Zougotcha the Standout at National Broodmare Sale
A series of bullish results in Thoroughbred sales at home and abroad this year have industry participants bracing for more records to fall at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale that starts on May 27 at the Gold Coast.
With a more condensed catalog—486 mares will be offered over two days, compared with 596 over three days last year—and with younger mares plentiful, the level of quality at the sale is widely regarded as higher than ever before.
And while the 2024 edition left watchers stunned as Yulong paid a Southern Hemisphere record $6.6 million for Imperatriz , some are tipping that mark may be eclipsed this time around.
If the record falls, it will most likely to be achieved by Zougotcha, the triple group 1-winning 5-year-old by the stallion who this season confirming himself as the nation’s new pre-eminent sire, Zoustar .
But not too far behind will be another triple top tier heroine offered by trainer Chris Waller in Atishu, whose nine-time New Zealand champion sire is now proving himself just as adept as a broodmare sire, ranking second on that table in New Zealand at present, after finishing third last term.
With 12 group 1 winners to be offered at the Gold Coast—including eight straight off the track—and more than 150 stakes-performed mares and fillies cataloged, many key figures are bracing for fireworks over the next two days.
Yarraman Park’s Harry Mitchell, whose farm has 28 mares at the sale, said foot traffic on Monday pointed to another robust auction.
“I think the top end will be very strong, with people wanting to buy the very best,” Mitchell said. “The nice quality stock will sell very well, and there’s a lot of people here who want that sort of thing.
“At the very top end, there’s about four people who get involved there, but they’re all here, so it’s going to be good.”
With Yulong’s Zhang Yuesheng and Coolmore’s Tom Magnier among those heavy hitters, Mitchell is expecting Imperatriz’s record to at least come under pressure when Zougotcha enters the ring as Lot 503, around mid-afternoon on Tuesday.
“She looks like the sale-topper. Whether she makes as much as Imperatriz, I don’t know. I would’ve thought not quite but pretty close,” he said. “But it depends on how keen they are to buy her. There’ll definitely be some big players on her.”
Also among off-the-track group 1 winners to be offered are Campionessa , Climbing Star, Belclare, Lady Laguna and Socks Nation.
There’s also recent South Australian Derby (G1) victor Femminile, who’s on the fourth line of betting for Saturday’s Queensland Derby (G1).
Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch is confident the auction will “again be Australia’s biggest and most commercial sale of its kind.”
“We’ve got 12 group 1 winners, eight group 1 winners off the track, and the benchmark mare for the year in Zougotcha, so I’m very confident this a very, very good catalog,” Bowditch said.
Selling starts on Tuesday at midday, and on Wednesday at 10 a.m.
