Spirit Of Boom Colt Tops Day 1 at Magic Millions

Spirit Of Boom was the in-demand sire on Day 1 of the Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, a session that arguably provided another reality check for the Australian market after a period of sustained growth.

The Eureka Stud stallion, the sire of 20 stakes winners, including group 1 winner Jonker, provided the three top-priced lots on Day 1 of the Gold Coast Sale and it was Toowoomba-based trainers Tony and Maddysen Sears who came away with his most expensive.

Once again teaming up with agents Paul Moroney and Catheryne Bruggeman, the Sears’ paid AU$140,000 (US$93,737, AU$1=US$0.6695) for a colt (Lot 103) out of juvenile stakes-winning Exceed And Excel mare Noesis , the dam of six winners.

Rival agent Jim Clarke and Sunshine Coast-based trainer Stuart Kendrick bought another son of Spirit Of Boom for AU$130,000, while John Foote and Tony Gollan, the man who trained the group 1-winning sprinter, went to AU$110,000 for another colt by the stallion.

The day’s top lot carries the Spirit Of Boom—Exceed And Excel cross, which has the perfect record, providing two stakes winners and six other winners from as many runners and Tony Sears was happy to take Eureka Stud-consigned Lot 103 home.

“There’s a lot of good judges you’re competing against here and a lot are on the same horses. Some you like more than others and you hope you’re able to get one of the better ones, but we thought he was a really nice horse, a great walking horse and we were pretty happy to get him,” Sears told ANZ Bloodstock News.

The Moroney-Bruggeman association has only strengthened since the pair purchased the AU$1.15 million earner Yellow Brick for AU$20,000 for the Sears’ at the 2021 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale.

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The Sears’ ventured to the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka sale in late January and have then targeted the March sale alongside Bruggeman and Moroney, signing for an AU$25,000 Jungle Cat  colt and an AU$10,000 Dubious filly Monday.

Earlier in the sale, Brisbane-based agent Clarke and trainer Kendrick went to AU$130,000 for a son of Spirit Of Boom, currently fifth on the Australian sires premiership by winners this season.

Consigned by Lucas Bloodstock for River Junction, the colt (Lot 9) is a half brother to the stakes-placed four-time winner Destination and two other winners.

“We were prepared to pay that sort of money for a nice Spirit Of Boom and we thought he was a very good model. He fitted the bill as an early running horse,” Clarke stated.

“There’ll be 2-year-old QTIS races for him, but also at 3, so for AU$130,000 he’s a very good chance of earning back more than his purchase price through prize money.”

Clarke is also helping identify yearlings for emerging Queensland-based trainer Jack Bruce, who has prepared 31 winners from 170 runners since taking out his license last year.

While Sears suggested Monday’s session provided great value for buyers, Clarke said trade followed the precedent set at previous Inglis and Magic Millions sales conducted earlier this year.

“It’s not dissimilar to every sale we’ve had so far this year, apart from the Gold Coast in January,” Clarke said.

“The clearance rate has come back a little bit on last year and the median and average have, too, but I think for the right horses (they are making their money).”

There was AU$4.492 million ($3,007,619) traded in the opening session, down AU$646,000 on the same day last year, while the average was AU$35,370 ($23,682) and the median price was AU$27,000 ($18,077).

Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch was positive the clearance rate of 73% would rise and head towards 80% by the end of the sale.

“I would say I genuinely believe that the local market needs to get behind this sale and I hope they do (Tuesday) because what these horses are incentivized to race for makes a hell of a lot of sense to be filling their racing stables with a QTIS yearling,” Bowditch stated.

“The buyers who are here and keeping an open mind to what’s in front of them are buying very, very well and you’ll see a lot more of that on Day 2.

“Anyone who isn’t here and has an interest in buying a horse at the moment should be paying attention because I’ve got a lot of confidence that there will be plenty of winners to come out of this sale.”

Better Than Ready was the leading sire by aggregate with 18 yearlings selling for a gross of AU$888,500 while Spirit Of Boom’s nine lots to sell averaged AU$78,111.

Trainer Gollan and agent Foote were the leading buyers on Day 1, purchasing four yearlings for a total of AU$320,000, while Rockhampton-based trainer Graeme Green bought three for a total of AU$177,000.

Eureka Stud was the leading vendor, parting with 15 yearlings for AU$717,000, while Kenmore Lodge sold 18 for AU$624,500 and Lyndhurst Stud Farm sold 11 for AU$427,000.

Yarramalong Park was the leading vendor by average (three or more sold), trading five yearlings for an average of AU$55,000.

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