Tail of the tape - a report card on 2024’s million-dollar yearlings

[Murray Fish]

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

[Murray Fish]

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

[Chief Stipe]

31 minutes ago, Murray Fish said:

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.

That's the known risk.  2.5% ($25,000) of a $1,000,000 colt yearling could make you a millionaire!  So if you spread your risk and choose wisely...  

To think I was offered a share in one of the best stallions for a few thousand and turned it down.  Stands now at over $90,000 a shot!

[curious]

18 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

That's the known risk.  2.5% ($25,000) of a $1,000,000 colt yearling could make you a millionaire!  So if you spread your risk and choose wisely...  

To think I was offered a share in one of the best stallions for a few thousand and turned it down.  Stands now at over $90,000 a shot!

And remember these are only 2yos. I imagine we'll see a few more performing next season.

[billy connolly]

Over half (23) unraced, if they'd shown any precociousness they'd have appeared well before now.

Paying six figure sums for yearlings is preposterous when one can acquire proven age group stock (without the bloodlines) at around the same money.

65.5 mil down the dunny, whereas 65.5 mil invested in gold bullion two years ago would be worth close to 100 mil today !
 

[Shad]

Like taking a raffle albeit an expensive one, no matter what you spend the odds are the same, no guarantees, plenty of high priced will never make the races, then the lucky Joe bloggs buy a modestly breed one, and turn out a good horse, pay ya money take ya chances.