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Established star and boom freshman stand tall on Day 1 National Weanling Sale
A colt by one of the world's best stallions out of a Group 1 Thousand Guineas winner was the star performer on Day 1 at Magic Millions' National Weanling Sale on the Gold Coast.
Clarke Bloodstock, Cunningham Thoroughbreds and Bjorn Baker teamed up to pay $500,000 got the Coolmore Stud-prepared youngster by Frankel out of Amicus.
The colt was bought to race and Clarke is hopeful of an immediate pedigree update with his three-quarter-brother Chief Little Rock to go around in the Group 3 Gallinula Stakes at The Curragh just hours after his purchase.
"He's a lovely colt with a big pedigree," Clarke said.
"The stallion is a freak and he's equally as good in this part of the world as he is in the Northern Hemisphere.
"He's an extremely versatile stallion, he gets two-year-olds and they train on at various distances."
"Being out of the mare (Amicus), she was a Group 1 winner here and there's a lot of familiarity in that pedigree.
"She has done a really good job so far with her first couple to the races."
Another three-quarter-brother is Okita Soushi, who started his career in Europe but campaigned in Melbourne last spring, running in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup, and is now trained by Ciaron Maher.
Frankel had the two highest-priced lots of the opening day of the sale with his filly out of Kapralova, a sister to multiple Group One winner Avenge, selling to new farm North for $450,000.
"I bought her for some great clients and I'm not sure if they will put her back through (as a yearling) or race her," North's Mick Malone said.
"International pedigrees like that are hard to buy. As a broodmare later on she will just be a star. I'm very, very happy to have her.
"She's a beauty. A lovely action. She had really good shape about her who will grow into a lovely yearling and in time being a beautiful mare."
High-profile first-season stallion Home Affairs had the next two highest-priced lots of the sale to date, a filly who is closely related to Lankan Rupee who sold to Lindsay Maxsted for $380,000 and a colt out of American mare Inthemidstofbiz who sold to Riverstone Lodge and Suman Hedge for $350,000.
The next six top lots all sold for $200,000 which helped opening day gross almost $8.7m at an average of $76,915. The clearance rate currently sits at 75 per cent.
"I am very pleased with today," Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said.
"There's obviously a thirst for quality and that's been evident through the yearling sale market this year and that generally flows through to what happens at a weanling sale.
"The pin-hookers were out in force looking to trade into next year's sales and there were plenty of end users participating as well.
"All in all, it was a healthy trade from a weanling sale perspective - having 10 lots make $200,000 or more and 32 make $100,000 or more.
"To have an average of $77,000 for weanlings and clearing three quarters of them is a really healthy start.
The National Weanling Sale continues on Monday before the National Broodmare Sale, which features Imperatriz, kicks off on Tuesday.
DAY ONE TOP SELLERS
$500,000 - Frankel-Amicus colt (bought by Cunningham Thoroughbreds, Clarke Bloodstock, Bjorn Baker)
$450,000 - Frankel-Kapralova filly (North)
$380,000 - Home Affairs-Art Collection filly (Lindsay Maxsted)
$350,000 - Home Affairs-Inthemidstofbiz colt (Riverstone Lodge, Suman Hedge)
$200,000 - I Am Invincible-Ahbelle filly (Woburn Farm)
$200,000 - Pinatubo-El Daana colt (James Bester)
$200,000 - Exceed and Excel-Happy Hannah filly (Cunningham Thoroughbreds, Clarke Bloodstock)
$200,000 - Toronado-Just a Blur colt (Sheamus Mills)
$200,000 - Toronado-Lady Millions colt (Lyndhurst Farm)
$200,000 - Wootton Bassett-Little Miss Smiley colt (Kaha Nui Farm)