10-time Group 1 winner Imperatriz sells for record $6.6 million at Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale

In a battle of two of Australia’s biggest studs, Yulong beat out the big-spending Coolmore for the 10-time Group 1 winner at the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast.

Imperatriz will go under the hammer.

Yulong has won out in a two-stud war to buy superstar mare Imperatriz, going to a record-breaking $6.6m to buy the Kiwi gun.

In a battle of two of Australia’s biggest studs, Yulong beat out the big-spending Coolmore for the 10-time Group 1 winner at the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast, with her new connections confirming she is likely to remain retired from racing.

With bidding opening at $4m, Yulong came out strongest, further stamping itself as one of the biggest players in global bloodstock.

Yulong’s Zhijun Zhao did the bidding online to secure the winning bid.

American billionaire, John Stewart, who vowed to pay up to $6 million for Imperatriz, did not make a bid.

The previous broodmare sale record in Australia was $5 million for Milanova back in 2008.

$6,600,000 for Imperatriz! 🧡💙@YulongInvest purchase the 10x Group 1 winning champion mare. @[e-mail]/kvQ3jM9mpA

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) May 28, 2024

After a spending spree which saw them buy three mares for almost $8m on the day, Coolmore Australia boss Tom Magnier said they simply could not go any higher than their $6.5m bid for Imperatriz.

“She is a mare with extraordinary racing ability, we were really, really keen to get here, but we have bought some high-priced mares today,” Magnier told Racenet.

“It’s great to come to the Gold Coast, we have had a lot of luck here buying horses but we ran into someone who was stronger than us.”

Yulong’s Australian-based boss Vin Cox said they were keen to buy Imperatriz after visiting her at her home of Te Akau in New Zealand a week earlier.

“Mr Zhao was bidding online, we did the inspections and went over to have a look at her last week,” Cox said.

“These are rare commodities. A 10-time Group 1 winner, they’re elite and they don’t give Group 1 races away at any level, in any country, in any jurisdiction.

“You know you had to dig deep coming here and I think she made well and truly enough money. Congratulations to Te Akau Racing and David and Karen.

“They bought her here on the Gold Coast, raced her in New Zealand and then proved her here in Australia. Full credit to them. We had to dig deep to get her.”

The sale marked another incredible chapter in Imperatriz’s story, who was bought at the Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale in 2020, for what now seems a pittance at $360,000.

She has already turned that $360,000 investment into more than $13.5 million for her plethora of owners, headlined by Te Akau principal David Ellis.

Coolmore continued their red-hot buying spree at the Magic Millions mares sale, beating their own sale-topping bid by purchasing three-year-old filly Platinum Jubilee for an eye watering $3.5m.

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The half-sister to Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot was subject to a three-way bidding war, which eventually saw Coolmore win out, with her new connections confirming she will be retired and serviced by Wotton Bassett at the upcoming breeding season.

“We identified her as one of the mares in the sale that we really wanted to get,” Coolmore’s Tom Moore said. “From our point of view, we are trying to breed stallions, she gives the opportunity to do that.”

Now retired Chris Waller-trained Thousand Guineas winner Madame Pommery, who only won two of her 18 starts and $867,000 prizemoney, was bought by Coolmore for $2.7 million.

TJ Smith Stakes winner Chain Of Lightning, who has won $2.7m prizemoney, was bought by Yulong Investments for $2.5 million.

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Despite having an open invite to Royal Ascot, a trip abroad for Chain Of Lightning seems unlikely with Cox hinting they are likely to target races in Australia while she is still in the peak of her career.

Confirming their position as one of the most dominant forces in the mares market, Cox said Yulong were keen to be a player in the Magic Millions mares sale.

“Without giving too much away, there are some nice mares here, we have been bidding on a few and we have been beaten on a few,” Cox said.

Chain Of Lightning wins the TJ Smith Stakes.

“I don’t know if we will be putting her on the plane to Europe at this stage, we will have a chat to Peter (Moody). There are some good options here in Australia as well.

“She’s arguably racing in as good a form as she’s ever run having won a TJ Smith, that is outstanding sprint form.”

Having run in the Doomben 10,000 earlier this month and already in Queensland, Cox said she could well hang around in Queensland for another Group 1 assignment.

“The obvious race for her is something like the (Tattersall’s) Tiara, but again, we will talk to Peter about that.”

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Earlier, Coolmore splashed more than $4m in the space of 10 minutes.

Within four lots, Coolmore struck on the Rosemont Stud-owned Legacies for $1.4m, before backing up moments later on Group 1 winner Madame Pommery with a $2.7m bid.

It marks the end of a fairytale story for the connections of Madame Pommery, who was purchased for $150,000 and owned by a ladies syndicate, before going on to win the Group 1 Thousand Guineas for trainer Chris Waller.

Madame Pommery wins the Thousand Guineas in 2022.

She will be retired and return to Coolmore, where she was originally bred.

“I couldn’t watch, I haven’t been able to watch her for about half an hour. It got really exciting,” former part owner Sophie Baker said while holding back tears.

“It’s just great she’s going to Coolmore, where she was born, she’ll breed and we can go and see her babies there.”

After running 12th in the Group 3 BRC Sprint at Doomben on Saturday, Legacies could be set to head to the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara next month for her new owners.

“We’ll discuss with her trainer. Obviously there are races like the Tatt’s Tiara and other races beckoning but that is what everybody says of everything that goes through the sale ring,” Coolmore’s James Bester said.

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Blazer Stakes winner Life Lessons was bought by Yulong for $1 million.

Imperatriz was tipped to break the record for the most expensive broodmare sold in Australia.

“There is no doubt Imperatriz will attract global interest and will be the headline act of the auction calendar internationally,” Ellis said last month.

American business tycoon John Stewart, who was the underbidder on the $10 million Pierro-Winx yearling filly, declared he would go up to $6 million to buy Imperatriz.

“She fits right in to what I am looking for,” Stewart told Racenet earlier this month.

“She is on our list and there are a few more at that Magic Millions sale we are looking for.

“I think she goes for between $5m and $6m … $6m probably buys her and I would be willing to pay that for her.

Originally published as 10-time Group 1 winner Imperatriz sells for record $6.6 million at Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale