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Month: May 2022

$600,000 The Autumn Sun Filly Tops MM Weanlings Day 1

$600,000 the Autumn sun filly from Via Africa

$600,000 The Autumn Sun Filly Tops MM Weanlings Day 1

Thursday May 19

A three quarter sister to Golden Rose winner In the Congo topped Day One of the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale on the Gold Coast today.

Silverdale Farm and Shrone Bloodstock teamed up to secure the prized filly from the draft of Newhaven Park for $600,000.

The filly is a daughter of young Arrowfield Stud based sire The Autumn Sun and is the fourth foal of the three time South African Group One winner Via Africa (Var). 

“She was the quality filly of the sale for us,” Silverdale’s Rob Petith said. “We did a lot of groundwork here over the last few days.”

“She was just a stand out physical – obviously out of a very good mare and a three quarter to In the Congo – combine all of that, while it was probably more than what we wanted to pay we had to be strong to the end.”

“I was a little nervous (during the bidding), spending that amount of money – but you can be confident when you’re buying the right product. She was beautifully presented.” 

“She’ll do very well on the hills at Silverdale and we look forward to re-presenting her next year. We always aim to bring them back to sale – she will be re offered again. Hopefully we can put some polish on her, bring her back here and she’ll be in even bigger demand,” he added.

Justin Bahen was one of the busiest buyers on the day and he signed for the day’s second top seller, a So You Think colt from Telemon Thoroughbreds, for a Victorian client.

“The stallion is doing a super job and he’s the first foal out of a Redoute’s Choice mare so there was a fair bit to like about him,” Bahen said.

“I think the client wants to put him back through (as a yearling) but we’ll see how we go, if there’s a profit there then he’s happy to turn him over but if not, he’ll race him.”

Across the day almost $10 million was traded on 120 lots sold at an average price of over $83,000.

“The day obviously picked up momentum as we went along,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said.

“At times the market’s quite selective and they know what they’re looking for but anyone with a quality weanling that was here on the grounds has been extremely well rewarded so far.”

“It’s an incredibly strong average. Outside of last year, it’s well above any average we’ve had for a weanling sale before. Our clearance rate ending at 78 per cent I think is sound and it gives us a great day one to build on into the second half of the sale tomorrow.”

“There’s a very similar number of horses to sell (tomorrow). It’s a very even spread and I’d expect we’ll see a lot more of the same tomorrow,” Bowditch added.

“Hopefully the momentum that picked up during the day continues on to tomorrow because there’s a lot of quality horses.”

To view the results from Day One or to make an offer on a passed in lot click here.

Day Two of the 2022 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale, including supplementaries, will commence at 10am (Qld time) tomorrow.

SALE STATISTICS
(2021 in brackets)

Lots Catalogued: 195 (230)
Lots Sold: 120 (160)
Lots Withdrawn: 41 (41)
Lots Passed In: 33 (29)
Sale Gross: $9,970,000 ($17,948,500)
Average Price: $83,083 ($112,178)
Median Price: $52,000 ($51,000)
Sold %: 78 (85)

DAY ONE TOP SELLERS

$600,000 – The Autumn Sun-Via Africa filly (Lot 107)
Vendor: Newhaven Park (As Agent) / Buyer: Silverdale Farm/Shrone B’stock (NSW)

$525,000 – So You Think-Salina colt (Lot 27)
Telemon T’breds (As Agent) / Bahen B’stock (Vic)

$350,000 – So You Think-Tuesday Special filly (Lot 102)
Yarraman Park Stud (As Agent) / Tasman B’stock (NSW)
 

$325,000 – Russian Revolution-Calzini Beach colt (Lot 184)
Elswick Park / Trilogy Racing (NSW)

$300,000 – Toronado-Asheerah colt (Lot 147)
Caithness Breeding (As Agent) / Sledmere Stud/Cangon Stud (NSW)

Ex-Waller horse Senor Toba claims G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup

Senor Toba winning Sunday’s Group Three

Ex-Waller horse Senor Toba claims G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup

Monday, 2 May at 11:42am

Franking imposing BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) form, Senor Toba has earned a tilt at the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) with a resolute triumph in the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap (2400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Fourth behind Romantic Warrior, California Spangle and Money Catcher in the BMW Hong Kong Derby on March 20, Senor Toba demonstrated his staying superiority for Caspar Fownes and Joao Moreira, prevailing by two lengths over last season’s Queen Mother Memorial Cup winner Butterfield. Enjoying was third, a further neck away, in the good-to-yielding conditions.

Fownes was adamant pre-race the effort of Romantic Warrior to win the G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) and California Spangle’s feat to run second to Golden Sixty in the G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) after the pair’s stirring Derby quinella made the Classic one of the best Derby form lines in the past two decades.

