The $1 million backpack on the first day of the Gold Coast Magic Million Dollar Sale got the company ready to hit the ground running once again, with ring auctions expected Prediction will heat up on January 11 as a full sale day and potential record cutter goes under the hammer.
Spending in the 185-lot session open on Tuesday was in line with expectations as a large segment of domestic and international investors appeared on the buyers table, with a pony equal to I am invincible and Snitzel and Zoustar title on the first day of action.
I Am Invincible foal deposited in Lot 153 for $1.6 million at Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
The average price closed at AU$271,343 (US$187,825), the median price was AU$210,000, (US$145,363) while the payout ratio was 83%.
The most expensive of the seven-figure backpacks sold brought in AU$1,650,000 (US$1,142,137) to trainers Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes, with pony pedigree (Lot) 153) possessed a clear appeal to the stables run by father and son.
The trio took their time as the ring-selling giants went head-to-head for day one star, I Am Invincible, son of trainers’ 2014 Golden Sandal (G1) winner pellets, mossfun.
As bids reached AU$1.6 million and auction house Clint Donovan was ready to lower the price, Magic Millions blood consultant James Dawson received Team Hawkes’ unique bid—and importantly than success—for the prized foal consigned by Emirates Parks.
🚨Lot 153 – that’s all, we have a new topper sale! Via @yarramanpark champion I am SURPRISED among the winners of the MOSSFUN Golden Sandal, this @EmiratesPark colt sold for $1.65 million for @HawkesRacing. Good luck to the team with this extraordinary horse 🙏 pic.twitter.com/IsqAfxYEHA
— ANZ Blood Source (@anz_news) January 10, 2023
The low bidder, playing online, did not make another move for the pony, its half-brother Dajraan won a Festival Share for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and owner and rancher Emirates Park last November.
The Hawkes’ has an untrained 2-year-old sister for the pony who heads the training session at Rosehill.
Named Mathkhoora, she finished second in the Randwick hurdle test last October.
Wayne Hawkes said: “He’s a beautiful pony and we’ve got all the sisters at home and he’s a clipper just like him. He had no race and did everything right. This pony. just a lovely, lovely horse.”
“We thought he was going to hit that level but you never know where you are with year-to-date sales.
“We were a bit overwhelmed today so we’re getting ready to put our muscles into action.”
While the price tag of ponies makes headlines, the recent inflationary impact on the stallion market in Australia, fueled by record prize money, has been put into perspective by Michael Hawkes .
“We’re racing to win lots of prize money and this pony just stands out when we see it,” he said.
“You come to the sale expecting to go home with lovely horses, and when you see a horse of this caliber, especially from a horse like Mossfun that we’ve had to do a lot of, Things don’t get much better.”
Emirates Parks General Manager, Bryan Carlson, was amazed at the trip that Mossfun took the team on.
“She had her first pony, Tumooh, the pony was for sale (Lot 504) and then we sent her to the UK where she had a Frankel pony, Dajraan, that was back here to race and Sadmah, who will be back next week as Kingman’s pony,” Carlson said.
“Sadmah is a handy girl and we never saw the best of her. Mossfun is back in Australia and she has a lovely 2 year old with Hawkes and now a pony. hey, so this is her first child. sell it down here.”
Prior to that, another I Am Invincible pony (Lot 144) was purchased by Tony Fung Investments in conjunction with dealer Dermot Farrington for AU$700,000 (US$484,543).
I Am Invincible foal deposited in Lot 144 at Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Annabel Neasham has been appointed to the sold pony Kia Ora Stud, the third pony among the award-winning sprinters on the Modern Wonder list, she is the sister of the award-winning pony. 2 in the first-class group Away match.
TFI’s race manager, Sally Williams, said: “He’s a lovely, athletic pony and a great runner. We love his escape from a Snitzel mare, it was a big influence, he was clearly a champion steed in I Am Invincible and he looked like any early runner.
“It’s a family where we’ve enjoyed a lot of success in the Away Match, so we’re really excited to have him. We’re going to bring him home and bring him in. come into work and decide on a coach at a later date.”
The away game was sold for AU$4,000,000 (US$2,768,816) at last year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale by a group of owners including TFI.
