Zoustar Weanling Goes Big, Snitzel Colt Impresses, Look At Lombardo

 

The Magic Millions 2022 Gold Coast National Weanling Sale concluded on Friday with some massive amounts of cash being exchanged for some well-bred weanlings. There were a total of 247 lots sold for a gross of $22,161,000 at an average of $89,720. The top price of $750,000 went to a Zoustar filly out of stakes-winning Hussonet mare Members Joy, making the filly a half to Pure Elation and closely related to Western Australian star Indian Pacific. Purchased by Cloverfield Bloodstock, the filly was on offer from Segenhoe Stud and it was John Kelly from Newhaven Park who placed the successful bid. Kelly said the plan was to present the filly at the 2023 Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“She’s a lovely filly, she’s out of a very good racemare who is a good broodmare and she’s by a champion stallion – they cost what they cost! She’ll go out in the paddock and run with the other fillies and hopefully grow and mature and turn into a beautiful yearling.”

It was a Frankel colt on account of breeding giant Coolmore who sold as the 2nd highest lot of the sale. Going for $650,000, the colt is out of Group 1 winning Fastnet Rock mare Nechita making him a three quarter brother to group winners Harpo Marx and Forbearance. Nechita, a winner of the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes has had four foals to race with the aforementioned two winners.

A nicely bred daughter of The Autumn Sun was the next highest lot and $600,000 was the price tag for the three quarter sister to In The Congo, being out of Champion Sprinter in South Africa, Via Africa. Sold by Newhaven Park and purchased by Silverdale Farm and Shrone Bloodstock, Silverdale’s Rob Petith thought she was the pick of the lot.

“She was the quality filly of the sale for us, 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.”

The numbers were down on last years Weanling Sale, with 54 less lots, average price down $15,000 and the top price down $250,000. Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch wasn’t worried about the drop in numbers.

“To end up with an average of about $90,000, which if you take last year’s sale out of the equation that was something of a one off, is well above any average we’ve had here at a weanling sale, or anywhere in Australia, for that matter.”

The focus for Magic Millions now turns to the 2022 Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale that starts on Tuesday. The National Broodmare Sale, with 696 catalogued lots, will present Australasia’s finest racefillies, maiden mares, young broodmares as well as proven producers.

For Inglis, it’s their Digital platforms Late May sale on at the moment with Group performer Aramayo currently the highest lot at $150,000 followed by another Chris Waller trained galloper in Minsk Moment hot on it’s heels at $125,000. The sale finishes on Wednesday afternoon.

 

The Stallion of the Week this week is none other than Champion Sire of 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020, Snitzel. With 18 indiviudal Group 1 winners, Snitzel has continued to dominate the stallion scene for many years now and there doesn’t look to be any sign of slowing down. 2-year-old colt, Brosnan stamped himself as a high quality son of Snitzel when winning over 1400m at Flemington on Saturday. A $1,050,000 purchase, he 4th in the Group 2 Sires Produce back in March before struggling on a Heavy 9 track in the Group 1 Inglis Sires.

It’s difficult to highlight just a few notable progeny of Snitzel, and there are over 121 stake-winners worldwide. Trapeze Artist, Redzel, Russian Revolution, Shamus Award, Sizzling, Estijaab, Sword Of State, Away Game… the list goes on. He is one of only six stallions in Australian history to win four consecutive Premierships, and the only three-time Champion 2YO Sire in the past two decades. As you’d expect, his progeny continues to make huge numbers at every sale they’re sold at. 74 yearlings sold so far this year at an average of $554,256 with multiple top lots including at the Inglis Easter sale where we saw a colt by Response sell for $2,250,000 and a filly by Silent Sedition sell for $2,200,000.

The Mailbag Bloodstock is ecstatic to have a Snitzel filly as one of our very first horses in the stable. A half-sister to Group 1 Oaks winning mare Sofia Rosa, our filly has completed the breaking-in process and just finished her first educational preparation at the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stables in Ballarat.

 

This week on Pedigree Microscope, we take a look at the only Group 1 winner of the weekend, Goodwood winner, Lombardo. A 5-year-old son of I Am Invincible, Lombardo was originally purchased by M G Price Racing & Breeding Pty Ltd / Aquis Farm for $300,000 at the Inglis 2018 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale. A somewhat lightly raced and underrated gelding, Lombardo has won 8 of his 16 career starts and made $716,810 for his owners. It is hard to imagine Saturday’s Group 1 will be his final win either, seemingly in career best form.

By of one of the greatest Australian sires, I Am Invincible, Lombardo is out of a 7-time winning Encosta De Lago mare by the name of Swinging Babe. Swinging Babe interestingly won from 1100m all the way up to 2150m. Swinging Babe has had 9 foals to race including 6 winners, most notably Lombardo and Resistant who was a 5-time winner from 1100m to 1600m.

We have never seen Lombardo past 1300m, and one the one occasion we saw him at 1300m, he won by 3 lengths. Could there be an opportunity for the Price/Kent team to step him up in distance in the outstanding form he is in or keep him to the shorter trips.