Moreira was similarly impressed after a facile ride on the four-year-old, positioning him in third place behind Enjoying and Butterfield before briefly attempting to angle into the clear on straightening, only to change course.

“The slow-run sections forced him to just sit there and dash home. I was coming out to try to get to the outside of the two leaders (Enjoying and Butterfield) at the top of the straight, but I could see the leader moving off the fence and leaving me a nice gap on the inside so I just went for it,” Moreira said.

“When I was about to pass, I had that squeeze and that just held me back a little bit but once he really put his head fully into it, he dashed home like a good horse and hit the line in a way that impressed me quite a bit.”

Asked about the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup, Moreira said: “I’m looking forward to that race.”

Fownes and Moreira quickly slotted a race-to-race double when Galaxy Witness posted his fourth win in as many starts to claim the Class 3 Inch Arran Handicap (1400m) to justify Fownes’ high opinion.

“He’s got his best racing ahead of him and he’s going to be a good horse for next season,” four-time champion trainer Fownes said. “We’ve always felt from day one that he’s a miler. We’ve built him up nicely by mixing up his distances and he’s a really nice horse.“

Frankie Lor extended his lead over John Size in the trainers’ championship to 68-65 with a treble featuring Massive Action, Free Foal and Sakewin.

Purton was aboard in Massive Action’s all-the-way victory in the second section of the Class 4 Monaveen Handicap (1400m) after the Australian combined with David Hayes to land the Class 4 Manicou Handicap (1200m) on Oriental Smoke.

“He’s still green and I think he can still improve,” Lor said of Massive Action before Blake Shinn piloted Free Foal to victory in the first section of the Class 4 Monaveen Handicap (1400m).

Lor completed a fruitful afternoon when Sakewin bolted in with the second section of the Game Spirit Handicap (1200m) under Joao Moreira to maintain an unbeaten record after two starts.

Lor will consider Sakewin for next season’s Four-Year-Old Classic series.

“He‘s not a really big horse, he weighs only 1,080 (pounds). If he gets bigger and stronger, he should be a good horse for next season. He’ll go a bit further.“

Purton completed a treble atop Francis Lui’s Packing Treadmill, impressive winner of the first section of the Class 3 Game Spirit Handicap (1200m), matching Moreira’s three-timer which left the Brazilian with an overall 111-109 lead in the jockeys’ title.

“He (Packing Treadmill) flew the gates, so that obviously felt and I felt like I was going to get across easily until everyone, with the track bias in mind wanted to be handy and they kept kicking up, and I had to work more than I wanted to going into the first corner,” Purton said.

“So, for him to be able to do that and then still be able to balance up and have a good kick was nice. He won his first start on a softish track, so I thought he would handle it. He had the light weight (120lb) and he did a good job.”

Circuit Nine’s hollow victory in The Argonaut Plate (1000m) for Griffins delivered Tony Cruz his 50th victory of the season as the impressive grey gelding provided sire Caravaggio with his first Hong Kong winner with his first runner.

Lyle Hewitson continued a searing run of form with a double to tally seven wins in three meetings with success on Douglas Whyte-trained Cheval Valiant in the Class 4 Isle Of Man Handicap (1000m) and then victory on Nicholson Returns in the Class 4 Special Cargo Handicap (1600m).

“It’s unbelievable. Just super, super blessed for all the support and just enjoying how things are going, so long may it continue. I’m very grateful for the support I get,” said Hewitson.

Tony Millard pointed to suitable conditions for Nordic Sky after the colt reprised his best overseas form with victory in the Class 3 Insular Handicap (2000m) under a clever ride from Antoine Hamelin.

The four-year-old who finished ninth in BMW Hong Kong Derby in March, was unplaced in 11 Hong Kong starts until Sunday’s breakthrough but Millard referenced the import’s best form on wet ground in South America.

“He won the Brazilian Derby in the wet and funnily enough, then he came from the back but this time we decided to go forward,” the South African said. “He‘s a Class 3 horse at this stage, he’s got to improve a lot. He’s of the grand weight of 980 pounds.”

Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Wednesday night.

Senor Toba claims G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup

International Horse Racing

Senor Toba claims G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup

2nd May 2022

Franking imposing BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) form, Senor Toba has earned a tilt at the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) with a resolute triumph in the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap (2400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (1 May).

Fourth behind Romantic Warrior , California Spangle and Money Catcher in the BMW Hong Kong Derby on 20 March, Senor Toba demonstrated his staying superiority for Caspar Fownes and Joao Moreira, prevailing by two lengths over last season’s Queen Mother Memorial Cup winner Butterfield. Enjoying was third, a further neck away, in the good-to-yielding conditions.

Fownes was adamant pre-race the effort of Romantic Warrior to win the G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) and California Spangle’s feat to run second to Golden Sixty in the G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) after the pair’s stirring Derby quinella made the Classic one of the best Derby form lines in the past two decades.

