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Horse racing is much more than an excuse for gambling. It is a love for the beauty, grace and speed of the horse. It can also be an intellectual battle of examining competing facts and trying to formulate the future from results of the past. In some ways it is an investigation, as performed by an eager detective. And in other ways it can be the thrill of a crossword puzzle, with multiple possible responses, but ultimately only one correct answer. I have been involved with horse racing in both practical and intellectual ways. My passion for the theatre of the racetrack saw me leave school at fifteen and spend early mornings immersed in the sweat, smells, and sting of preparing horses for racing. Later I would come to research bloodlines and work in the multi-million dollar world of thoroughbred breeding and sales. Horse racing has many facets. It does not sit in isolation in the world. It is something we should explore in detail and in depth. For more than ten years I have provided speedrating information to the racing industry and public through my company: Speedratings (www.speedratings.com.au).

She Will Be Loved

June 7th 2008 09:46
Why would you buy a colt?

The top ten mares at this month’s Magic Million Sales grossed $10.9 million. The standout and most expensive was the brilliant race mare Divine Madonna. Her racetrack exploits are well documented and she retired with a Speedrating commensurate with the $2.7 million dollars that it took to purchase her. Considering that she won over $2.01 million, the $82,500 purchase figure at the 2004 Adelaide Magic Millions now appears very (very!) cheap.

Divine Madonna in full flight
Divine Madonna in full flight



(photo: Darren McNamara)

Before this sale the previous record for a mare was the $1.6 million paid for Surrealist, the dam of Racing To Win.

She Will Be Loved fetched $2.4 million (also eclipsing the old record figure). A talented mare with a restricted racing career that included a victory at Group two in the VRC Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m). No doubt potential bidders on her foals will be reminded that she defeated Miss Finland on that occasion. She is in foal to Redoute’s Choice and the figure of $2.4 million is testament to the process of value adding. She was sold as a yearling for $110,000 at the 2005 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale - then followed a racing career that produced black type - to be sold for $1.15 million at the 2007 Inglis Broodmare Sale - and finally to be served by Redoute’s Choice and offered in foal. Value adding.


Another sale of great interest is the $1 million paid for the Rock Of Gibraltar filly, Musidora. She is a Group Three winner of the VRC Vanity (1400m) defeating Pleasantsundaygirl and Zarita, and the new owners will return her to trainer David Hayes to race through the Melbourne Spring. Her female family features champion Australian sires Encosta de Lago and Flying Spur.


Other mares of interest sold through this Magic Million sale:

Shalt Not, sold for $1.05 million and in foal to Testa Rossa.
Volted In, sold for $920,000 and is in foal to Rock Of Gibraltar.
Zagalia, sold for $875,000 and not in foal.

It has been announced that Gold Edition will be served by More Than Ready in her debut stud season this year. After much research and analysis, considering both Encosta De Lago and Hussonet as serious options, it was decided that they would look to repeat the success of the More Than Ready - Danehill cross, which has already produced Group One winners Benicio, Perfectly Ready, and Sebring (Danehill being the grandam of Sebring’s dam, Purespeed).

Occasionally a colt (if breeding suggests, and racing as an entire is possible) will turn into that multi million pot of gold. Sebring was sold for $130,000, has won already nearly $2.5 million, and has been sold to Widden Stud for (a reputed) $30 million. But all in all, if taking percentages and long term investment into account, a purchase of a filly seems the wise option. Take for instance the situation with Shalt Not (sold for $1.05 million). Twelve months earlier she would have been worth a mere fraction of that, but thanks to producing outstanding filly Amelia’s Dream, her value has skyrocketed. Amelia’s Dream, by Redoute’s Choice, sold for $250,000, which was well under his average at the sale. Value can be added to a mare by any number of emerging close relations (one or two removes on the pedigree page) producing black type.

A video of More Than Ready showing his explosive sprint:



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