Gold Coast Magic Millions: Rarely a dull moment for James Dawson, bid spotter

JAMES Dawson’s been a bloodstock consultant with the Magic Millions for eight years and plays a key role as bid spotter during the annual yearling sale when there is very rarely a dull moment.

Bid spotter James Dawson. Picture Mike Batterham

JAMES Dawson’s been a bloodstock consultant with the Magic Millions for eight years and plays a key role as bid spotter during the annual yearling sale when there is very rarely a dull moment.

COAST WEEKEND: How did you get into the game?

JAMES DAWSON: I started working for a company in Kentucky called Keeneland Sales Association. I went to America and got an internship with Keeneland. I did want to get into sales and thought if I make myself more experienced I’d be more employable to one of these sales companies down here. It’s an association of the breeders of Kentucky, they have a racetrack attached to their sales company as well and every bit of commission they get goes straight back into prizemoney so it’s not that different to the Magic Millions.

CW: How did the Magic Millions role come up and what’s involved?

JD: I applied for a job here in 2008 and got straight in. I became a stock consultant and you are a scout for these yearlings for the sale and that’s the work you do early part of spring and once they are catalogued you have to get the buyers as well.

CW: You have a good relationship with legendary trainer Gai Waterhouse. What’s she like come bidding time?

JD: She’s so dynamic — she can be having a conversation with one or two other people about anything and then she will start bidding out of the blue. Other people when they are about to bid, you can see a change in them before — they get a bit organised or put a bit of a game face on. The thing I look for is eye contact and they know to bid to the bid spotter not the auctioneer. It’s incredible with Gai how she can be doing that, have conversations, but know exactly what is going on in front of her. She will be talking away and next minute she will be bidding and you are thinking ‘Where did that come from?’ She has a great team around her too and assistants as well. She is very dynamic in what she does but she has people around her organising her catalogue for her, going and getting an owner to have a chat too.

Sparkling Ladies and Gents Magic Millions lunch

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CW: Is there a bit of a pre-sale team talk with the auctioneers?

JD: It’s my job to get the buyers to bid. We have a big meeting about it on Wednesday morning before the auction starts, between bid spotters and auctioneers. The bid spotter’s job is to get the extra bid and the auctioneer’s job is to get the extra bid. If you can get an extra five or 10 grand for the vendor, that is golden. Someone might be out at $220,000 and someone else has gone $230,000 but I’m still trying and you might get it. You might get someone putting up a bid that’s a bit more than they were willing to spend. Then the other bidder might go $250,000 and they are out but you have got an extra $10,000 or $20,000 for the vendor.

Moët & Chandon Magic Millions launch party

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CW: Must be a dynamic five days.

JD: There is all the excitement and you are trying every trick you have got to get them to bid again, whether it’s opening your hand up or saying ‘You are going to miss it’ or ‘Don’t run second’ or whatever it is, you know, there are a couple of little subtleties you can try but it is a long sale too so you don’t want to get people sick of you. You have to play the game a bit. You don’t want to be boring and you don’t want to be at them all the time either because it gets aggravating over five days. It’s a bit of a business relationship down there, you have to work together for five days.

CW: Must be a good buzz when there is a bidding war for a top lot.

JD: It’s great. The room might go silent and there might be 500 people in there — everyone stops and watches so if you are looking for eye contact it can be quite hard to see who is bidding. When things are going for a million or over, very few play that level and you give it a bit of a lift and create a bit of atmosphere because you might get another $100,000. Buyers have adrenaline running through them as well because they might be buying a horse that is going to change their address.

CW: You want to get into ownership of horses and have a crack yourself?

JD: Yeah, I do own horses. If you work in this industry you have got a dream — and it doesn’t matter if you are a sultan or a strapper or you might work at a racing club, everyone has a massive interest in the industry. You see people having success and you are drawn to that success and want to be successful too. I do own a racehorse but don’t have anything racing (today) but there is always next year.

CW: Do you enjoy bid spotting?

JD: It’s really hard work. I wouldn’t say it’s nerve racking — you are in control at the end of the day. But it is hard work. It’s a bit like driving 10 hours a day for 10 days straight. But anyone can do bid spotting, if you are focused and can yell, you can be a bid spotter.

CW: I’m sure that is not true.

JD: No it is true. Anyone can do it — you just have to be driven.

CW: The Gold Coast’s Magic Millions yearling sales and associated carnival are pretty unique as far as bloodstock auctions go.

JD: There are a few unique selling points of Magic Millions for which we are very lucky. One is the Gold Coast. One is the $10 million race day, that’s unique to Magic Millions and we have ringside dining. No other sales company in the world probably has 1000 people sitting at round tables, having lunch, having a couple of drinks and bidding on horses. It’s such a special thing for trainers to do with their owners. Other auctions you’re in a grandstand or theatre setting and there is lack of atmosphere, very formal, not as invigorating. It is a pretty exciting industry. When you see $10 million is going to be spent at the race day and given to owners it’s fairly encouraging for people to think ‘I can do this’. It’s actually not that difficult — you buy a horse, find a trainer and you’re away.

CW: How much has China’s interest affected it?

JD: Massively. We have China Horse Club, Aquis, Hong Kong Jockey Club have always bought a lot horses at the sale. It is great they are investing in the industry but also that they are leaving the horses here and racing and training the horses here. That’s real value when you are seen to be supporting other businesses here. It’s not just ‘I’m here for a week and off’.