Senor Toba finished fourth in the Derby and, stretching to 2400m for the first time in his career since running second in the G1 Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm in 2021, the grey relished the extended trip under steady rain.

“He’s done it really nice,” Fownes said. “Obviously, they crawled as well but it wouldn’t have mattered either way. If they went hard, it would have been even better for him. He’s a real proper stayer, a really good horse and now we go forward to the Champions & Chater Cup (on 22 May) with him.

“We were obviously the best horse in the race and I felt that going into the race and I believe he’ll just keep improving. We’ll just keep going forward but he’s a serious horse for the future.

“He’s a good horse and these 2400m races will be right up his alley. I didn’t even trial him between the Derby and this race. He’s a pretty clean-winded horse. We give him some nice long work and he enjoys that way of training and he’ll pretty much do the same going forward to the next race.”

Moreira was similarly impressed after a facile ride on the four-year-old, positioning him in third place behind Enjoying and Butterfield before briefly attempting to angle into the clear on straightening, only to change course.

“The slow-run sections forced him to just sit there and dash home. I was coming out to try to get to the outside of the two leaders (Enjoying and Butterfield) at the top of the straight, but I could see the leader moving off the fence and leaving me a nice gap on the inside so I just went for it,” Moreira said.

“When I was about to pass, I had that squeeze and that just held me back a little bit but once he really put his head fully into it, he dashed home like a good horse and hit the line in a way that impressed me quite a bit.”

Asked about the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup, Moreira said: “I’m looking forward to that race.”

Fownes and Moreira quickly slotted a race-to-race double when Galaxy Witness posted his fourth win in as many starts to claim the Class 3 Inch Arran Handicap (1400m) to justify Fownes’ high opinion.

“He’s got his best racing ahead of him and he’s going to be a good horse for next season,” four-time champion trainer Fownes said. “We’ve always felt from day one that he’s a miler. We’ve built him up nicely by mixing up his distances and he’s a really nice horse.”

Frankie Lor extended his lead over John Size in the trainers’ championship to 68-65 with a treble featuring Massive Action, Free Foal and Sakewin.

Purton was aboard in Massive Action’s all-the-way victory in the second section of the Class 4 Monaveen Handicap (1400m) after the Australian combined with David Hayes to land the Class 4 Manicou Handicap (1200m) on Oriental Smoke.

“He’s still green and I think he can still improve,” Lor said of Massive Action before Blake Shinn piloted Free Foal to victory in the first section of the Class 4 Monaveen Handicap (1400m).

Lor completed a fruitful afternoon when Sakewin bolted in with the second section of the Game Spirit Handicap (1200m) under Joao Moreira to maintain an unbeaten record after two starts.

Lor will consider Sakewin for next season’s Four-Year-Old Classic series.

“He’s not a really big horse, he weighs only 1,080 (pounds). If he gets bigger and stronger, he should be a good horse for next season. He’ll go a bit further.”

Purton completed a treble atop Francis Lui’s Packing Treadmill, impressive winner of the first section of the Class 3 Game Spirit Handicap (1200m), matching Moreira’s three-timer which left the Brazilian with an overall 111-109 lead in the jockeys’ title.

“He (Packing Treadmill) flew the gates, so that obviously felt and I felt like I was going to get across easily until everyone, with the track bias in mind wanted to be handy and they kept kicking up, and I had to work more than I wanted to going into the first corner,” Purton said.

“So, for him to be able to do that and then still be able to balance up and have a good kick was nice. He won his first start on a softish track, so I thought he would handle it. He had the light weight (120lb) and he did a good job.”

Circuit Nine’s hollow victory in The Argonaut Plate (1000m) for Griffins delivered Tony Cruz his 50th victory of the season as the impressive grey gelding provided sire Caravaggio with his first Hong Kong winner with his first runner.

Lyle Hewitson continued a searing run of form with a double to tally seven wins in three meetings with success on Douglas Whyte-trained Cheval Valiant in the Class 4 Isle Of Man Handicap (1000m) and then victory on Nicholson Returns in the Class 4 Special Cargo Handicap (1600m).

“It’s unbelievable. Just super, super blessed for all the support and just enjoying how things are going, so long may it continue. I’m very grateful for the support I get,” said Hewitson.

Tony Millard pointed to suitable conditions for Nordic Sky after the colt reprised his best overseas form with victory in the Class 3 Insular Handicap (2000m) under a clever ride from Antoine Hamelin.

The four-year-old who finished ninth in BMW Hong Kong Derby in March, was unplaced in 11 Hong Kong starts until today’s breakthrough but Millard referenced the import’s best form on wet ground in South America.

“He won the Brazilian Derby in the wet and funnily enough, then he came from the back but this time we decided to go forward,” the South African said. “He’s a Class 3 horse at this stage, he’s got to improve a lot. He’s of the grand weight of 980 pounds.”

Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Wednesday night (4 May).