International buyers urged to go online as countdown on to Australia's big sale

Magic Millions chief executive Barry Bowditch is pleased with how preparations are going for next week’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and hopes are high that the majority of Australia's major bloodstock players will be in attendance, with plenty of international buyers getting involved online.

“The best way to maximise a horse’s money is to have as many people here on the grounds as you possibly can, and obviously we want anyone that is healthy, safe and allowed under the restrictions to be here on the grounds,” he said.

“For those that can’t, we’ve got our online facilities ready to go; we used them for our National Sale and they worked fantastically well.

“That will give international buyers that aren’t here the best opportunity to still play in the market.”

Currently, individuals are able to attend if they have been outside a declared Covid hotspot for at least 14 days, and Bowditch is confident most industry participants have made plans that will allow them to visit the Gold Coast for the sale.

“Under the circumstances, everything is going reasonably well,” he told Racing.com. “We’re trying to move with whatever restrictions are being put in place but things are quite calm at the moment, horses are arriving and inspections are about to begin."

For the first time since the 2014 sale, there is no Redzel in the Triple Crown stable, the veteran sprinter having earned a well-deserved retirement after finishing third in the TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick in April.

That means, for the Ward brothers Chris and Michael, the hunt is on for the next potential Everest winner - a search that continues in earnest next week at the sale.

Michael (left) and Chris Ward will be on the lookout for the next Redzel

However, the Covid-19 pandemic has meant that different measures have had to be taken in order for the Sydney-based brothers to participate in next week’s auction.

“The Covid curveballs have continued so we continue to adapt our approach,” said Chris Ward. “This is something that the industry as a whole has done particularly well to date and we will continue to do for a little while yet.

“With Sydney’s northern beaches declared a Covid hotspot, we abandoned most of our Christmas to new year break and hit the road to the southern highlands and Hunter Valley to continue on from our pre-Christmas inspections. We have just had to do our homework earlier this year and conduct more on-farm inspections, so we are fully prepared for any logistical challenges that get thrown our way.”

He added: “We have been really impressed by the catalogue that Magic Millions have put together this year, and the vendors have done an excellent job in navigating their way through the recent challenges and are presenting some really high-quality yearlings.

“The Magic Millions is known for attracting the early-going, precocious types and this year looks to be no different.

“Good horses come from all sales, but the Magics give you a month or two head start, which is ideal for those early two-year-old types.”

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