Yulong won the battle for two banner lots of this year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, splurging $7.1 million on elite-level performers Tofane and Away Game on Tuesday.
The powerful Victorian farm paid $3.1 million for four-time Group 1 winner Tofane early in the session before forking out $4 million for Away Game just over an hour later.
The figure for Away Game was the fourth highest price paid for a mare in Australasia, and the most by someone other than Coolmore, while Tofane was the eighth highest.
The record is the $5 million paid for Milanova at Inglis in 2008.
Away Game, a five-year-old daughter of Snitzel, went through as a winner of five of her 23 starts, having also finished second runner-up in three Group 1 races, including the Golden Slipper, and Yulong chief operating officer Sam Fairgray said they knew she was going to be expensive.
“We’ve seen the market is so strong on these fillies that have been dominant, especially with two-year-old form (like hers),” Fairgray said.
“She’s a beautifully filly and if she leaves progeny looking like herself she’ll definitely do well in the sale ring (as a broodmare).”
Away Game will get the chance to add a maiden Group 1 win to her CV in this Saturday’s $700,000 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm before a swansong in either the Stradbroke Handicap or Tatt’s Tiara ahead of a date with Written Tycoon this breeding season.
The purchase strengthened Yulong’s link with Away Game’s family, having paid $375,000 for Pippa Charlotte (Not A Single Doubt), another daughter of Elusive Wonder, at last year’s National Broodmare Sale.
“We bought her three-quarter sister last year, so we’re going to hope to build the family,” Fairgray said.
Yulong also has a connection with Tofane, having recruited the Mike Moroney-trained mare to run in their slot in the 2020 The Everest.
“Mr Zhang has really liked her for a few years and we’ve spoken to Rupert Legh on several occasions trying to buy her, so it’s great to finally get her,” Fairgray said.
Tofane, a six-year-old daughter of Ocean Park and the Galileo mare Baggy Green, who is also the dam of this year’s Australian Derby runner-up Benaud, has won eight of 30 starts including the Stradbroke Handicap, All Aged Stakes, C.F. Orr Stakes and Tatt’s Tiara at Group 1 level.
She is also likely to be sent to Yulong’s headline stallion Written Tycoon but perhaps not until next year.
“She’s no certainty to go to stud this year, we’ll just see how things unfold,” Fairgray said.
“She’s showed in the last year that she’s getting better as she gets older so if she’s still got that interest in racing then we may race her on.”
