3 minute read
Two big names put their stamp on the first day of March Sale.
Brisbane's top trainer Tony Gollan and rerenowned bloodstock agent John Foote proved a formidable force on the opening day of this year's Magic Millions March Yearling Sale.
Gollan and Foote teamed up to buy the two highest-priced lots of the day, a pair of Spirit of Boom colts who sold for $180,000 and $140,000 respectively.
The Eureka Stud-prepared top lot is a brother to Le Palmier being from the Made Of Gold mare Imanoremiss, who is a half-sister to Magic Marvo.
The $140,000 colt, who was from Kenmore Lodge, is a half-brother to the former Gollan-trained galloper Gundy Son.
"They reminded me a fair bit of the siblings, they are both nice horses," Gollan said.
"The first one (Lot 35) reminded me quite a lot of Gundy Son, he was a good horse. She's an older mare, but she's done a good job and she has no worries getting city class horses.
""He looked a lovely yearling, that horse, by a stallion I like and know very well in Spirit Of Boom, so I really liked him and I was happy to secure him at that price."
"Le Palmier has been a good horse. He's won 300-and-something thousand (dollars), he's a very fast horse and he's what you come to the QTIS sale to buy a nice sharp, fast QTIS horse and I thought he was one of the nicer colts here at the sale.
"I was particularly happy to get him. We had to dig a bit deeper to secure him but that's what we had to pay."
The top priced filly of the day was the Written By-Hey Blondie youngster offered by Glenlogan Park and knocked down to trainer Billy Healey.
She is a half-sister to former smart Queensland galloper Barefoot.
The 155 lots that were sold, at a clearance rate of 82 percent, grossed $6.1 million at an average price of $39,600.
Last year Day 1 saw 160 horses sold for $7,545,000 at an average of $47,156.
"I was pleased with today's sale, it was a very genuine market," Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said.
"Vendors were looking to meet the market and buyers had a lot of confidence to participate.
"To have 12 six-figure lots is a great start to the sale. There's plenty of value to be found and I look forward to buyers getting around tomorrow's offering."