Magic Millions Gold Coast: US tycoon Jon Kelly splurges $2m on colt

A VISITING Californian tycoon and longtime Magic Millions bloodstock sale fan has shelled out an eye-watering $2 million for a horse at the Gold Coast sale this afternoon.

A VISITING Californian tycoon and longtime Magic Millions bloodstock sale fan has shelled out an eye-watering $2 million for a horse at the Gold Coast sale this afternoon.

Former TV executive Jon Kelly followed up his $2m in shared buys yesterday by splashing out today on lot 373, a colt sired by I Am Invincible.

The horse that sold for $2million at the Magic Millions with new owners and trainer Gai Waterhouse (back centre). Picture by Luke Marsden.

He told the Bulletin his successful $2m bid went a tad over what he’d planned to pay: “Yeah, about half a mill I suppose.

“He ticked all the boxes. The only box he ticked a little too hard was the price,” the 81-year-old Mr Kelly said.

John Kelly with the horse he bought for $2m at the Magic Millions. Pictuer by Luke Marsden.

It is by far the biggest price of the 2018 auction so far, with the average price paid for yearlings well past the $200,000 mark.

Mr Kelly said he would entrust the training of the Colt to Australian training identity Gai Waterhouse.

An auctioneer gets animated as a horse sells for $2m at the Magic Millions. Picture by Luke Marsden.

Mr Kelly’s wife Sarah said the auction bidding on her husband’s $2m buy

was a lot of fun and very exciting.

Asked if they paid more than she would have liked, she said: “We did.

“So now it’s on his shoulders but Gai is quite good at what she does.

“But we have been disappointed with horses before so if that happens we’ll just have to live with it. But I don’t think he is going to let us down.”

Gai Waterhouse will train the horse that sold for $2millon at the Magic Millions sales. Picture by Luke Marsden.

Magic Millions managing director Vin Cox said $2m was the highest price for a yearling sold in his time at the annual Gold Coast January auction.