2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale

Trainer Mark Kavanagh kicked off the 2015 yearling sales circuit with his annual visit to the Gold Coast Magic Millions last week.

The first yearling sale of the year, the Magic Millions is a highly anticipated event and this year boasted a catalogue of 912 yearlings.

Day one provided a highlight for the Kavanagh stable when the first yearling from former stable member Celebrity Girl topped proceedings. Mark Kavanagh purchased Celebrity Girl (Starcraft-Dashing Granada) for stable clients Trevor and Beth Robertson as a yearling in 2010 and trained the filly to win the VRC Cap D'Antibes Stakes and SAJC Redelva Classic. The Robertson's retained the hulking chestnut as a broodmare and sent her to a similarly powerful chestnut in Sepoy. The resultant foal, a filly, was consigned by Mill Park Stud and brought $850,000 at the auction, a (then) record for a first season sire at the sale. That was later eclipsed by a colt by Sepoy from Sister Madly who was sold for $1.2 million.

Just two lots prior a colt by Fastnet Rock from the former Kavanagh trained stakes winner Cat's Whisker brought $350,000 and three lots prior to that a So You Think colt from Cat's Whiskers stakes placed sister Cat's Pyjamas brought $200,000. It was exciting to see the progeny of the former stable members well sought after and a pleasing result for their owner breeders Trevor and Beth Robertson and Sam and Joy Jenkins respectively.

Mark Kavanagh himself didn't have to wait long to make the first of his five purchases, securing Lot 56, a colt by Canford Cliffs - champion miler in his native Great Britain and Ireland.

He then snared a filly by the recently deceased High Chaparral, the sire of the stable's recent Flemington and Moonee Valley winner Spanish Love and of course the sire of So You Think and It's A Dundeel (to name but two).

He was pleased to secure two fillies by the ill-fated Northern Meteor on day three - Lot 495 from the stakes placed Flying Spur mare Okaylah; and Lot 560 from the well-related Red Ransom mare Red Rapture. Northern Meteor proved a sensation with his first two crops to race producing Group One winners Zoustar, Cosmic Endeavour, Shooting To Win and Romatic Touch. These fillies are members of his last crop.

A colt by More Than Ready from the Group One winner Portland Singa rounded out the Gold Coast purchases for the stable.

The sale overall was considered a great success with a similar clearance rate to the previous year of 86% but an increase in average up $26,606 to $170,728.