The 2021 domestic yearling sale series got underway last week with Sledmere Stud enjoying our best-ever results at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in Bundall.
Despite the complications the worldwide Covid pandemic presented for all participants of the sale, host company Magic Millions managed to stage one of the most successful bloodstock auctions ever witnessed in Australia. And the Sledmere Stud sales team was very much at the forefront.
In summary, Sledmere consigned 24 Lots and sold each and every one for an aggregate of $6,315,000 and average of $263,125. The anecdotal overview is that we sold a truly magnificent bunch of horses to many of the most successful stables in the country, as well as to some of the leading thoroughbred concerns of the world.
In more detail, for the second time in well under 12 months Sledmere sold a supreme colt for $1 million-plus to Tom Magnier, principal of Coolmore Australia. Offered as Lot 811 on behalf of Rifa Mustang, the quality son of Not a Single Doubt fetched $1.5 million and was one of 10 youngsters in the catalogue to be sold for a seven-figure sum. Ultimately, he proved to be the fourth highest-priced purchase made at MMGC2021.
Speaking after securing the colt, Tom Magnier remarked: “It’s a great family. And he’s a great individual. In fairness he comes from one of the top farms in Sledmere. Their yearlings have looked incredible this week.”
Tom Magnier added: ”We are very lucky to be able to get this colt. We’ve got some wonderful investors to race him with — some great friends. We are in the game to try and make stallions and these colts [we have been buying] are by popular horses and they’re good individuals.”
Tom Magnier also confirmed that the colt would be trained by multiple premiership winning trainer Chris Waller.
Top-priced filly sold by Sledmere during the week was Lot 849, a daughter of I Am Invincible produced by Sunday Chill. Another to be offered on behalf of Rifa Mustang, she was knocked down to Kennewell Racing/Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) for $460,000 and is now set to join one of the most progressive stables on the eastern seaboard.
One of the great features of our Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale results is the number of outstanding trainers who bought at least one member of the Sledmere consignment. The list speaks volumes for the quality of yearling we had to offer and comprises (in Day of purchase order) Gary Portelli, Ciaron Maher (& David Eustace), Leon & Troy Corstens, Kelly Schweida, Annabel Neasham, Matt Cumani, Ricky Yiu, Team Hawkes, Peter Moody, Mick Price, Gerald Ryan (& Sterling Alexiou) and the aforementioned Lloyd Kennewell.
Other highlights included the fact that all 11 Lots offered on behalf of China Horse Club were successfully sold; all five members of the first-crop Russian Revolution breed we had to offer went to great ‘homes’; prominent syndication companies Darby Racing and Triple Crown were amongst the buyers, as well as newcomers Nxt Level Syndication; and, representatives of owners in Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand and other overseas thoroughbred racing centres bought a Sledmere Stud graduate.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of our staff who worked so tirelessly to achieve this outstanding result, the incredibly talented and professional Magic Millions sales team, and of course all of the buyers who showed so much confidence in purchasing from the Sledmere Stud consignment.