.”

“We have horses by I Am Invincible, Snitzel, So You Think, Zoustar, Pride Of Dubai, Capitalist, Written Tycoon, Dundeel, Spirit Of Boom, All Too Hard, Exceed And Excel, Street Boss and Rich Enuff,” Hancock enthused.

As well as larger numbers than usual of yearlings by young stallions who are making their mark early - such as Alabama Express, Tassort, Cosmic Force, Dirty Work, Blue Point (Ire), I Am Immortal, Zousain and Too Darn Hot (GB).

Gallery: Some of the sires to be represented at the 2024 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale

And the progeny of 22 different first-season sires including Farnan, Ole Kirk and Wootton Bassett (GB).

“Having good numbers of yearlings by those young stallions - as well as by such proven, in-form horses as Toronado, Star Turn, Russian Revolution and Pierro - is really going to attract buyers,” Hancock said, adding that there are types that match the pages.

“I have already had several breeders tell me that they have the sale-topper!” he laughed.

The sale has a change of date this year, swapping dates with the Gold Coast March Yearling Sale - taking place on March 18 and 19.

We took a look at some of the interesting elements of the catalogue:

1. Express train heads to Adelaide

Australia’s leading first-season sire, Alabama Express, will have ample representation at the 2024 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale. Alabama Express has 17 lots catalogued, with his home farm Yulong leading the way with 12 representatives.

Alabama Express is the most represented of his crop and also the equal most with any sire in the catalogue.

Following Alabama Express in the first-season sires is Vinery Stud’s Exceedance, who is the second most prominent sire with 10 yearlings catalogued. At the same time, Widden Stud’s Zousain has nine catalogued, rounding out the most represented first-season sires.

2. Musk Creek and Cornwall make debuts

Flinders-based Musk Creek Farm, owned by David Kobritz and Teresa Poon, will debut a draft of six yearlings at the 2024 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale. Among the six-lot draft is a filly by Darley’s Street Boss (USA) from the Toronado (Ire) mare Elderflower. Catalogued as Lot 406, the filly is the first foal from the mare, who is closely related to the Group 1-winning sprinter Elite Street (Street Boss {USA}).

Musk Creek Farm will also consign Lot 161, a filly by Rosemont Stud’s freshman Hanseatic, a speedy and precocious son of Street Boss, who was placed in the G1 Blue Diamond S.

The filly is the first foal from the four-time-winning Squamosa mare Ray’s Dream. She is a half-sister to La Rocque (Kuroshio), a victress twice as a juvenile, including the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders’ S.

Cornwall Park Stud is another operation set to market yearlings in Adelaide for the first time. The Victorian-based operation managed by Peter Boyle will head to South Australia with a draft of six yearlings.

Four of the six are progeny of Widden Stud’s Dirty Work, a son of Written Tycoon, while remaining lots are by the former Spendthrift Australia-shutter Omaha Beach (USA).

3. Strong local vendor presence

As expected, South Australian vendors will have a strong presence at their showcase sale. Seventeen individual South Australian-based vendors make up the catalogue and will supply 113 of the 452 lots, totalling 25 per cent of the catalogue.

Among those listed are the renowned breeder Mill Park Stud, one of the best strike rate vendors in the country who have sold horses the quality of Away Game (Snitzel) and recent Group 1 winner Attrition (Churchill {Ire}).

Sam Hayes' Cornerstone Stud will be the most represented local vendor with a draft of 22.

Meanwhile, Kambula Stud, Willow Grove Stud and Rathmore Lodge are others with sizable drafts to present at Adelaide.

4.Victorian young guns well represented

Rosemont Stud’s Hanseatic and Widden Victoria’s Dirty Work each have 17 lots catalogued in the 2024 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, making them the most represented freshman sires of their crop in Adelaide.

The pair are closely followed by Yulong Stud’s G1 Blue Diamond S. victor Tagaloa, who has 16 lots on offer.

Interestingly, all three stallions are located in Victoria and combined the progeny of these three stallions represent 11 per cent of the catalogue.

5. Cornerstone to retain crown?

Cornerstone Stud has been the leading vendor for the past three editions. In 2023, Cornerstone Stud offered 26 lots, accumulating a gross of $1,186,500, which was better than Gerry Harvey’s Baramul Stud, which finished second with 20 lots sold for $1,166,000.

In 2022, Cornerstone Stud sold 27 yearlings for a gross of $2,072,000, besting Kambula Stud, who grossed $1,470,000 from 12 sold.

Cornerstone and Baramul Stud again went head-to-head in 2021, with Cornerstone getting the upper hand with 25 selling for a gross of $1,533,500, while Baramul Stud sold 20 for $1,281,000.

