In Brief
- 2025 MM sale just over a week away.
- 126 lots in the calendar.
- Last year's sale a solid basis for comparison.
Known as the sale that punches above its weight division, the 24/25 Ladbrokes Summer Racing Festival has served as a timely reminder of the quality produced from the Tasmanian Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
Stakes winners Zany Girl (Needs Further x Isn’t Life Strange) and Likeakalix (Calyx x Like A Song) are recent examples of Tasmanian Magic Millions graduates as this year’s sale on Monday, 24 February at Quercus Park, Carrick approaches.
126 yearlings, by over 50 individual sires, have been catalogued for 2025, a decrease from the 140 in 2024, which achieved a clearance rate of 69.77%.
Last year’s sale was classified as “challenging”, and Tasbreeders President David Whishaw is hopeful rather than confident of an upswing in 2025.
“I think if we can get results similar to last year, we’d be happy,” Whishaw said.
“Inflation, cost of living, interest rates have all put pressure on the hip pocket of buyers, and as we saw last year, this has an impact on the Yearling Sale market.”
The exploits of stallions such as Wordsmith, Needs Further, Stratosphere and Alpine Eagle are well-established on the Apple Isle, but this year’s sale includes eight first-time sires.
A lot about to go under the hammer during the 2024 MM Sale.
“St Mark’s Basilica’s have sold very well on the Gold Coast; he’s a gorgeous looking horse that stands up at Coolmore. I think he’ll throw some classic-style horses, and the stock by him will certainly attract some interest. Acrobat’s another Coolmore horse that’s impeccably bred.
“It’s great to see the first crop of Quick Thinkers offered this year. Motree Thoroughbreds have done a terrific job breeding a lot of winners not only in Tasmania but around Australia,” said Whishaw.
The 2020 ATC Derby winner, Quick Thinker, has six yearlings in the catalogue this year after fertility issues in his first year at stud.
Also, the Directing Manager at Armidale Stud, David Whishaw’s team, has 24 yearlings in the 2025 catalogue, with strong expectations after producing last year’s sale topper. A Needs Further x Arenzano colt went for $145,000 to Star Thoroughbreds and Randwick Bloodstock Agency.
“Last year’s sale topper is a full brother to Durazzo, and we’ve seen what he’s done,” said Whishaw.
“We know there will be another Durazzo, or Likeakalix or Zany Girl in the draft because there is every year. We’re blessed to have a brilliant breeding ground that keeps producing Stakes horses year on year.”
The Tasbred bonus scheme in Tasmanian racing offers a brilliant incentive for local trainers to invest annually. Over $1.2 million was paid out in bonuses last racing season, benefiting 31 individual breeders. This year, 89 of the 126 lots are Tasbred.
“The Tasmanian sale always attracts significant mainland interest, and we’ve probably seen it trend more that way in the last decade,” said Whishaw.
“We saw a local trainer such as Jessie Bazan invest at the sale last year, and she reaped the rewards recently with the two placegetters in the Strutt Stakes (Silver Dagger and Snow Eagle).
This year, the traditional Tasmanian Oaks meeting has been moved from Sunday afternoon to Friday night (21 February), creating some clear air before the Magic Millions Sale. Inspections will commence at Quercus Park on Saturday, 22 February.