Magic Millions release March Gold Coast Yearling Sale catalogue

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

Thursday provided the release of the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, with another deep and diverse catalogue set to roll into the famous Bundall complex across Monday, March 11 and Tuesday, March 12.

With 390 lots entered for the sale, by 72 individual stallions, there is no shortage of diversity on offer, with leading stallions like Russian Revolution and Maurice (Jpn) complemented by exciting prospects such as North Pacific and Anders.

Bowditch bullish about what the catalogue offers

Managing Director Barry Bowditch, fresh off a successful Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January, asserted that this sale provides large-scale opportunities for buyers to find their next champion, particularly those to be raced and trained locally.

“QTIS-eligible runners have over many years boasted a first-class record in highly regarded races,” Bowditch said in a media release on Thursday.

Gallery: Group 1-winning flagbearers for Queensland's QTIS incentive scheme

“The likes of Buffering, Ellsberg, Apache Chase, Skirt The Law, Jonker, The Odyssey, Yellow Brick, Winning Rupert and Prince Of Boom have flown the flag for QTIS after being sold from the Gold Coast sale ring.

“The $1 million Racing Queensland QTIS Open has been won by former sale graduates including Boom Torque, Chapter And Verse, I'm A Rippa and Buffering, while Punch On also won a Magic Millions 3YO Guineas.”

“The incentives for buyers of this sale are second to none,” Bowditch added. “There’s now free registration for purchases into QTIS and the extra opportunities for these horses are unbelievable!”

“There's over $13 million in QTIS prizemoney bonuses, the $2 million QTIS Jewel Raceday, the $1.5 million Magic Millions QTIS Open and the $750,000 King of the Mountain.”

“If there wasn’t already enough incentive for QTIS buyers, the 2024 Gold Coast March Yearling Sale is the only sale to offer a discount on the Magic Millions Race Series nomination fee, making their purchases eligible for the rocketing suite of 28 graduate races to be held across six states of Australia during the 2024/25 racing season.”

Better Than Ready prominent across the catalogue

With Queensland buyers in particular afforded strong opportunity to forge success at this sale, one other element of comfort for the locals is the presence of Better Than Ready throughout the catalogue, with the leading sunshine state-based stallion represented by 48 lots, or 12 per cent of the entire book.

The figure is an escalation from 12 months ago, when the popular local also had the most number of individual lots catalogued, this time with 44.

His progeny in the 2023 edition were well-received, achieving a gross of $1,981,500 and an average of $53,554, with only four of his 41 to be offered not finding a new home at the Bundall complex.

Emerging stallions well-represented

Also standing out in the stallion department is the number of emerging stallions, some of whom have started brilliantly in their careers in the barn, that have a deep selection of yearlings to go under the hammer across the two-day sale.

Tassort has seen his first crop make a dynamic start to their racing careers, highlighted by the likes of the G3 Gimcrack S. winner Manaal and Onemoretwomany displaying dazzling early speed. He will have nine lots offered, with the Newgate Farm resident likely to be cashing in on some of the initial success of his progeny.

Gallery: Some of the stallions who are well-represented in the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale catalogue

Another sire to make a hot start, Cosmic Force, has seven lots catalogued, while Zousain has 10 progeny booked in to be offered at the sale.

Potentially the most notable stallion with large-scale representation is Pierata, who has 19 lots entered across the two days. With his yearlings going for as much as $800,000 across previous yearling sales, his reception from buyers looms as one of the most fascinating elements of the sale, with such lucrative bonuses available for a stallion that stands for $44,000 (inc GST), a fee higher than the average of this sale last year ($35,541).

Eureka hold a strong hand

Local powerhouse Eureka Stud, who narrowly missed out on being crowned top vendor by gross in the 2023 edition of this sale, look set to return with a bang in 2024, with 37 lots entered in their catalogue.

Unsurprisingly, there is wholesale support from the Darling Downs-based operation for their two resident stallions, Spirit Of Boom and Encryption, but they’re also taking some stock from other established and emerging sires with them to Bundall.

The aforementioned Zousain makes an appearance in their draft via Lot 129, while other stallions such as Microphone, Rothesay and Dubious also present.

Gallery: A selection of stallions represented by progeny in the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale

Nominations and bloodstock manager of Eureka Stud, Harry McAlpine, is looking forward to what the March sale has to offer, with it being a happy hunting ground for the operation in recent years.

“We’ve had great success at the March sale before, it’s a real staple for the farm. We’ve sold some really nice horses there before, Apache Chase, Spirit Of Boom and Keshi Boom who’s a bit of a star on the rise.

“We’ve always sold good horses there and we’re very pleased to be taking a good representation by Spirit Of Boom and Encryption back there again this year.

“Both our stallions are eligible for the QTIS scheme, so the Queensland buyers are often buying those. It’s a phenomenal scheme, the money available is quite incredible with all the bonus races, including the $1 million Magic Millions QTIS race.

“It’s great to get some interstate buyers there (as well) and it’s great to see them having success with the likes of Keshi Boom.”

Asked what the confidence levels were like surrounding market behaviour heading into the March sale, McAlpine pointed to the fact that local fuel can often drive bidding forward, with the aforementioned QTIS scheme affording local buyers a stronger chance at a return on investment, at a comparably lower price than some of the other yearling sales held at this time of the year.

“It’s a bit of a different market to January (the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale), the March sale is predominantly a Queensland buying bench.

“A lot of those Queensland buyers save up their money for this sale, January is often at the other end of the scale price-wise.

“There’s definitely good value and great horses to be found at March, Apache Chase was only $40,000, Price Of Boom was only $20,000, at the other end of the scale Keshi Boom was $120,000, there’s great shopping there and the results sort of speak for themselves.”

How will the new kids fare?

With one major yearling sale under their belt already (with more to come between now and March 11), we can gradually get a handle on the first-season sire class, and how they are performing in the ring.

While there will be no appearances from Wootton Bassett (GB), Farnan or Ole Kirk at this sale, with all three having lit up the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale last month, there is a number of the debuting crop that present here with yearlings to offer.

It was an impressive first sale for Anders last month, with his 10 lots in Book 1 going for an average of $194,000, as he batted well above his service fee of $16,500 (inc GST). He’ll have four on offer in the March sale, while North Pacific, who was also a hot commodity, will have seven to walk through the ring.

One name that didn’t feature in January was Sensei, the Listed-winning son of Dream Ahead (USA), who will make his debut for The Grove Thoroughbreds off a fee of $4400 (inc GST).

The half-brother to fellow Queensland stallion Rothesay will have 10 of his debut crop offered next month.