The Rest of the World

https://thestraight.com.au/tail-of-the-tape-a-report-card-on-2024s-million-dollar-yearlings/?ref=straight-up-newsletter

Forty-two yearlings sold for $1 million or more during the 2024 Australasian sales season. As that crop are about to turn three years of age, The Straight checks out how they have fared so far on the racetrack. Devil Night is the flagbearer for the seven-figure yearling graduates of 2024. (Photo: Bronwen Healy) When an I Am Invincible colt sold for $1.2 million at the 2024 yearling sales, he was one of 42 yearlings among the thousands sold during the year to leave the auction ring with at least a seven-figure price tag. Consigned by Segenhoe Stud at the Australian Easter Yearling Sale, the colt attracted more interest than most with handsome looks and conformation complementing the depth of his pedigree. As a son of a champion sire out of Anaheed, a Fastnet Rock mare who earned more than $1.5 million on the racetrack courtesy of three Group 2 wins and a Group 1 placing in the Manikato Stakes, expectations would have been high. Twelve months earlier, the colt’s older sibling, named Superluminal, became at the time the most expensive yearling by I Am Invincible sold at auction, fetching $2.7 million and topping the Magic Millions sale when bought by Coolmore. This time, it was a Newgate Stud Farm syndicate that stepped up, securing the winning bid in Sydney before following Coolmore’s lead and placing the horse with champion trainer Chris Waller. Fast-forward to last month, the colt, named All Star, appeared among almost 350 entries catalogued on the Inglis Digital platform with an upfront and honest appraisal.  “All Star is one of the best-looking horses to have been sold at any yearling sale in 2024,” the sales description read. “So far, he has only shown limited ability; however, with more time to mature, he could potentially improve.” The business model under which colts’ syndicates, like those belonging to Newgate, Coolmore and bloodstock agent James Harron, focus on chasing speed for the Australian market. Hits and misses are an accepted part of doing business at the top end of the industry, knowing that one standout colt can balance the books for the ones that aren’t so good. Such is the high benchmark of racetrack success required by this model, a ‘miss’ in the view of a colts fund will not be considered a miss by others in the market. A future metro winner, or even gelded stakes winner holds more value for a trainer than it does for a studmaster.         That’s why All Star has been moved on, selling for $60,000 to the bid of Hawkesbury-based trainer Fabio Martino. The sale matched the price that Superluminal made online in November, knocked down online to clients of leading Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan. Waller gave All Star two starts but 50 per cent of the seven-figure yearlings purchased across sales in 2024 which includes 26 colts and 16 fillies, have yet to make it to the races. This group includes four of the five top-priced Lots, headlined by Quinceanera, the daughter of champion racemare Winx. Quinceanera smashed the Australasian record for a yearling at auction when sold for $10 million to Winx’s part-owner Debbie Kepitis at Easter last year. She is yet to be seen in a public trial with just over a month of her two-year-old season remaining. The most expensive 2024 graduate to make it to the racetrack so far is Ernaux, an Easter purchase for American investor John Stewart, a much-publicised underbidder on Quinceanera. Ernaux is the second foal of Group 1 Oakleigh Plate winner Booker and was signed for under the banner of Stewart’s Resolute Racing for $3 million. The filly, which also includes Coolmore in her ownership, has raced twice at a midweek level in Sydney for as many placings. Her Waller stablemates Wodeton and Central Coast, both by Wootton Bassett and each raced in Coolmore interests, are two of only seven individual winners so far from the 2024 million-dollar club. At this stage, Wodeton is the most experienced - and the most accomplished. Bought for $1.6 million, Wodeton has raced five times for a Sydney metropolitan win in January but his potential has been underlined with a runner-up finish in the Golden Slipper and two other stakes placings. Wodeton, who has banked $1.1 million in stakes, promises to be a genuine spring contender and a Group 1 win will rubber-stamp his place on Coolmore’s roster. Central Coast has also been earmarked for the spring after breaking through