'Outstanding' A$450,000 Zoustar filly tops trade at the Magic Millions National Sale

Hong Kong’s large-scale Australian thoroughbred industry investor Tony Fung rounded out his 2023 yearling portfolio with the acquisition of a A$450,000 filly by Zoustar on the Gold Coast.

The highest-priced yearling sold on day two of the Magic Millions National Sale, the daughter of Widden Stud’s Zoustar joins the TFI operation, which has acquired 65 yearlings in the past five months, either outright or in partnership, to embark on racecourse careers next season.

TFI, which sold 19 geldings and stallion Performer for a total of A$696,500 as part of a racehorse reduction to conclude the two-and-a-half week A$140 million National extravaganza, reached a deal with owner-breeder Gerry Harvey of Baramul Stud to buy the daughter of Palazzo Cristallo and granddaughter of dual Group 2 winner Palacio De Cristal.

The Zoustar filly was initially passed in at A$425,000 before Baramul Stud’s Gerry Harvey, his racing and bloodstock manager Luke McDonald and TFI’s Sally Williams reached a deal for the yearling to change hands.

Williams believes TFI bought the filly “quite well” and the fact she was by Zoustar added to her appeal as the Fungs co-raced the stallion’s champion daughter Sunlight.

“She is an outstanding filly and we probably would have had to pay a bit more for her in January [at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale]” Williams said.

“The Fung family has enjoyed racing fillies. This year we’ve had [the stakes-placed two-year-olds] Facile and Empress Of Wonder, so they’re really getting enjoyment out of racing fillies, and we thought we’d buy a few more this year. 

“They hold their value and we can always go on and breed with them in the future.”

Palazzo Cristallo has produced two winners from as many to race, while her two-year-old daughter Lickety Snitz, a A$370,000 purchase by Proven Thoroughbreds’ Jamie Walter, is in training with Steve O’Dea and Matt Hoysted in Brisbane.

TFI also bought fillies by Trapeze Artist, the sire of Facile, and Brave Smash for A$120,000 and A$57,500 respectively at this week’s National sale. 

The two most expensive yearlings sold at the National sale were fillies, with a half-sister by The Autumn Sun to Hong Kong champion Werther and Australasian Oaks winner Toffee Tongue selling for A$750,000 on Tuesday.

Soon after, Kiwi agent Bevan Smith teamed up with New Zealand trainer Steven Cole to buy a Baramul Stud-sold All Too Hard colt out of Sawn Off Shotgun for A$155,000.

“All Too Hard is a stallion who is doing really well all over the world, particularly in Hong Kong, so there’s a bit of a trade aspect to him as well,” Smith said.

“I also like the fact that he’s out of a More Than Ready mare, a bit of sharpness in there, so I am very pleased to have got him as he is one of the stand out physical types in the sale.”

Smith’s client, the Byerley Park-based Cole, has trained 55 winners so far in his burgeoning training career.

The agent said: “The colt will go back to New Zealand, but not for the breeze-up sales, although there is always that option to trade him. If he looks like a decent horse, they’ll be happy to race him as well.”

Upper Bloodstock’s Ross Lao was the underbidder.

Hong Kong agent Willie Leung was also active, adding a colt by Hellbent for A$240,000 on behalf of Sha Tin trainer Manfred Man.

The Magus Equine principal purchased a Spirit Of Boom colt for A$160,000 on day one who will also be trained by Man.

As is the case with the Spirit Of Boom colt, the intention is for the son of Hellbent to be educated immediately with the view of having him ready to race in Hong Kong griffin races next year.

“He will stay here for another six months and then hopefully he will be ready to race as a griffin in Hong Kong in March,” Leung said. 

“Hellbent is doing well in Australia and we have a couple in Hong Kong who seem to show ability and have some potential and that is why we wanted to secure him.

“He is a nice, strong horse who is an athletic type.”

Consigned by Kitchwin Hills, the Hellbent colt is the third foal out of Silent Rage, a four-time winning sister to the Group 3-winning juvenile Hear The Chant.

Earlier in the second session, Triple Crown, one of a handful of syndicators active this week, bought a daughter of Hellbent for A$130,000.

The Attunga Stud-consigned filly is a half-sister to Australian Bloodstock’s Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained St Albans Stakes winner Brave Mead and Geelong Classic winner Solemn.

Australian Bloodstock’s Jamie Lovett was the underbidder.

The clearance rate increased slightly on day two, closing at 67 per cent for the Book 1 catalogue, but trade remained troublesome for many vendors who had enjoyed the Covid-inspired buoyancy of recent years.

The Book 1 National Yearling Sale saw 209 horses sold for A$9,474,000 at an average of A$45,330 and a median of A$30,000.

Assessing the National Sale as a whole, Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch remained upbeat about the fortunes for the auction house and the industry as a whole heading into 2024.

Barry Bowditch: "I think the fundamentals, and I have said this for a long time, are very, very good"

“I would say it has been a great success given the fact we’ve sold A$140 million and counting worth of horses and sold them to many different countries and jurisdictions and facilitated the sale of a huge amount of horses for our vendors,” Bowditch said.

“Obviously, the market’s become a little bit more selective and a bit more cautious, but in saying that, A$140 million is still a big result in the scheme of things.”

The National Broodmare Sale contributed A$107.773 million in turnover, while A$22.261 million changed hands at the two-day National Weanling Sale. The 2022 National sale turned over A$161.5 million while the record 2021 sale achieved A$191.305 million in turnover.

Bowditch added: “I think the fundamentals, and I have said this for a long time, are very, very good [with the Australian racing industry]. 

“We’re a culture that loves racing, so I think, long term, the fundamentals are so strong that once people come to terms with the economy and where we are with that, we will continue on and thrive.

“Magic Millions has great confidence with where we are at and we’ll continue to do the best by our vendors and buyers.”

Inglis will round out the eastern state live auction season with the Great Southern Sale in Melbourne next week while New Zealand Bloodstock will hold its live auction at Karaka on June 16.

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