Yulong and Coolmore lock horns once again for A$2.8m Legarto at Magic Millions

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Brilliant five-time Group 1 winner Legarto took centre stage during the first session of the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale in Australia when selling to Yulong – who signed the ticket under ‘the Devil Night Syndicate’ – at A$2.8 million (£1,487,780/€1,722,840).

Jun Zhang, general manager of Yulong, locked horns in a drawn-out bidding duel with Tom Magnier, but, unlike the recent A$5.6 million purchase of Chayan at the Chairman’s Sale, the Coolmore man eventually bowed out, allowing Zhang to land the Attunga Stud-offered daughter of Proisir.

Jun Zhang said that once Segenhoe, the New South Wales property purchased last month by Zhang Yuesheng in a big money deal, was fully operational as an agistment and stallion facility, Yulong expected to have between 150 and 160 mares based on the farm to support their New South Wales-based stallions, Group 1-winning sprinter Private Harry and Blue Diamond-winning colt Devil Night.

“She’s the mare of the whole sale and we love her,” Jun Zhang said. “We fell in love with her when we first saw her.”

“We’re going to send her to Segenhoe. We purchased Segenhoe and we need some very elite mares to support our stallions, Devil Night and Private Harry.”

Zhang expected strong interest in the mare and he was delighted to be able to secure their number one seed of Tuesday’s auction.

“Every mare is very special, so we can’t put any price tag on them.”

“I think she was the one and we had to get her.”

Jun Zhang: 'She’s the mare of the whole sale and we love her'Credit: Magic Millions

A 12-time winner for trainers Ken and Bev Kelso, Legarto's triumph's included a victory in the Group 1 Australian Guineas at Flemington and the 1,000 Guineas in her native New Zealand.

Yulong were also responsible for purchasing the second top-lot, snapping up the Ciaron Maher Racing-consigned Snitzanova at A$1.8 million.

The daughter of Snitzel was raced by Nathan Bennett’s fast-rising syndicate and delivered an outstanding return on the A$200,000 they paid for Snitzanova as a yearling. A four-time winner, her CV was highlighted by a Group 2 victory in the Sandown Guineas. She was offered on Wednesday having amassed A$1,020,850 from her 13-start racing career.

“I thought she was probably worth that,” syndicator Nathan Bennett said. “She’s a pretty good mare and can still race on.”

“Nerve-wracking [business]. Once you get into the million mark you’re hoping for another bid here and there and we were lucky enough to get a few.”

“It’s a huge turnaround for the owners. They paid A$200,000 for her as a yearling and then to go on and win over the $1 million on the track and produce $1.8 million in the ring is a huge result.”

“I’m just stoked for all the owners involved and that they’ve got a good payday,” Bennett added.

Snitzanova during her A$1.8 million sale at Magic MillionsCredit: Magic Millions

Yulong also signed the docket for New Zealand 1,000 Guineas winner Captured by Love at $1.5 million, who will also now reside at Segenhoe.

At the close of trade on the first day, Magic Millions reported that 136 lots had found new homes at a clearance rate of 84 per cent. The aggregate dipped 28 per cent year-on-year to A$33,904,500. The average weighed in at A$249,298, a 31 per cent drop, while the median finished at A$107,500, down 32 per cent.

Despite the numbers, Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch was satisfied with the day’s action.

He said: “I’m delighted. I thought it had a really good vibe to it and it had great theatre.

“The depth in the market was extremely solid and that’s evident in the fact that we’ve cleared 85 per cent of the stock. It was a very genuine market.

“Obviously you can look at the sale and compare it to last year, but I think it’s hard to compare when you’re not comparing apples with apples.

“Each year’s got a different level of quality and a different line of horses, but I think for the catalogue that was here today it has exceeded our expectations.”

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