Katsumi Yoshida extends to A$1.46 million for broodmare prospect Kiku - but not before major technical glitch

Group 2-winning mare Kiku has been sold to leading Japanese breeder Katsumi Yoshida for A$1.46 million (£746,000/€871,000), becoming Magic Millions Online’s first seven-figure horse, but not before a major technical glitch saw the sale halted for two hours and a back-up auction conducted.

Magic Millions was forced into resorting to its online bidding platform used to conduct its live auctions, a system which was integral to Tuesday’s on-farm Strawberry Hill Stud Dispersal Sale, to complete the drama-filled sale of Star Thoroughbreds’ six-year-old Zoustar mare after its online site crashed soon after 4pm with the highest bid at A$980,000.

Northern Farm’s Yoshida, who bought privately the Chris Munce-trained subsequent Tattersall’s Tiara winner Palaisipan earlier this year, was one of several parties to bid on the sister to Group 1 winner Zoutori at the hastily convened continuation of the auction at Magic Millions’ Gold Coast headquarters.

David Chester was charged with the duties of selling Kiku from his makeshift office rostrum at 6pm, where he counted the bids in rising A$20,000 increments, the potential buyers playing either online or over the phone through Magic Millions bloodstock staff. 

The sale was live streamed and recorded to maintain the transparency of the auction process. 

Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch was at a loss to explain how the technical problems occurred and said a thorough investigation would be immediately undertaken.

"We became aware we had an issue as we were counting down [in the final minutes] as we started receiving calls from interested parties who weren't able to bid," Bowditch told ANZ Bloodstock News.

"This is a really disappointing outcome today for the platform and it's something we'll be heavily investigating with our provider."

While acknowledging the unfortunate circumstances during the bespoke sale of the Chris Waller-trained Kiku, Bowditch was nevertheless thrilled with the end result, an important milestone for Magic Millions in its push for a bigger share of the Australasian digital thoroughbred sale market.

“Katsumi Yoshida has bought some fantastic mares here in Australia over the years and he recently bought Palaisipan, who went on to the Group 1 after he purchased her, and now he's bought another quality mare in Kiku,” he said. 

“I’m delighted for Denise Martin and her syndicate, Brett Howard [Glenesk Thoroughbreds/Randwick Bloodstock] and their team who had the mare in mint condition and she sold accordingly.”

Kiku was bought by Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds for A$300,000 from the Amarina Farm draft at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. 

The mare would go on to land six wins from her 30 starts, headed by her victory in last year’s Theo Marks Stakes, having landed the Carbine Club Stakes the year before. The mare won last year’s Magic Millions National Classic at Eagle Farm and was also placed on a further 11 occasions, including three times at black-type level. She banked A$1,244,988 in career prize-money. 

Despite the technical difficulties, Martin told ANZ Bloodstock News she was delighted with the result, which represented another brilliant return for her Star Thoroughbreds clients. 

She said: “It's a great result that Mr Katsumi Yoshida has purchased her and I was just on the phone to Jon Freyer from Arrowfield to thank him enormously for the support. We are highly delighted to say the least." 

Randwick Bloodstock’s Brett Howard lends his expertise to Martin and the Star Thoroughbreds team and also presented the mare for auction on Thursday under his Glenesk Thoroughbreds banner. 

Martin was quick to pay tribute to Howard and said he had been instrumental in purchasing Kiku at the Magic Millions yearling sale in 2019. She explained Howard had done his due diligence prior to the auction, including communicating with the connections of her brother Zoutori, who was at the time only a Listed-placed winner. He then would go on to deliver her pedigree page a massive update in 2021 when he landed the Newmarket Handicap.  

Martin said: “Brett Howard from Randwick Bloodstock, who we work closely with, had seen her at the farm before the Magic Millions sale and then he saw her on the grounds, a week or so before the sale. He then showed her to me when I arrived prior to the sale, and I loved her. 

“He also mentioned to me at the time that he had been talking to connections of Zoutori and they had stakes aspirations for that gelding. When he won the Newmarket, that was a rubber stamp on part of the equation anyway.

“We were disappointed we had to retire her, but she has done a grand job for us and the connections are elated she has gone to such a prestigious group of people and she'll be given every opportunity [as a broodmare]. 

“It was a difficult time for Magic Millions when the system didn’t accept the bids, unfortunately. It has worked well now and our owners are thankful and it has been a great result for them.”

In the past, Star Thoroughbreds have enjoyed some brilliant results when selling their best race mares on for a profit and this was the second time Katsumi Yoshida had provided a memorable outcome. 

In 2020, the Northern Farm supremo purchased Star Thoroughbreds' Group 2 winner Noire for A$800,000 at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale. A few months later, Coolmore’s Tom Magnier parted with A$1.3m for Group 1 winner Invincibella at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, with the pair having cost a combined A$320,000 as yearlings. 

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