Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
Racing never stops and every weekend there are more black type races run and won, resulting in pedigree updates for the families in question. Several lots at the upcoming Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale have enjoyed a recent rise in status.
Pisces brings the Blue Sapphire home
Twice a winner at two, 3-year-old gelding Pisces (Frosted {USA}) won the G3 Blue Sapphire S. at his second start this season after running second to Bittercreek (Snitzel) when resuming in the G3 Red Anchor S. Trained by James Cummings for Godolphin, his half-sister, Lot 790, is being consigned by Emirates Park Stud.
Godolphin sold his dam Pleiades (Redoute’s Choice) for $16,000 at the 2023 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale to Merricks Station in conjunction with Matt Houldsworth and Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) and she foaled this filly a few months later.
“We are selling her on behalf of Merricks Station. She’s a lovely filly by Victor Ludorum and is very much like her sire. He was a good 2-year-old and doesn’t necessarily get the recognition but his stock are selling well in the Northern Hemisphere,” said Emirates Park’s Bryan Carlson.
“I think people will be surprised when they see her, she’s athletic and going places. It’s a great female family too with Champion 2YO Broadsiding.” Group placed Pleiades is a full sister to Broadsiding’s grandam Glissade.
“I think people will be surprised when they see her (Lot 790), she’s athletic and going places. It’s a great female family too with Champion 2YO Broadsiding.” - Bryan Carlson
“We are very excited to present the Gun Runner colt from Golden Slipper winner Estijaab. He’s a lovely colt, the mare has already produced a stakes horse in Ejaabiayh, and we think it’s a match made in heaven.”
“We have a few in the draft who have recent trial-winning siblings. Strada Varenna won a trial on the first day of trials in September and then was scratched on the morning of the Gimcrack, so watch out for her. She’s out of Varenna Miss and the yearling filly is a strong 2-year-old type who looks like she’ll go early.”
Bryan Carlson | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Lot 67 is a Tassort filly from Group 2 winner Varenna Miss (Redoute’s Choice), who is a half-sister to Group 1 winners Criterion (Sebring) and Comin’ Through (Fastnet Rock) from the family of recent 3-year-old group winner Bittercreek. Strada Varenna is by Street Boss (USA).
“Lot 710 is a half-sister to an unraced Tassort filly who won a trial recently and a full sister to Charm Stone. She’s a typical I Am Invincible filly, an attractive and athletic type.”
Charm Stone (I Am Invincible) was sold by Emirates Park at this sale in 2022 for $1.55 million to Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA) and since then she won the G3 Ottawa S. at two, added two more stakes races at three, and this season at four, she’s run third in the G3 Rising Fast S. Charm Stone is out of dual Group 3 winner Najoom (Northern Meteor) and her 3-year-old filly by Tassort who won a trial recently is named Manaajem.
“Another trial winner recently is Balance The Books who won impressively in Brisbane. She’s a half-sister to Lot 936, an All Too Hard filly who is a quality type, correct with a huge hindquarter and is from the family of Shameka.”
Lot 936 and Balance The Books (Capitalist) are out of Snitzel mare Shuwaamekh who is a daughter of Emirates Park’s triple Group 1 winner Shameka (Secret Savings {USA}).
Full sister to Amelita at Cressfield
Cressfield will present Lot 662 a full sister to G3 Red Roses S. winner Amelita (Zousain). “She’s a lovely big strong filly who has been one of the better types on the farm all the way through, and it’s nice to see the first foal come out and uplift the pedigree with a Group 3 win at her fifth start,” said Cressfield's Wayne Bedggood.
“She’s (Lot 662) a lovely big strong filly who has been one of the better types on the farm all the way through.” - Wayne Bedggood
Amelita, trained by Chris Waller, was sold by Edinglassie Thoroughbreds for $280,000 at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and purchased by Magic Bloodstock, Noel and Maria Greenhalgh and Julia Ritchie.
“The second foal (Buckeye) has won a trial and ran fifth or sixth on debut. It was a handy first run.” Buckeye, a Zousain colt, ran sixth of nine in a Sydney maiden for 2-year-olds on November 30. He was sold by Cressfield for $200,000 to James Bester Bloodstock and John O’Shea Racing.
Of the yearling, Bedggood said, “She’s a beauty. The pick of our draft and it’s nice when the form is franked like that. Amelita ran well immediately and then won black type. The stable has a big opinion of her, so there should be more to come. I think we’ll have some fun with Miss Amelia. Edinglassie sold Amelita, so I didn’t see her as a yearling. This year’s one is like the mare.”
Amelita | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
This is a brilliant family with Miss Amelia (More Than Ready {USA}) winning three of her six starts, and she is a daughter of G2 Silver Slipper winner Amelia’s Dream (Redoute’s Choice).
“The same clients have Lot 3, who has been a lovely sort all the way through. He’s not overly big, but he’s well put together.” By Maurice (Jpn), Lot 3 is a half-brother to Extremely Lucky (Extreme Choice) who won the G3 John Hawkes S. in April 2024.
“We have a half to Spring Lee, who is with Bjorn Baker, and he’s a Home Affairs colt who is a lovely big horse. He’s a late foal who will furnish into a nice big horse and he’s been well-received at our inspections so far. We like the Home Affairs that we have here.”
Wayne Bedggood | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Lot 96 is from the family of Overpass (Vancouver) and is a half-brother to Listed Denise’s Joy S.-placed Spring Lee (Zoustar) who is a last start winner. Spring Lee and Lot 96 are out of Group 2 winner Wild Rain (Manhattan Rain) whose unraced 2-year-old has been named Rainbow Glow (Snitzel).
