Last year’s Tattersall’s Tiara will go down as one of the great pieces of pre-race shopping.
The race was won by Palaisipan, who was having her first start in Katsumi Yoshida’s famous colours after a deal to purchase the daughter of So You Think was finalised in the week leading up to the race.
The deal was done privately, meaning the purchase price not disclosed publicly, but it is safe to say it was significantly cheaper than what it would have been after she won the $700,000 Group 1.
Palaisipan is the latest example of what a goldmine the final Group 1 race of the Australian season has become.
Startantes won the edition before Palaisipan and that daughter of Star Turn sold for $1.15 million at this year’s Chairman’s Sale.
Tofane, the 2021 winner, sold for almost three times that when bought by Yulong for $3.1m at the 2022 National Broodmare Sale.
Srikandi ($2m) and Invincibella ($1.3) are others who have sold for seven figures publicly after winning the Tattersall’s Tiara.
Coolmore’s Tom Magnier is hoping it works for C’est Magqiue in the same way it did for Palaisipan after he bought the daughter of Zoustar for $1.7m at this year’s Chairman’s Sale.
The four-year-old, who was bred and originally raced by Hall of Fame trainer Neville Begg, was sent to Chris Waller and won the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes at her first start for the champion horseman, whose eyes were firmly set on this Saturday’s feature at Eagle Farm.
“It’s the reason these horses can go through sales with big prices, because you can go back to the races and recoup some of your money,” Waller’s racing manager Charlie Duckworth said.
“I know both the owners and Chris got a really nice email from Neville Begg congratulating them on the win, which was very sweet of him.”
The Dane Ripper victory was C’est Magique’s first since her debut maiden win at Pakenham, the bulk of her value before that event coming via her second placing to In Secret in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) in 2022.
She had the added advantage of being a half-sister to Blue Diamond Stakes winner Written By, with both out of the Tobougg mare Yau Chin.
C’est Magique is one of two seven-figure graduates from this year’s Chairman’s Sale who will contest this year’s Tattersall’s Tiara after first emergency Banana Queen, a $1m buy, gained a start after the scratching of Coeur Volante.