The widespread popularity of Darley’s pre-eminent Australian stallion Exceed And Excel was again endorsed by a string of high-profile purchases on day two of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in Queensland.
Exceed And Excel led the Darley team for the second day running, thanks largely to the timely offering of a colt from Academy Idol, whose two-year-old Epaulette filly Meryl scored her first Group win earlier this month and is one of the leading contenders for Saturday’s $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
Sun Bloodstock made the successful bid of $500,000 for the colt, who was offered by Riversdale.
A further three Exceed And Excel yearlings sold for more than $250,000 on day two, with his filly from the Street Cry mare Street Groove the next best at $400,000, with successful bidder Andrew Williams describing her as “my idea of a perfect filly”.
”She really is exceptional, everything in the right place, everything about her is just right,” Williams said.
“I’m really looking forward to watching her develop over the next 12 months.”
Street Groove is a half-sister to winners General Groove and Top Me Up, and is from the family of G2 Concorde Stakes winner Taikun and Listed winner Super Groove.
The second day of the sale also brought other stallions from Darley’s Australian roster into the limelight with Lonhro, Dawn Approach, Denman and freshman Shooting To Win all attracting strong interest.
The first Lonhro yearling to be offered at the sale, a filly from the Shamardal mare Song Street, fetched $450,000, selling to Graham and Linda Huddy, who paid $400,000 for an Exceed And Excel-River Dove filly on day one.
Song Street is closely related to G1 Golden Slipper winner Pierro (Lonhro) and Godolphin’s G2 winner Ambience (Street Cry).
Godolphin were also in action with the purchase of a colt by Dawn Approach from the Exceed And Excel mare Very Discreet, four-time Listed winner and the dam of three winners from three foals to race to date.
Racing and Bloodstock manager Jason Walsh made the final bid of $450,00 for the colt from the Mill Park Stud draft.
The first Denman yearling of the sale, a colt from Unswerving and from the family of recent Perth Stakes winner Gatting, went to the Hong Kong-based Upper Bloodstock for $220,000, while freshmen Shooting To Win and Brazen Beau achieved their best results of the sale so far.
Shooting To Win’s top lot was a filly from the Stratum mare Witless, herself a three-quarter sister to G1 Golden Slipper winner Crystal Lily and a half-sister to recent Melbourne Stakes winner Crystal Dreamer.
Bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster went to $260,000 for the filly consigned by Yarraman Park.
Brazen Beau had his best result of the sale so far, when his Tahnee Tango filly sold to Sun Stud for $200,000.
