$140K FOR MAGNUS MATE

Magnus has come out of the gates full tilt with Miss Rangoon – in foal to the Group One winning sprinter – selling for $140,000 on day one of the Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale.

Retiring to stud last spring, Magnus was supported with a large of outstanding mares, keen to tap into the talented son Flying Spur, who won The Galaxy-G1 and placed in nine other Group One events in Australia and overseas.

The well bred Miss Rangoon was considered a worthy mate and that’s how it played out on the Coast with NSW’s Rothwell Thoroughbreds eventually securing the Giant’s Causeway mare.

All of which makes Magnus’ 2009 fee of $22,500 – down from $27,500 last season – even more attractive and the steady stream of bookings is likely to gain momentum during the next week.

Eliza Park not only had the opportunity to present the mare at sale, family patriarch Jim Fleming purchased the mare as a yearling at Keeneland in 2005.

A half sister to Group winner and multiple Group One placed, Spring Meadow, Miss Rangoon boasts a terrific North American black type family.

Going through the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Miss Rangoon was purchased on behalf of Jim Fleming, but despite showing considerable promise on the training track, she was unraced and despatched to stud in 2007.

Jim – whose Tyreel Stud sold three six figure yearlings at the 2007 Australian Easter and five the following year – was hardly perturbed though.

On the same day he purchased Miss Rangoon, he had sold a Storm Cat yearling for $US3.8 million to Demi O’Byrne.

One of the all time greats.