Seven-figure Nicoll buy The Party Stand set for American Pharoah

Triple Crown hero American Pharoah has an alluring mare waiting for him when he shuttles to Coolmore in Australia for the first time in the coming weeks in the shape of The Party Stand, who topped the second session of the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast in Australia on Wednesday.

Adrian Nicoll of BBA Ireland struck the winning bid of A$1.1 million (£640,000/€735,000) for the ten-year-old daughter of Thorn Park, who won the Group 1 New Zealand Stakes and has produced the talented three-year-old filly Petition to Foxwedge.

The mare, in foal to Australia's commercial kingpin sire Snitzel, was consigned by Segenhoe Stud as agent for Fairway Thoroughbreds.

“She's the one we wanted – a beautiful mare in foal to the right horse,” said Nicoll.

“I actually bought Petition as a yearling, she's been a good horse and at A$560,000 was quite expensive for a Foxwedge. She's been unlucky not to win a stakes race but will definitely do so next season.”

Nicoll, standing with Coolmore's Tom Magnier during the bidding, said The Party Stand had been bought for an international partnership involving some members from overseas.

She's a queen - Comprende?

The second of two seven-figure lots in the second session was also carrying a foal by Snitzel, whose fee at Arrowfield Stud has been increased to A$176,000 from A$110,000 for the coming southern-hemisphere breeding season.

Bidding for Comprende, a Group 3-placed four-year-old by I Am Invincible, started off with a bold bid of A$700,000 and it was Widden Stud principal Antony Thompson who had the final say at A$1.05m (£610,000/€700,000).

“I'm thrilled to have her, she's a queen,” said Thompson of the newest member of the Widden broodmare band, who was consigned to the sale by Willow Park Stud.

“She was a very high priced yearling, and it was when I Am Invincible hadn't done so much yet – it was just because she was such a gorgeous type. She was simply the most beautiful mare here - the pick of the sale.”

Comprende was conceived in I Am Invincible's second season at stud, when he stood at A$11,000, but she made A$440,000 when offered at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January 2014.

She went on to win two races and finish third in the Group 3 Schweppervescence Stakes at Morphettville for trainer Phillip Stokes.

Thanks to her exploits and those of high-class paternal siblings Brazen Beau, I Am A Star, Illustrious Lad et al, I Am Invincible will stand at a fee of A$110,000 at Yarraman Park Stud this year.

Tivaci dam offers value

Breccia's selling points in the catalogue were numerous, as a winning Fastnet Rock half-sister to Group 1 scorer Allez Wonder and with top-level winner and young sire Tivaci as the first of her three foals.

The ten-year-old mare, offered by Bell View Park Stud, fell just short of the million-dollar mark when knocked down to agent Dean Hawthorne for A$950,000 (£553,000/€633,000).

Hawthorne, bidding on behalf of Jonathan Munz's GSA Bloodstock, said: “Her appeal was threefold: she had the pedigree, Tivaci was a great horse and a fast one and is going to be popular at stud in New Zealand, and she is just a beautiful mare.

“When you consider some of the money the unproven mares have made this week I think we've got value for a dam of a Group 1 winner.”

Godolphin cause a Tremor

No one could accuse Godolphin of selling only their no-hopers and the pick of the operation's 45-strong draft at Magic Millions this week so far is Tremor, who registered A$820,000 (£477,000/€546,000) on the Richter scale when bought by Julian Blaxland's Blue Sky Bloodstock on behalf of Aquis Farm.

The four-year-old daughter of Commands, a half-sister to Blue Diamond Stakes winner and Golden Slipper runner-up Earthquake, is in foal to Medaglia D'Oro, her first mating after winning two races for recently resigned Godolphin trainer John O'Shea.

“It's impossible to get into this family and she's a beautiful physical,” said Blaxland. “It's good for a newish stud farm like Aquis to get a mare like this and they sold a Medaglia D'Oro colt [out of Sangfroid] for A$1 million at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January, so they've had success with the sire and were happy to go hard to secure a blue-chip mare in foal to him.”

Blaxland indicated the mare could go back to Medaglia D'Oro for her next cover.

“The way Godolphin present their horses is transparent, with no reserve prices, so it gives you confidence to buy,” said Blaxland. “We went over budget but mares like this don't come up very often.”

International covers

Four lots in foal to dual world champion Frankel came under the hammer in the second session – two offered by YuLong Park and two from Coolmore Australia.

Both of YuLong Park's changed hands.

Up To You, a placed four-year-old Giant's Causeway half-sister to George Strawbridge's high-class stayers Lucarno, Flying Officer and Thought Worthy bought privately by Howson and Houldsworth Bloodstock, sold to Rosemont Stud for A$460,000 (£270,000/€306,000), while Vicennalia, a Newbury maiden winner by More Than Ready bought by Sheamus Mills on behalf of YuLong for 80,000gns at Tattersalls last July, was knocked down to Paul Willetts Bloodstock for A$400,000 (£233,000/€266,000).

The pair from Coolmore – Enchanted Dawn, a War Front sister to Intelligence Cross and Sweet Orange, and Etched, a daughter of Dansili and Prix de Diane second Gagnoa – both fell one bid short of their A$400,000 reserves and so went unsold.

Five lots with foals by champion North American sire Tapit in utero have also been through the ring over the first two days of the National Broodmare Sale, with four finding new homes.

The most expensive was Best Behavior, a Grade 3 winner by Into Mischief bought by David Lucas, agent for Phoenix Investments, with a single bid of A$500,000 (£290,000/€333,000).

Lucas also signed for Dixie Smile, a daughter of Dixie Union and Grade 1-placed Broad Smile, in foal to Tapit at A$180,000 (£105,000/€120,000).

The other mares in foal to Tapit sold for A$260,000 (Ziptomylu; bought by Andrew Williams Bloodstock and The Elkstone Group) and A$220,000 (Seeking; bought by Gooree Park Stud).

Turnover soars

Strong trade in the first two days of the National Broodmare Sale has fuelled takings of A$78,283,000, which have already surpassed turnover for the whole sale last year, with one day of selling still to go.

“We have a clearance rate of 85 per cent and there are a lot more horses on offer this year, so it's pleasing to see the figures holding up,” said Magic Millions managing director Vin Cox.

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