The first Western Australian crop of Kentucky-based sire War Chant made a splash on day one of the Magic Millions Perth yearling sale Feb. 18, with a filly sold for the day's highest price and three colts among the top 10.
Seven youngster's by War Chant sold for six figures on the day, including his session-topping daughter out of the stakes-winning Bletchingly mare Most Secret, who brought $250,000 ($225,825 in United States funds) from Ron Sayers' Yarradale Stud in Western Australia.
Overall, 20 horses by War Chant, who is based at the Clay family's Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, Ky., sold for an average price of $97,000 ($87,670), two or more sold. The 17-year-old son of Danzig shuttled to Western Australia for the first time in 2011 to stand the Southern Hemisphere season at Yarradale Stud. He returned to Three Chimneys in December ahead of the Northern Hemisphere breeding season.
Offered by Dawson Stud, the session-topper is a half sister to seven winners from as many starters out of Most Secret. Her siblings include 2005 Carlton Draught Railway Stakes (Aus-I) winner Covertly and stakes winners So Secret and Secret Link.
The filly's purchase marks the second consecutive year that a daughter of Most Secret topped the sale. Last year, her Lonhro filly made the highest price of $260,000 ($$267,956) to the bid of John Chalmers.
Thomas Loke of Singapore bought Alwyn Park's War Chant colt out of Admiring for $200,000 ($180,687), and David Raphael went to the same price for a Gold Front Thoroughbreds War Chant colt out of Innsbruck.
War Chant's son out of Metallic Storm sold to Boomer Bloodstock for $170,000 ($153,584) out of the Yarradale Stud consignment to also make the top 10.
Magic Millions Perth Manager David Houston was quick to point out that horses in the first local crop of War Chant were hot commodities during the day.
"The foresight of Yarradale Stud and Geisel Park Stud (whose owner Eddie Rigg partnered with Yarradale) to invest in a stallion of the profile of War Chant captured the imagination of the Western Australian Thoroughbred industry," he said.
Also breaking the six-figure mark on day one were a War Chant colt and filly; each sold for $110,000 ($99,418). The De Grey Park's colt out of Lady Mambo was bought by Dion Luciani, and Glen Harvey Bloodstock, Paul Moroney Bloodstock, and Dan Morton put down the same price for Yarradale Stud's filly out of Tai Haku.
The day's second highest price of $230,000 ($207,814) was for a filly by West Australian sire Oratorio out of 2008 West Australian Guineas (Aus-II) winner True Surrender bought by the partnership Harvey, Moroney, and trainer Adam Durant. The filly was offered by Mungrup Stud, which stands Oratorio, a son of Stravinsky.
"It has been a very good sale," Magic Millions managing director Vin Cox said at the close of the session.
Total receipts of $9,144,000 ($8,261,641) on 157 horses sold rose 21.2% from last year's opening session while the average price of $58,242 ($52,619) was up slightly at 1.1%. Median was unchanged at $45,000 ($40,655). The clearance rate climbed from 76% last year to 82%.
The Perth yearling sale continues Feb. 19 with the second and final session.