Lime Country’s Tycoon Star
G3 Maribyrnong Plate winner Tycoon Star (Written Tycoon) was sold by Yulong at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and in 2025, Lime Country Thoroughbreds will offer his Home Affairs half-brother as Lot 668. He was pinhooked as a weanling bought by James Bester Bloodstock from Milburn Creek for $280,000 at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
Group 3-winning 2-year-old Tycoon Star has a half-brother by Home Affairs being offered as Lot 668 | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Tycoon Star was also a pinhook, being sold as a weanling by Milburn Creek for $350,000 and onsold by Yulong to Lindsay Park as a yearling for $400,000.
“This colt is very similar in style to Tycoon Star at this time last year. It was a huge effort to win a Group 3 on debut on Melbourne Cup Day. Can you imagine the crowd noise? To do that at two on debut was a sensational result,” said Lime Country Thoroughbred’s Jo Griffin.
Segenhoe Stud’s trio with Golden Slipper aims
Segenhoe Stud’s draft of 35 horses for the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale include several yearlings whose families have enjoyed upgrades recently, including three whose year-older siblings are on a G1 Golden Slipper pathway.
G3 Caulfield Thoroughbred Club S. winner Jasmine Rouge (Dundeel {NZ}) is a half-sister to Lot 1019, a So You Think (NZ) filly.
Group 3-winning 2-year-old Jasmine Rouge has a half-sister by So You Think (NZ) on offer as Lot 1019 | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“It’s fair to say that Sweetener had been a disappointing mare before Jasmine Rouge. We always had faith in her, she’s from a beautiful family and is a beautiful mare," said Peter O'Brien.
“Jasmine Rouge was ironically the worst foal that Sweetener has thrown. She wasn’t bad, just was very immature and lacked a bit of substance. Clinton McDonald gave her the time she needed and that’s been the key. Getting her in the right hands was the making of her.
Peter O'Brien
“We felt the mare needed more size and scope, hence the mating choice (of So You Think) for this yearling. The mare is a very strong, short coupled Snitzel mare. Snitzel is doing super as a broodmare sire, he’s really putting his hand up in that realm.
“The yearling is the strongest So You Think I’ve seen, she looks like a colt and So You Think has added in that beautiful head and quality of his. I’m delighted for Sweetener, we’ve backed her all the way, and I’m thrilled she’s thrown a group winner. I really think this yearling is the best foal she’s had.
“The yearling (Lot 1019) is the strongest So You Think I’ve seen, she looks like a colt and So You Think has added in that beautiful head and quality of his.” - Peter O'Brien
“Her first foal, Disruptor, won brilliantly as a 2-year-old. He had a massive reputation but broke down, so we knew Sweetener could throw a racehorse, we just had to tweak our matings to find one. And it’s the Denise’s Joy family, which is probably the best filly’s family in Australia.”
Sweetener (Snitzel) was a winner over 1000 metres and ran third in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) and is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Sweet Agenda (Not A Single Doubt).
A full brother to Group 1 winner Amelia's Jewel will be offered as Lot 234 | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Lot 234 is a full brother to Group 1 winner Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) who ran second in the G1 Empire Rose S. this spring, and a half-brother to Group 1-placed Bosustow (Blue Point {Ire}) who ran second in the Listed Amanda Elliot H. this spring.
“He’s a stunning individual. We obviously had Amelia’s Jewel and Bosustow as young horses and in my humble opinion this fellow has a better physique. He’s beautiful with plenty of quality and a lovely action and has been popular in parades. The dam has had two foals to race, both Group 1 class.”
“He’s (Lot 234) a stunning individual. We obviously had Amelia’s Jewel and Bosustow as young horses and in my humble opinion this fellow has a better physique.” - Peter O'Brien
Lot 857 is an I Am Invincible half-sister to 2024 Listed Starlight S. winner Eagle Nest (Shalaa {Ire}) who took his record to five wins with his first black type win this spring. The filly is also a half-sister to G3 Black Opal S. winner Kalashnikov (Capitalist).
“Eagle Nest was a stunning yearling herself, and the mare has had four to race for two stakes winners, which is pretty impressive. It’s a stunning family and a particularly good female family. This is the same I Am Invincible Flying Spur cross as Home Affairs.
“Eagle Nest was a stunning yearling herself, and the mare has had four to race for two stakes winners, which is pretty impressive. As good a filly (Lot 857) as I’ve seen in my life. Totally elite.” - Peter O'Brien
“Most importantly, she is an adonis. As good a filly as I’ve seen in my life. Totally elite.”
“Those are the ones in our draft with immediate black type and we also have three whose siblings are heading towards the Slipper.”
Listed winner Eagle Nest has a half-sister by I Am Invincible on offer as Lot 857 | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Lot 425, a Home Affairs colt out of Listed winner and Group 1-placed Fundamentalist (Not A Single Doubt) has a year older half-brother named Fermoy (Zoustar) who ran third on debut in November. “The half-brother ran a huge race on debut at two and is being aimed at the Golden Slipper by Chris Waller.”
Another with Chris Waller is Wodeton (Wootton Bassett {GB}) who is also on a Golden Slipper pathway. His half-brother by I Am Invincible is Lot 396. “Wodeton trialled brilliantly recently.”
Lot 87 is a Snitzel colt, whose 2-year-old full brother United States is also with Chris Waller and was a $1.75 million yearling in 2024. “Chris holds him in high regard.”