Harvey’s Baramul Stud is the vendor with the greatest number of lots catalogued (37) at this year’s Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale. Lot 63, a filly, is sure to attract interest by Australia’s reigning Champion Sire I Am Invincible from a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Sambro (Fastnet Rock).

Following Baramul Stud with 25 lots on offer is Yulong, and rounding out the vendors with the most catalogued lots is the locally based Cornerstone Stud with 22.

In June last year, The Oaks Stud announced they had acquired U S Navy Flag (USA) to stand permanently in New Zealand.

The royally bred son of Claiborne Farm’s War Front (USA) was a brilliant sprinter for the Ballydoyle maestro Aidan O’Brien. He retired as a three-time Group 1 winner, twice as a juvenile in the G1 Dewhurst S. and the G1 Middle Park S. that gave him the title of the European Champion 2-Year-Old.

U S Navy Flag trained on as a 3-year-old to win the time-honoured G1 July Cup and showed his versatility to finish second in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas at the testing Curragh.

At the time of the Cambridge-based stud’s announcement, U S Navy Flag had sired his first stakes winner when the bonny filly Chantilly Lace (NZ) won the Listed Castletown S. by 10l for Chrissy Bambry.

Chantilly Lace has trained on to be one of her sire’s most consistent performers, winning the Listed Wanganui Guineas and placing in two Group 3s.

U S Navy Flag’s profile has continued to grow in status, as has his tally of stakes winners and performers. The son of War Front has sired four individual stakes winners of seven stakes races. At the same time, he has had 12 stakes performers among his 72 winners.

The Oaks Stud's General Manager, Rick Williams, told The Thoroughbred Report that the reception to U S Navy Flag has been very positive, “The reception from breeders has been very positive. It was an exciting time when we announced his acquisition, and obviously a risk because we were talking about a horse with potential, but he was still a young horse.

“His progeny looked like they could do it on the track, and he was getting some nice early results. However, the spring was very good to U S Navy Flag. He has a multitude of winners, and the number of stakes winners and performers has been really impressive for the number of runners.

“There’s been a lot of placegetters as well that look like they’re on the verge of winning.”

Millions to be made at Karaka

Importantly, for New Zealand breeders and buyers, the U S Navy Flag is set to have ample representation at New Zealand’s biggest event, the TAB Karaka Millions Raceday.

The Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley-trained So Naive (NZ) will chase success in the NZ$1 million R. Listed Karaka Millions 2YO. The colt was an impressive last-start winner at Ellerslie, defeating fellow Karaka Millions runner Maracatu (NZ) (Ardrossan).

While in the NZ$1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO, U S Navy Flag has two runners representing him. The Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard-trained Pendragon (NZ) showed plenty of class, winning the G2 Auckland Guineas and beating the subsequent Group 1 winner Quintessa (Shamus Award).

U S Navy Flag’s other runner, To Catch A Thief (NZ), has been placed in three Group 1s, including the New Zealand 2000 Guineas.

“U S Navy Flag is set to have three representatives in the big races. So Naive, Pendragon and To Catch A Thief, and based on their profiles, he’s in with a bit of a chance in both those races.

“We’re delighted he has runners in those races. We’re pleased with our investment and for our partners in Cambridge Stud, Pencarrow and those sorts of people/operations who have taken some shares in him. So, if U S Navy Flag has a good autumn, we’ll look very good next spring.”

Although not running at Ellerslie on Saturday, U S Navy Flag looks to have another stakes winner in the wings, the Andrew Forsman-trained Fortunate Son (NZ), who was impressive winning at the track last Sunday, and holds an entry in the G1 New Zealand Derby in March.

“Andrew Forsman really likes Fortunate Son. He eased off him because he thought he was sold, and then that fell through. So, he went into the Ellerslie race a little on the fresh side and still won; he beat a good field, too.

“He’s another horse who looks to have a chance of getting black-type. Overall, the U S Navy Flags are very sound horses. They are sound of mind and limb. They are very consistent horses and like to race, which I guess was reflected in his career racing as a 2-year-old.

“They’ve got speed, but some of them genuinely look like they’ll be better as older horses and over some distance. It’s not unexpected, as U S Navy Flag is from a Galileo mare, and stallions often throw more to their pedigree than their racing careers.

“Galileo is more a stamina influence and being bred to New Zealand broodmares, who are often pretty stoutly bred, it’s no surprise they look as though they’ll certainly get out to a middle-distance trip.”

The Oaks Stud offers five

U S Navy Flag has seven yearlings catalogued in Book 1 at the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale to be held at Karaka from Sunday, January 28 until Tuesday, January 30.

The Oaks Stud will offer five lots by the U S Navy Flag in total, with four in Book 1 and one in Book 2.

All the lots by U S Navy Flag offered by The Oaks Stud are colts, with Williams electing to retain fillies.

