Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

South African buyers active in Oz

David Thiselton
Andy Williams, the Durban bloodstock agent who acts as the South African ambassador to the Magic Millions Sales company, said that South Africans had bought well at this year’s January Sale, the Conrad Jupiters Magic Millions Yearling Sale, which is the biggest Australian sale of the year.
South Africans spent AU$2,325,500 at the sale in all.
The sale itself saw a drop of just 16% from last year on the first four select sessions. However, the median price on these four sessions actually showed an increase on last year.
Company spokesmen described this as a “fantastic” result, considering the Goff’s Yearling Sale, held in Europe in October, dropped by 40%, while USA sales had recently shown a 25-30% decline.
The fifth session of the Conrad Jupiters, held on Sunday, showed an 18% increase on last year, another superb return.
Nevertheless, managing director of Magic Millons, David Chester, was adamant that the auction was still very much in the buyers’ favour.
Basil Marcus bought six yearling for a total of $AU590,000 at the select sessions. The most expensive of these was a $AU130,000 colt by Starcraft, a New Zealand-bred horse who won five Group Is, including the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Newmarket in England in 2005, despite having being purchased as a yearling for only NZ$80,000. Marcus also acquired a Galileo and a Rock Of Gibraltar colt among others.
Mary Liley bought four yearlings for a total of AU$430,000 at the select sessions.
Her most expensive purchase was a AU$170,000 colt by Anabaa, sire of recent Grade I Cape Guineas winner, Le Drakkar.
Liley’s other three yearlings were a filly by Danehill Dancer and two colts by Rock Of Gibraltar and Tale Of The Cat respectively.
The Danehill Dancer and the Tale Of The Cat are due to go the Alyson Wright yard while the Anabaa and the Rock Of Gibraltar are earmarked for the Tony Rivalland yard.
Lionel Cohen spent AU$195,000 at the select sale, buying two fillies and a colt. He bought a Flying Spur filly for AU$100,000, a filly by Al Maher (Group I Australian Guineas winner) for $AU25,000 and a colt by Danzero for $AU70,000. Cohen also spent AU$50,000 at the fifth session for a colt by Secret Savings, who won the Group I Doncaster Handicap over a mile in 1997 and produced the Grade I winner, Dash For Cash.
Mark Tarry bought two colts by Fusaichi Pegasus and Hussonet for AU$30,000 and AU$40,000 respectively at the select sale, and two fillies, a Hussonet for AU$30,000 and a Dubawi for AU$23,000 at the fifth session.
Dylan Cunha landed the most expensive horse bought by a South African. His sole purchase on the select sale was for a AU$270,000 Encosta de Lago colt, and he went on to buy a colt by Royal Academy and a colt by Johannesburg for AU$25,000 and AU$37,500 respectively at the fifth session.
Nils Haug bought three fillies by Cape Cross, Catbird and Straturn at the select sale for a total of AU$140,000.
Andy Williams bought seven yearlings using both his World Wide Bloodstock company and Magic Millions as Agent at the select sale. He spent $AU455,000 in all with the most expensive being a Flying Spur filly for AU$150,000.
He also spent $AU10,000 on a colt at the fifth session.

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