Australasian bloodstock history is tipped to be made on the Gold Coast this week when star sprinting mare Imperatriz is offered for sale by Magic Millions.
The five-year-old daughter of I Am Invincible, a winner of 10 Group 1 races, is the star attraction of the first day of the National Broodmare Sale, which will be held from Tuesday to Thursday.
Imperatriz’s sale comes less than three weeks after She’s Extreme, a dual Group 1-winning daughter of Extreme Choice, sold for $3.4m at the Chairman’s Sale and has many confident she will top Milanova’s Australasian record of $5m, which has stood since 2008.
Three-time Group 1 winner Sunlight holds the National Broodmare Sale record, after going for $4.2m in 2020, and Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch feels privileged to have been given the honour of selling her.
“We’re probably in unchartered territory given she’s a champion, she’s one of the highest-rated mares in the world, she’s won 10 Group 1s, she’s physically beautiful and she’s got the pedigree,” Bowditch said.
“It’s cliched, but she ticks every box that any broodmare farm at an elite level anywhere in the world would want.”
American John Stewart, who was the underbidder on Winx’s yearling filly who sold for $10 million at Inglis last month, has vowed to go to $6m for Imperatriz with competition likely to come from Japan, Europe and a local market headlined by Yulong and Coolmore Australia.
Imperatriz will be offered in absentia after remaining at Te Akau Stud in New Zealand, which is where she returned after her unlucky fourth placing in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick on April 6.
“That was something we became accustomed to during covid, we did a lot of selling of horses that weren’t here on the grounds, so from that perspective it will be like any other auction just without her being here and we’ll create a great show,” Bowditch said.
Te Akau announced Imperatriz’s retirement after the T J Smith Stakes, but she is being offered as a racing and breeding prospect in the race fillies and mares session that also features Group 1 winners including Atishu, Chain Of Lightning, Madame Pommery and Ruthless Dame.
Following Tuesday’s race fillies and mares, the sale continues with two days of some of the world’s most valuable mares being offered in the broodmare section of the catalogue.
AUSTRALASIA’S HIGHEST-PRICED BROODMARES
$5,000,000 – Milanova (bought by Coolmore)
$4,200,000 – Sunlight (Tom Magnier)
$4,100,000 – Forbidden Love (Yulong)
$4,000,000 – Away Game (Yulong)
$3,900,000 – Sunshine In Paris (James Harron)
$3,850,000 – Samantha Miss (Magic Millions)
$3,800,000 – Avantage (Tom Magnier)
$3,600,000 – Nimalee (Coolmore)