in Sydney last week. A blueblood colt as a son of Wootton Bassett from the outstanding racemare Sunlight, Central Coast was a $1.4 million Easter buy. Waiting for them when the races start to get serious will be Devil Night, a $1.4 million Extreme Choice colt already assured of a spot on Yulong’s stallion roster. Devil Night, who hails from the Hawkes Racing barn, recouped his purchase in three juvenile starts, highlighted by his Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes win. Across the Tasman, Snitzel’s Return To Conquer emerged from the season with the best record among his million-dollar contemporaries with an unblemished record for Te Akau Racing. Costing $1.3 million at Magic Millions, Return To Conquer is undefeated in four starts. Return To Conquer ended his season in style, winning the Sistema Stakes at Ellerslie to bring up Te Akau principal David Ellis’ 100th Group 1 success. As of June 23, with five weeks of the Australian racing season left, other 2024 seven-figure purchases to have won include Conscience ($1.4 million - Magic Millions), Farcited ($1.2 million - Magic Millions) and Hi Barbie ($1.2 million - Magic Millions). Successful in the Phelan Ready Plate at Listed level, Hi Barbie is the only filly among the 26 sold for $1 million or more last year to win a race. Fermoy, a Zoustar colt who was the equal highest-priced male sold in 2024 at $1.9 million, is yet to win in three appearances but he is a city placegetter who was sent to the spelling paddock after coming up short in the autumn. Trial By Fire, a son of Too Darn Hot who also cost $1.9 million, seems on course for a late-season start after two recent Sydney barrier trials. Two colts remain unnamed - a $1.15 million I Am Invincible and a $1 million Zoustar who hails from Atlantic Jewel’s family. List of million-dollar yearlings from 2024  Name Trainer Stallion Dam Sex Price Buyer Sale Performance Quinceanera Chris Waller Pierro Winx F $10,000,000 Woppitt Bloodstock Pty Ltd, NSW Easter Yearling Sale Unraced Ernaux Chris Waller I Am Invincible Booker F $3,000,000 Resolute Racing Easter Yearling Sale Placed Plaintiff Peter Snowden Zoustar Prompt Response F $2,200,000 James Harron B/stock Easter Yearling Sale Unraced Avantaggia Mark Walker Wootton Bassett Avantage F $2,100,000 D C Ellis CNZM BANZ Gold Coast Yearling Sale Unraced Fermoy Chris Waller Zoustar Fundamentalist C $1,900,000 T Magnier Easter Yearling Sale Placed Trial By Fire Ciaron Maher Too Darn Hot A Time for Julia C $1,900,000 Ciaron Maher B/stock/David Redvers B/stock Gold Coast Yearling Sale Unraced Thalestris Anthony and  Sam Freedman I Am Invincible Notting Hill F $1,800,000 Hilldene Farm Easter Yearling Sale Unraced United States Chris Waller Snitzel Warranty C $1,750,000 Tom Magnier Gold Coast Yearling Sale Placed Rosie Rouge Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott I Am Invincible Madam Rouge F $1,700,000 Jes Sikura/Hill 'n' Dale Farm/Gai Waterhouse   & Adrian Bott Gold Coast Yearling Sale Unplaced Guardsman Michael Freedman Extreme Choice Wanted Lady C $1,600,000 James Harron B/stock Colt Partnership Gold Coast Yearling Sale Unplaced Wodeton Chris Waller Wootton Bassett Fiera Vista C $1,600,000 Tom Magnier Gold Coast Yearling Sale Winner/SP Seychelles Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman Proisir Donna Marie F $1,600,000 Moody Racing NZB National Yearling Sale Unraced Tuscany Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Zoustar Summer Sham C $1,550,000 China Horse Club / Newgate / Go B/stock /   Trilogy Easter Yearling Sale Unplaced Columbus Les Bridge Dundeel Tides C $1,500,000 Dean Hawthorne B/stock / Alpha Syndicate Easter Yearling Sale Unraced Tour De France Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Extreme Choice Euroboss C $1,450,000 Rosemont Stud/Suman Hedge B/stock FBAA/Gai   Waterhouse /Adrian Bott Gold Coast Yearling Sale Unraced Glory Awaits Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Extreme Choice Tempt Me Not C $1,400,000 Go B/stock Australia / Gai Waterhouse &   Adrian Bott Easter Yearling Sale Unraced Central Coast Chris Waller Wootton Bassett Sunlight C $1,400,000 Paul Moroney B/stock / C Bruggeman Easter Yearling Sale Winner Devil Night Hawkes Racing Extreme Choice Mischief Night C $1,400,000 Highway Farm Gold Coast Yearling Sale G1 winner Conscience Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman Snitzel In Times of War F $1,400,000 TFI/Moody Racing/James Harron B/stock Gold Coast Yearling Sale Winner