Arrowfield roster makes Millions magic

Across the board results at the 2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale were spectacular enough, but vendors of Arrowfield-sired yearlings had extra reasons to smile.

Of the 135 lots by current Arrowfield stallions offered in Book 1, 127 (95%) sold at an average price of $212,952 – 24% above the average price achieved for the first four days of selling.

The roster also supplied six of the 10 top-priced yearlings, a group headed by the stunning Snitzel colt from Starlevie purchased for $775,000 from Berkeley Stud by the partnership of Tom Magnier, John Warren Bloodstock & the China Horse Club.

Champion sire Redoute’s Choice was the Sale’s leading sire by profit achieved above his sale average, and 12 of his 19 yearlings sold for $300,000 or more. His top price of $720,000 was achieved by two lots, a colt and a filly, reflecting the evenly matched racing success & stud value of his sons and daughters.

Snitzel and freshman Smart Missile also generated six-figure profits for vendors. Smart Missile punched well above his weight among an outstanding group of first crop sires, returning almost 9 times his fee on average. All but eight of his 33 yearlings were knocked down at $100,000 or more, and three colts and a filly were knocked down for $300,000 or more.

His sale-topper, the colt from Negotiate, broke Arrowfield’s record for number of parades by an individual yearling, and after lively bidding, was secured by Hawkes Racing for $700,000. John Hawkes said afterwards, “I just had to have him.”

Snitzel, sire of 13 stakeswinners in 2014 including Group 1 winners Shamus Award & Snitzerland, posted an average price of just over eight times his 2012 fee. Thirty-nine of his 43 lots in Book 1 fetched more than $100,000, and 23 made $200,000 or more.

Not A Single Doubt is a solid sale-ring favourite at Magic Millions and this year he had three colts and a filly sell for $200,000 or more with Gai Waterhouse paying his top price of $280,000 for the sister to her former stable star Squamosa.

Charge Forward rewarded his 2012 supporters with $100,000 or better for all but one of his Book 1 sales. Queensland trainer Tony Gollan and agent John Foote went to $180,000 for the colt from Laissez Faire, by Flying Spur whose daughters have produced five of Charge Forward’s stakeswinners.   

Third crop yearlings by All American & Manhattan Rain found favour with buyers including James Cummings, David Hayes, Chris Waller & Gai Waterhouse paying up to $120,000 and $150,000 respectively for their progeny. Manhattan Rain had the edge on dollar profit, while All American averaged 4.6 times his $15,000 fee.

Vendor success with Arrowfield stallions was not confined to the Stud’s current line-up. Seven yearlings from the second and final crop of Australia’s leading first season sire Beneteau averaged $135,714 in Book 2, more than 13 times his 2012 fee. He also supplied the day’s top price of $220,000, paid by Beneteau’s own buyer Blue Sky Bloodstock for Arrowfield’s colt out of Sassy Peg.

Four Book 1 yearlings by Starcraft, now based at Rosemont Stud in Victoria, averaged six times his 2012 fee of $25,000. Attunga Stud presented his sale-topper, the colt from Libor Lady, purchased for $280,000 by Hong Kong trainer Ricky Yiu, who prepares Starcraft’s recent Sha Tin winner Blizzard.

The Sale also brought up a milestone for now-retired champion sire Flying Spur. His very last foal, an attractive chestnut filly out of Inchita (by Encosta de Lago) was purchased for $150,000 by South African owner Adriaan Van Vuuren. Fittingly, she was offered by Corumbene Stud, whose Magic Millions graduates include Sebring, from the Flying Spur mare Purespeed.

Below are the Book 1 statistics for Arrowfield’s seven current stallions with yearlings: