Buyers look to get bang for their buck in sale ring
ABOUT $10 million could be dropped on potential racing stars of the future next week as the Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale prepares to put the next champions under the hammer.
Beginning on Monday at Bundall, the sale stands as one of the greatest opportunities to get “bang for your buck”, according to Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch.
“The market in Australia is buoyant and racing has never been in better shape,” Bowditch said as the industry continues to flourish despite COVID’s challenges.
“The prizemoney is fantastic and every horse sold will have the chance to race in the Magic Millions and get all the QTIS bonuses on offer in Queensland to two and three-year-olds.
“It gives owners a huge chance to get a return on their investment. You only have to look at The Odyssey
(bought for $30,000) who has only run once outside of Queensland and won ($1,717,300).
“Hopefully we will gross somewhere over $10 million. I won’t qualify the number, we just want to give vendors who have worked hard to breed these horses a chance.”
Bowditch said the creation of Gold Coast’s Jewel Race Day, to be held on Saturday, in recent years had further strengthened the sales in the following days.
One of the vendors is Scott
McAlpine, the owner of fourthgeneration operation Eureka Stud, who has 42 horses on offer.
Among those is lot 291, a filly who is out of General Nediym mare Pinpoint.
General Nediym won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic in 1997.
Lot 291 is by first-season sire Russian Revolution and McAlpine will be looking for a last-minute pedigree update when Sugar Boom, a half-sister to Pinpoint, runs in Saturday’s Open Handicap (900m).