The race program might not have run to schedule, but Magic Millions is confident that will have no impact on the jewel in its crown, the Gold Coast Yearling Sale, which starts on Tuesday.
Buyers from all over the world are on the Gold Coast preparing for the sale that will see almost 1000 yearlings offered up until Saturday’s Magic Millions Raceday and more in the two days following.
Plans remain for this weekend’s rich meeting to be run at the Gold Coast, despite last weekend’s card scheduled for that venue being transferred to the Sunshine Coast due to track damage, but it has been business as usual on the sale grounds according to Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch.
“Inspections started her Wednesday, it’s been very busy, and the commentary from the agents and the people out there inspecting the yearlings, both in the Hunter Valley or around Australia in December and now here on the grounds is very positive,” Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said.
“I think we’ve got great depth to our catalogue. There are a lot of horses for every part of the market.
“Whether you’re after an early type or a later type, a (Golden) Slipper winner or a Melbourne Cup winner, or anything in between, there’s a significant chance if it’s going to be found here in Australia, it’s going to be found here at Magic Millions.
“All in all, I think the numbers should sit somewhere in line with where they have in recent years.”
Almost $226 million changed hands at last year’s sale, when yearlings sold at an average of $275,675.
Among them was the $2.1m sale-topper, a filly by Wootton Basset out of nine-time Group 1 Avantage, and one of the expected headline lots of Tuesday’s opening day is a half-sister to that filly by I Am Invincible.
She will go through late in the day, just three lots before the first foal out of Magic Millions winner Away Game – a filly by Written Tycoon – while other Day 1 lots include a first-crop Home Affairs colt out of Oakleigh Plate winner Booker, a brother to Amelia’s Jewel and a Farnan colt who is a half-brother to leading Golden Slipper fancy Bel Merci.
Similarly well-bred lots will be offered all the way through until Friday, which this year brings down the curtain on the main part of the sale with Magic Millions having removed the Saturday session that previously followed the raceday and bolstered the Friday, with 300 lots catalogued.
“In recent years, it’s no secret that the busiest day of the sale was always the Friday, so it’s practical to sell as many horses as you can when you’ve got the most people about,” Bowditch said.
“It’s been well-received and embraced.”
Tuesday’s first lot will enter the ring at 10am Queensland time, which is not long after the barrier draws for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and Magic Millions 3YO Guineas are held on the Surfers Paradise foreshore.
