Gai Waterhouse, Aquis, in joint buy of Golden Slipper winner Sebring’s bro at Magic Millions, Gold Coast
THE first lady of Australian horse racing’s $1.3 million splurge on a single “sexy” buy at the Magic Millions was one of three seven-figure deals lighting up yesterday’s sales.
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THE first lady of Australian horse racing’s $1.3 million splurge on a single “sexy” buy at the Gold Coast’s Magic Millions was one of three seven-figure deals lighting up yesterday’s sales.
Top trainer Gai Waterhouse, bidding from under her trademark bright red hat, secured day two’s prized lot at the yearling sales, later saying the colt had “oomph factor and a sex appeal about him”.
“They have to sort of affect me like that,” she said of the purchase which is a brother to Sebring, her winner of the prestigious Golden Slipper in 2008.
Co-owners include colourful former Magic Millions owner John Singleton and the Gold Coast-based Aquis Farm of Justin Fung, one of the big spenders of the 2017 sale so far.
The son of Hong Kong development tycoon Tony Fung and his Aquis Farm spent $2.3m on yearlings on the first day followed by more than $3.2m in joint yearling purchases yesterday.
He was involved in a $650,000 buy minutes before the successful joint $1.3m bid with Ms Waterhouse but didn’t hesitate when the bidding soared past $1m.
“You don’t get the opportunity to buy a horse like that too often and to do it with someone like Gai who has such a great history, it’s hard to say no,” he said.
“Gai and us have gone in on a few already,” Justin said.
“I love the way she operates and every time she shows confidence in a horse I go ‘Okay yeah, let’s do something’.”
Despite decades in the game, Ms Waterhouse said such an auction deal was still “very thrilling I can tell you”.
The horse was off George Altomonte’s NSW Corumbene Stud in the Hunter Valley, where Ms Waterhouse has a strong track record.
“I’ve had two Golden Slippers off that farm so this could be the third,” she said.
“I saw him in the paddock and I said ‘George, I’m not leaving the sale without him’. He’s your next Golden Slipper. He’s a magical horse. This is the magical sale.”
Aquis later sold a colt for a cool million, bought by Bahen Bloodstock’s Justin Bahen for his visiting Hong Kong client Little Hung who has been an active buyer.
Aquis Farm at Canungra has also now sold all 10 lots it has put up for a total of $2.53m.
The other seven-figure deal on a day that saw the average price surge to a record high of $205,723, was $1.1 million for a colt of champion racer Snitzel.
It was bought by top trainer Chris Waller in conjunction with Mulcaster Bloodstock who selected Winx at the 2013 sales which has since gone on to become arguably Australia’s greatest horse.
Magic Millions managing director Vin Cox said the three big deals were a thrill for the sale but he expected the $1.3m mark could be eclipsed with three days still to come.
“I would be fairly confident we will.
“I thought that particular horse would sell very well. I thought he may have made seven figures but I wasn’t expecting it by any stretch.
“We had a fantastic start but today it really just took off. All the numbers and indicators are telling us it is a very good sale.”
Magic Millions first timer and member of Qatar ruling family Sheik Fahad Al-Thani has been in on the action, with his Qatar Bloodstock involved in a syndicate making several six-figure buys.
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