Magic Wand: from €1.4 million yearling to Galileo's 84th Group/Grade 1 winner

Magic Wand etched her name into the history books when landing the Group 1 Seppelt Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington on Saturday, and in the process supplied Galileo with his 84th Group/Grade 1 winner, equalling the record set by Danehill.

Her breakthrough elite-level victory bore all the hallmarks of so many of Galileo's best progeny, namely uncommon class and teak toughness as she fought off ten-time Group 1 winner Melody Belle by a length, with the retiring Hartnell, himself a four-time top-flight scorer, a short head back in third.

Remarkably, Magic Wand was running in her third Group 1 within 14 days, having finished fourth behind Lys Gracieux in the Cox Plate late last month and tenth - albeit beaten just three and a half lengths - to Vow And Declare in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.

Magic Wand's success not only shines the spotlight on Galileo, but once again brings into sharp relief the talents of her dam, Prudenzia, and one of France's best breeders, Ecurie Des Monceaux, with the Normandy nursery having bred Magic Wand in partnership with Lady O'Reilly's Skymarc Farm.

Monceaux sold Magic Wand at the Arqana August Sale in 2016, where she was signed for by a partnership of Peter and Ross Doyle, Coolmore's MV Magnier and the Mayfair Speculators at a sale-topping €1.4 million.

Magic Wand sells for €1.4 million at Arqana in 2016Credit: Patrick McCann

She is the fifth foal produced by the Listed-winning Prudenzia and the second to score at the highest level, following her close relation Chicquita, a daughter of Montjeu who landed the 2013 Irish Oaks.

Prudenzia has supplied six winners since retiring to the picturesque Monceaux paddocks, with Chicquita and Magic Wand joined by the Group 3-placed Je Ne Regretterien, Sinnmary, Craven's Legend and the promising juvenile Enemy.

She has also been a force to be reckoned with in the sales ring, having supplied five seven-figure yearlings at the Arqana August Sale. Sinnamary was the first, having brought €1.1m in 2012, followed by the placed Truth, who fetched a round €1m a year later, before Craven's Legend fetched €1.1m some 12 months further down the line.

Magic Wand came next and her most recent offspring to come up for public auction, a filly by Dubawi, was bought by Godolphin for the sale-topping sum of €1.625m earlier this year, taking the price of Prudenzia's progeny offered at Arqana alone to €8.195m.

As if all that weren't enough, Chicquita, herself a €600,000 Arqana August graduate, also holds the record for being the most expensive thoroughbred sold at public auction in Ireland, having fetched €6m when offered as part of the Paulyn Dispersal at Goffs in the November of her Classic season.

Fittingly, given her success has drawn Galileo level with his former studmate on 84 Group/Grade 1 winners, Magic Wand also owes something to Danehill as well, as she is a maternal great granddaughter of the former champion sire, with her dam being by his son, Dansili.

Prudenzia is out of Monceaux's foundation mare Platonic, a Zafonic half-sister to Lancashire Oaks winner Pongee, who was bought from Luca Cumani's Fittocks Stud for what now looks the bargain sum of 100,000gns at Tattersalls in December 2004.

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