The Pharoahs to make world history at the Gold Coast
2020 Magic Millions Yearling Sale at the Gold Coast on January 8
A PREVIEW OF THE 2020 MAGIC MILLIONS GOLD COAST YEARLING SALE
When lot 20, a bay colt got by American Pharaoh from Villa Moura, an Encosta de Lago Sydney winner out of Secover, a Danehill mare from the Denise’s Joy family being presented by Gerry Harvey’s Westbury Stud, New Zealand, enters the ring before a predictable audience of horse people from around the world at the 2020 Magic Millions Yearling Sale at the Gold Coast on January 8, it appears it will be a new historic moment in world thoroughbred history.
It is being created by the fact that it will challenge as the first time that a yearling sired outside America by one of the elite group of 13 performers who have won a world jewel of racing, the American Triple Classic Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes). The Triple was first captured in 1919 by a performer by the name of Sir Barton and since those who attained the distinction have included Galant Fox, War Admiral, Count Fleet, Citation, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed and more recently American Pharoah (in 2015) and Justify (2018).
Both American Pharoah and Justify are now headquartered at Coolmore in Kentucky and both have been visitors to their Jerrys Plains Hunter Valley stud in the 2019 season. It is a certainty that neither of them would ever have left America if it hadn’t been for the dual hemisphere season use now a common practice.
Prior to American Pharoah, the only Triple Crown winner to leave his homeland was Whirlaway (born 1938). Twice United States Horse of the Year, he sired some good horses from use at Calumet Farm, Kentucky but at 12 in late 1950 was transferred to France and died in 1953.
There were two Whirlaways raced in the early 1940s, the Triple Crown winning American and a Great Britain born stallion and both were by top sons of big influence Blandford. The GB born Whirlaway became a good sire at the Widden stud.
Early achievement of American Pharoah with his first Kentucky crop, 2yos of 2019, indicate he could be one of the best Triple Crown winning sires. At early December, he had been represented by 23 individual winners (four SWS – 3 GW and 6 SP) and over $3million. They have won in USA, France, Great Britain and Ireland and four have earned in G1 races.
Probably his best runner to date has been Four Wheel Drive, a colt who has won three races, two stakes, and earned over $1million. He is out of a mare by More Than Ready (USA), sire of the dams of two of the 27 lots representing American Pharoah’s first Australian crop at the Gold Coast sale.
It is a consignment rich in top broodmare sires, others with daughters including Redoute’s Choice (3), Lonhro (2), Fasnet Rock (3), Encosta de Lago (2), Danehill (USA), Danehill Dancer (Ire), Choisir, Rock of Gibraltar, Snitzel, Sebring, Testa Rossa and Uncle Mo (USA).
The source of over 100 first crop yearlings and certain to be represented at most 2020 sales, the big robust bay American Pharoah was far more than a Triple Crown winner, his 11 starts (2 and 3) resulting in nine wins, eight of them G1 and the other G2. He was awesome in taking the Belmont by 5 ½ lens and turned in one of the great performances of the century in beating older performers in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (2000m). Leading all the way, He won by 6 1/ 2 lens and lowered the track record.
It could be very good for the Australian thoroughbred if American Pharoah does well as sire in this part of the world because of a variety of outcross genes. He is by dual G1 winner Pioneer of the Nile, a fourth-generation male line descendant of Mr Prospector, and his grandam is by a son of Exclusive Native. The latter and Mr Prospector are both by Raise a Native.
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Queensland’s again makes a good contribution
Ever since the Magic Millions yearling sale at the Gold Coast was held for the first time in 1986, a year a 200 lot catalogue produced among its winning graduates Snippets (dam by Queensland sire), there have been many good horses go through the ring on account of Queensland vendors.They have ncluded Written Tycoon, Capitalist, General Nediym, Zoustar and Star Witness, to mention a few of national significance.
This year Queensland vendors contribute 150 lots, many of which are by Hunter Valley sires. For instance, the McAlpine’s Eureka Stud, Cambooya Darling Downs, includes in a 33-consignment offspring of interstate sires Zoustar, Written Tycoon, Choisir, Hinchinbrook, No Nay Never (USA), Sebring, Rubick and Extreme Choice.
Also in their lineup are offspring of two Queensland located sires who made a huge impact with their first crops, Spirit of Boom (bred and stands Eureka) and Better Than Ready (Lyndhurst stud Warwick). Spirit of Boom led the way with 18 first crop 2yo winners (4 SWs) and $1,959,852 in 2017-18 and Better Than Ready followed in 2018-19 with 23 winners (3 SWs) of 38 races and $2,047,570.
