The triple Group One winner could visit exciting freshman sire Merchant Navy after she was purchased outright by original part owners Colin and Janice McKenna of Warrnambool.
Offered by Ciaron Maher Racing with her proud trainer watching her go under the hammer, Jameka was the headline act and McKenna said he was delighted to be able to secure his all time favourite galloper for her breeding career.
“She’s been very good to us,” McKenna said. “She won nearly $5 million so I don’t think it was a big outlay.”
“We expected her to make somewhere between $2.5 million and $3 million – that’s what I thought anyway – I’m very happy and the wife really wanted her back.”
“We love these horses and they are our lives and Jameka was a pretty big part of that. She won the Caulfield Cup but I think her best win was the BMW at weight-for-age – there’s not too many mares that can flog the colts and geldings.”
“She will go to a nice stallion and we’ll see what happens from there,” McKenna added.
Last year the McKennas sold their former star gallopers Gregers and Petits Filous for seven figure prices at the National Broodmare Sale.
The second top seller of the day was the former explosive group winning race filly Omei Sword. The well related daughter of High Chaparral sold for $1.7 million to Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock and Freyer Bloodstock.
Hawthorne and Freyer will be hoping for the same future success they achieved when they teamed up to buy The Broken Shore from the National Broodmare Sale – she was carrying the current Group One star Shoals at the time.
“We thought she would be well sought after and we’d have to stump up to get her,” Hawthorne pointed out.
“She went for a little bit higher than we thought originally but when you’re chasing these big mares you’ve got to pay because everyone wants them.”
“She will go straight to stud,” Hawthorne added. “She will go to the Northern Hemisphere and then we’ll sit down and work out her future from there.”
Popular Melbourne sprinting mare Silent Sedition was another big seller during the afternoon with Japanese breeder Katsumi Yoshida purchasing her for $1.5 million.
Baystone Farm offered the William Reid Stakes winner on behalf of owners including Tom Curnow – the connections who purchased her originally from the Perth Yearling Sale for just $45,000.
“I’m absolutely happy with it,” former owner Tom Curnow said. “She’s been a wonderful horse for us.”
“I must give great credit to Andrew Noblet, the trainer. He’s been sensational in the way he’s looked after her during her entire career,” Curnow added.
Earlier in the day Abbey Marie became the first seven figure seller of the sale when she was sold for $1.4 million after being offered by Segenhoe Stud Australia.
As was the case with Omei Sword the winning bidder was the partnership of Dean Hawthorne and Jon Freyer.
“We thought she was the filly of the day,” Hawthorne said. “She has so much quality.”
“She has a great pedigree. She’s a good, tough sound mare. She just oozed class. She’s a cracker.”
All up today with just the race fillies and maiden mares and a select group of stallion shares and lifetime breeding rights on offer the gross was over $31.7 million with a healthy average price of over $166,000. The clearance rate was over 85 per cent which was a great indicator of a healthy market.
“It was a sensational day’s trade,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said.
“With Jameka going in we said she was the star act. She’s a quality mare and for her to make $2.6 million was a great result for all and I’m thrilled for Colin McKenna who’s had such a great affinity with her, was able to buy the rest of the syndicate out.”
“All in all we’re really pleased with the day’s proceedings and hopefully onwards and upwards over the next few days,” Bowditch added.
“We have some great offerings tomorrow and Heatherly is expected to be one of the stars – above all that we’re looking for solid trade and we want all the vendors who have supported us to get a win.”
Day Two of the National Broodmare Sale will commence at 10am (AEST) on Wednesday with the first offerings of mares who’ve been to stud.
To view a video of today’s proceedings on the Gold Coast click here. And to view the complete results and to make an offer on a passed in lot click here.
DAY ONE STATISTICS
(New format in 2018)
Lots Catalogued: 257
Lots Sold: 190
Lots Passed In: 33
Lots Withdrawn: 34
Top Price: $2,600,000
Average Price: $166,987
Sale Gross: $31,727,500
Median Price: $51,000
Sold %: 85.2
DAY ONE TOP SELLERS
$2,600,000 – Jameka (Lot 1606)
Vendor: Ciaron Maher Racing (As Agent) / Buyer: Halo Racing Services Pty Ltd (Vic)
$1,700,000 – Omei Sword (Lot 747)
Newgate Farm (As Agent) / Dean Hawthorne B’stock/Freyer B’stock (NZ)
$1,500,000 – Silent Sedition (Lot 784)
Baystone Farm (As Agent) / Katsumi Yoshida (Japan)
$1,400,000 – Abbey Marie (Lot 606)
Segenhoe Stud Australia (As Agent) / Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock/Freyer Bloodstock (NZ)
$950,000 – Notting Hill (Lot 743)
Coolmore Australia (As Agent) / Newgate Farm (NSW)