Chicama Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Written Tycoon The Broken Shore C $1,350,000 China Horse Club / Newgate / Go B/stock /   Trilogy Easter Yearling Sale Placed Constellation Chris Waller Justify Crystal Fountain C $1,300,000 Chris Waller Racing / Mulcaster B/stock Easter Yearling Sale Unraced Valedictorian Michael Freedman Zoustar Lady Cosmology C $1,300,000 James Harron B/stock Colt Partnership Gold Coast Yearling Sale Unplaced Condone Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Justify Invincible Star C $1,300,000 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott/Kestrel T/breds Gold Coast Yearling Sale Unraced Tower Bridge Mark Walker I Am Invincible Palace Talk C $1,300,000 D C Ellis CNZM BANZ/Tom Magnier Gold Coast Yearling Sale Unraced Return To Conquer Mark Walker Snitzel Vaujany C $1,300,000 D C Ellis CNZM BANZ Gold Coast Yearling Sale G1 winner Boa Vista Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr Snitzel Serena Bay F $1,250,000 Sheamus Mills B/stock FBAA Gold Coast Yearling Sale Stakes   placed Pimlico John O'Shea and Tom Charlton Extreme Choice Coco as in Chanel C $1,200,000 Rosemont Stud / John O'Shea Racing / Suman Hedge   Bloodstock Easter Yearling Sale Placed All Star Chris Waller to Fabio Martino I Am Invincible Anaheed C $1,200,000 China Horse Club / Newgate / Go B/stock /   Trilogy Easter Yearling Sale Unplaced Farcited Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Farnan I Am Excited C $1,200,000 Waterhouse & Bott/Kia Ora/Farnan   Partnership/Mt Hallowell Gold Coast Yearling Sale Winner/SP Hi Barbie Tony Gollan I Am Invincible Outback Barbie F $1,200,000 Gollan Racing/Jennifer Acton Gold Coast Yearling Sale Listed   winner unnamed Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott I Am Invincible Adrift C $1,150,000 Kia Ora / TFI / Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott   / Kestrel Thoroughbreds Easter Yearling Sale Unraced Kerber Ciaron Maher to Chris Waller I Am Invincible Eloping F $1,150,000 Belmont B/stock Agency FBAA Gold Coast Yearling Sale Unplaced Shinjina Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman Snitzel Hips Don't Lie F $1,100,000 Kia Ora / TFI Easter Yearling Sale Unraced Fury Of Flight Mark Walker Zoustar Ready to Soar C $1,100,000 D C Ellis CNZM BANZ Gold Coast Yearling Sale Unraced Aloisi Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr Snitzel All Too Soon C $1,100,000 Rosemont Stud / Suman Hedge B/stock FBAA Easter Yearling Sale Unraced Jet Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Zoustar Villami C $1,000,000 James Harron B/stock Colt Partnership Gold Coast Yearling Sale Placed Federalist Hawkes Racing I Am Invincible Arcadia Queen C $1,000,000 Hawkes Racing Gold Coast Yearling Sale Unplaced Kalgoorlie Girl Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Frankel Cercle d'Or F $1,000,000 Matt Houldsworth/Gai Waterhouse & Adrian   Bott Gold Coast Yearling Sale Unraced Exigent Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Exceed and Excel Dame Giselle F $1,000,000 Kia Ora / Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott /   Kestrel Thorughbreds Easter Yearling Sale Unraced Unnamed Lindsay Park Zoustar Atlantic Emerald C $1,000,000 Huang Kai Wen / Bridle B/stock Easter Yearling Sale Unraced Superior Dame Robbie Griffiths Ole Kirk Supara F $1,000,000 Griffiths De Kock Fillies Partnership/Peter Ford   Thorughbreds Gold Coast Yearling Sale Unraced La Basiique Chris Waller I Am Invincible Vezalay F $1,000,000 Highway   Farm Gold Coast Yearling Sale Unraced Breeding and BloodstockNews

Bidding to end the season on a high after a frustrating run of seconds, James Orman has identified Supreme Agility as the pick of his eight-strong book of rides at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. Joining the ultra-competitive Hong Kong riding ranks in February on a six-week contract, the Australian jockey made an instant impression with two early winners, helping him earn a licence extension through to the end of the season. The 27-year-old hopes to continue riding in the city next season, but...View the full article

I agree. Throwing more races at the problem doesn't fix it. It is a band aid that could backfire. Horses need a break and winter used to be the best time to do it. 

The issue isn't about Cambridge running Tuesday/ Thursday, just at this time of the year maybe one meeting per week in the North is sufficient, as the weather warms up and numbers supposedly then 2 days is probably fine, I'm sure they could run 12 races catering for all.