Spirit of Boom has ten lots in the Gold Coast sale, seven from Eureka, and Better Than Ready 13, five account Lyndhurst and seven in the draft from Yarramalong Park. Owners with Lyndhurst of Better Than Ready, Yarramalong Park have a filly listed by his sire More Than Ready.
Other Queensland vendors include Element Hill (14 lots, all by Hunter Valley sires), Glenlogan Park (13 lots, two each by Written Tycoon, Rich Enuff), Kenmore Lodge (11, two by Not a Single Doubt, one each by Written Tycoon and Capitalist) and Basil Nolan’s Raheen (11 by Hunter Valley sires) and KBL Thoroughbreds (10 by Hunter Valley sires).
VICTORIAN VENDORS are headed by Woodside Park (11 lots, 4 by Written Tycoon), Rosemont Stud (18, includes offspring of Written Tycoon, I Am Invincible, Redoute’s Choice, Sebring, Choisir),Yulong (11, 2 each by Not a Single Doubt, Exceed and Excel, I Am Invincible), Gilgai Farm (10, includes an August 4 foal by I Am Invincible produced by Sebring’s good daughter Scratchy Bottom) and Three Bridges (10 inc I Am Invincible, Snitzel, Capitalist, No Nay Never (USA).
FRANKEL COLT: The Barnes family’s historic Canning Downs Stud at Warwick has the only yearling in the catalogue by giant of racing Frankel (GB) (Galileo – Kind, by Danehill). Got in England but foaled in Australia on August 29 2018, this chestnut colt is a half-brother to France G3 winner Sky Kingdom and from NZ bred and performed Starcraft dual G1 winner We Can Say It Now. The grandam We Can’t Say That was a winner of eight races in Australia to 2500m by English Derby winner Generous.
A PREVIEW OF THE 2020 MAGIC MILLIONS GOLD COAST YEARLING SALE
A concise look at Magic Millions catalogue
Over 900 of 1065 lots catalogued for the 2020 Magic Millions January Gold Coast Yearling Sale, a prestige market scheduled for January 8,9, 10, 11 and 12 are by sires used in the Hunter Valley and most of these representatives are being consigned by the region’s studs.
Leading the way (10 or more lots) are Arrowfield (70 lots), Newgate (59), Baramul* (57), Coolmore (52), Widden (42), Yarraman Park (31), Kitchwin Hills (29), Bhima (27), Aquis Farm (27), Sledmere (24), Vinery (23), Segenhoe (22),Willow Park (15), Edinglassie (14), Attunga (14), Fernrigg (12), Glastonbury (12), Rothwell (11) and Torryburn (10).
*Baramul Stud is owned by Gerry Harvey, principal also of the Westbury Stud at Karaka, NZ. Westbury has 18 lots in the Gold Coast catalogue including 12 got in the Hunter Valley.
Other NSW vendors offering yearlings by Hunter Valley sires include Lime Country Thoroughbreds (17), Milburn Creek (17), Corumbene (15), Edinburgh Park (14), Twin Hills (I3) and Bowness (10),
The Hunter sires with the biggest representations include top proven winner getters I Am Invincible (53), Snitzel (52), Sebring (46), Not a Single Doubt (38), Zoustar (32), Exceed and Excel (30), Fastnet Rock (28), Hinchinbrook (25), Pierro (25), Deep Field (21), Your Song (20), Star Witness (19),No Nay Never (USA) (17), Choisir (16), Medaglia d’Oro (USA) (15), More Than Ready (USA) (17), Dundeel (13), Rubbick (13), So You Think (13) and Nicconi (10).
The quality of the Hunter Valley representation gets a lift with first crop yearlings by American Pharoah (USA) (Triple Crown winner; 27 lots), Capitalist (Written Tycoon; Golden Slipper, Magic Millions 2YO Classic, 45), Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit); dual G1 2yo winner, 31), Astern (Medaglia d’Oro (USA); Golden Rose winner; 23), Flying Artie (Artie Schiller (USA); Coolmore Stud S, placed Blue Diamond, Golden Slipper; 21), Winning Rupert (Written Tycoon; 5 in succession at 2; 18), Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero (Jpn ); 6 G1 wins, 17), Extreme Choice (Not a Single Doubt; Blue Diamond, AJ Moir; 16), Star Turn (Star Witness; won Schillaci, San Domenico; 15), Divine Prophet (Choisir; Caulfield Guineas; 12) and Mikki Isle (Jpn) (Deep Impact (Jpn); dual G1 winner, 10).
First crop yearlings by American Pharoah (USA) (Triple Crown winner; 27 lots),