Gallery: The Oaks Stud's U S Navy Flag (USA) colts to be offered during Book 1, images courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock

“I’ve got lovely fillies by U S Navy Flag, but I’ve elected to keep them. However, I wanted to put some colts in the sale,” Williams told TTR AusNZ.

“I don’t really sell big drafts now because we’ve had a lot of luck with private sales of trial winners as that’s an incredibly strong market nowadays. But because we now own U S Navy Flag and stand him, we wanted to showcase some of his progeny.

“I’m pleased with those Book 1 colts. Meanwhile, the Book 2 colt (Lot 878) is a very athletic type who looks very early maturing. The colt will be offered on behalf of one of our clients.

“It’s a pretty even bunch of colts. I suppose the Leica Lady (Lot 186) and Blanket Bay (Lot 618) might be the two that make the most money just looking at them as physical types and their pedigrees, but there’s not much in it, in all honesty.

“They should sell pretty evenly. From memory, three or four at the Ready to Run Sale sold between NZ$140,000 and NZ$160,000, and that’s where I’d hope these colts fall.”

Williams added a winner or two on Saturday would likely boost U S Navy Flag’s prospects progeny further.

“It always helps when something is fresh in mind, and the Karaka Millions is set to be a sellout night, and there’s so much happening with the Entain Group and Monday’s announcements are only adding a lot more domestic interest to the market.”

Savaglee to run for The Oaks Stud

Saturday could be an incredibly memorable day for The Oaks Stud. Alongside U S Navy Flag having solid chances in the big events, The Oaks Stud will also see Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) carry their colours in the R. Listed Karaka Millions 2YO.

The son of Savabeel was a NZ$400,000 purchase by The Oaks Stud from Waikato Stud at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.

Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard train Savaglee. He broke his maiden on debut at Trentham and has recently been placed at Pukekohe Park.

Williams admits he is surprised to see Savaglee come up as an early 2-year-old but concedes he is still a colt learning to race.

“We paid a lot of money for Savaglee. He was brilliant on debut, but then he had a bit of bad luck and a little issue. Savaglee is fine now, and he’s had some gear changes.

“I think what Savaglee needs most of all is a good draw so he can take a sit for a change, and I think if he gets that, he’s certainly settled in his work now to take advantage of that.

“To me, it does seem like he’s got to make up four or five lengths. I think Stephen Marsh’s filly (Velocious) is very good, and she savages the line, but if he can get a nice trip, he’s in with a chance.

“Blake Shinn rode him last, and he was very positive about just a few changes, and he said there’s a lot of upside in him. We will probably be fifth or sixth on the line of betting, and that’s where we deserve to be. So Naive, I thought, was most impressive.

“He really savaged the line at Ellerslie and looked like he would run a distance. So, these 2-year-old races usually run pretty quickly with a strong speed early, and I would have thought So Naive is a horse that’s just caught on to what racing is all about; I really think the penny dropped the other day.

“So, if we can’t win with Savaglee, I’d love to see So Naive win. It’s very exciting. The barrier draws are crucial in those 1200-metre races, but we’re going in with some optimism.”

The future is bright for Savaglee, who may one day stand alongside U S Navy Flag at The Oaks Stud.

“We usually buy a couple each year. Cheval D’Or is one we purchased, and she’s a Group 3 winner. We’ve always bought fillies mainly, but Dick (Karreman) suggested why don’t we look at a colt, just in the hope that he wins a Group 1 and we can stand him at stud.

“We purchased Savaglee with that in mind; we’re a long way off. He’s not doing that right now, but he’s a nice and attractive horse. I didn’t expect him to be early, but he just showed us a lot of speed.

“Dick is coming over to New Zealand. He hasn’t been over for a few years, and we’ll plan to have a look at Karaka.”

Renewed optimism

On Monday, it was announced New Zealand would hold the Southern Hemisphere’s richest 3-year-old race, a slot race to be known as The NZB Kiwi, with prizemoney totalling NZ$4.5 million, alongside the newly established ‘Champions Day’ that will feature more than NZ$9 million in prizemoney in 2025.

Williams, like most others, applauded the initiative of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR), TAB New Zealand and Entain to join forces and bring additional optimism to racing and breeding participants in New Zealand.

“I think there’s a renewed optimism in New Zealand racing, and hopefully, the domestic buyers are a little bit stronger than they’ve been in the last few years and give the Australians that are always fantastic some more competition,” Williams said.

“I think we will see the additional prizemoney carry over to the breeding industry, and we may see more Australian breeders using our stallions. Ultimately, it depends on the sires you’re standing; when we had Zabeel in the good old days, many Australian mares were being covered in New Zealand.

“But I think it’s getting there again. Cambridge Stud has made significant investments in our horses like Almanzor and Hello Youmzain, and you’ve got the rise of Proisir.

“Satono Aladdin and some other promising stallions whose progeny are going well in New Zealand and Australia shape a strong pool of sires. Interestingly, U S Navy Flag covered three or four Australian mares last season, and he hadn’t done that before.

“He’s had several winners in Australia, nothing metropolitan class yet, but there’s a genuine interest, and it probably helps that our service fees are a little more competitive compared with the equivalent Australian sire.

“There’s always been trans-Tasman business, but it probably slowed down over recent years. Savabeel has been a phenomenal stallion and attracted Australian interest. It’s an international market at the end of the day, and if your stallion’s progeny do well in Australia, you get a response.

“Australians respect their form, and if you start beating them in their backyard, they take notice.”

Williams expects the interest in the New Zealand stallion pool to continue to grow, and he feels the prizemoney and incentive announcements will give buyers more confidence to invest in racing in the country.

“We’ll be shortlisting a few horses, and hopefully, we can buy a couple, more likely fillies. We’re in the market, for sure.

“It’s been a good time, and all the announcements in New Zealand Racing make you want to get out and possibly see us and others invest more than we have in the past.”

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

Fresh off a record Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Segenhoe Stud has plenty of reasons to be upbeat with the first major sale of the season behind us. Segenhoe Stud claimed another record in the most million-dollar lots for one vendor with seven of its 31 yearlings (23 per cent) fetching seven figures or more throughout Book 1.

While Segenhoe Stud’s sales records speaks volumes of the quality of bloodstock and on-farm preparation, its stock certainly aren’t just sales horses with its graduates constantly backing up their lofty price-tags where it counts on the track. Since the start of the 2020 racing season, Segenhoe Stud has sold the winners of 41 stakes races including six at Group 1 level.

Gallery: Some of the recent Group 1 winners sold by Segenhoe Stud

In four racing seasons alone, 25 individual stakes winners have been sold through the Segenhoe draft including Group 1 winners Ellsberg (Spill The Beans), In Secret (I Am Invincible), Joliestar (Zoustar) and Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai). While Segenhoe Stud’s average yearling price sits just above $400,000 a pop, stakes-winning graduates of the farm can be found at every price bracket. Listed Miss Andretti S. winner Wild Belle (Pride Of Dubai) was just an $80,000 purchase for her connections while stakes-winning blue-blood colt Setanta (Fastnet Rock) set back his Aquis Farm connections a hefty $2,300,000 at the 2019 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Table: Segenhoe Stud's stakes winners by sale

The Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale has been the farm’s most successful sale in recent years with 11 stakes winners produced through its draft. Included are Group 1-winning graduates Ellsberg and In Secret who fetched $280,000 and $900,000 at their respective edition of the sale.

The Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale is the farm’s most successful sale by average price with stakes-winning graduates fetching an average price of $800,000. This season’s G1 Thousand Guineas winner Joliestar features amongst the farm’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale graduates having set back her Cambridge Stud connections $950,000 at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Table: Segenhoe Stud's stakes winners/yearlings sold

Producing stakes winners year on year is only natural for Segenhoe Stud with the farm averaging over 11 per cent stakes winners to horses sold since the 2019 sales season (resultant graduates currently 5-year-old). In 2019, Segenhoe Stud produced seven stakes-winning yearling graduates at a rate of 17 per cent stakes winners to yearlings sold. Among them are the Group 1-winning duo Pride Of Jenni and Ellsberg, while G2 Golden Pendant winner Vangelic (Vancouver) and G2 Autumn S. winner Poland (So You Think {NZ}) also 2019 Segenhoe Stud yearling graduates.

Its 3-year-old crop of graduates (2022 yearling sale series) is also doing remarkably well. Other than elite filly Joliestar, Segenhoe Stud is responsible for selling the likes of three-time stakes-winning Darley Princess Series winner Tiz Invincinble (I Am Invincinble), G2 Wakeful S. winner Amazonian Lass (More Than Ready {USA}) and G3 Caulfield Classic S. winner Sunsets (Dundeel {NZ}). That has the crop striking at a lofty 15 per cent stakes winners to horses sold which is far superior to the going average.

Table: Segenhoe Stud's stakes winners by stallion

In terms of stallions, I Am Invincible is by far the farm’s most successful sire for stakes winners having been responsible for six individual stakes winners. The most notable is the two-time Group 1-winning star filly In Secret, while fellow Vinnie mare I Am Me came ever so close to claiming Group 1 status in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. in the spring. Coolmore’s underrated Pride Of Dubai is also featured in four of Segenhoe Stud’s recent stakes winners including dual Group 1 winner Pride Of Jenni as well as stakes winners Queen Of Dubai, Wild Belle and Hypothetical.