Magic Millions concluded its two-day Horses in Training Sale on the Gold Coast yesterday, with officials declaring the auction, held under the spectre of the equine influenza outbreak, a resounding success.
The sale produced a record average of A$38,508 and an impressive clearance rate of 86.5 percent. A colt by Giant’s Causeway attracted the highest bid during yesterday’s second and final session of the sale. The two-year-old, consigned by Oakwood Farm, agent, is out of Marigot Bay (Ire) (Fairy King). He was purchased for A$220,000 by World Wide Bloodstock, as agent for Patrick Shaw.
“He’s a lovely colt with a stallion pedigree,” Shaw said. “And, at A$220,000, I think he’s a bargain.” Macau trainer Gary Moore, buying through his NSW-based bloodstock agent John Hutchinson, purchased two six-figure juveniles, including the fastest breeze-up performer, a colt by Cather in the Rye (Ire) for A$140,000.
At the close of business, Magic Millions Managing Director David Chester expressed his satisfaction with the sale. “This sale has helped restore great confidence in the Australian Thoroughbred industry at a tough time,” Chester said. “Many people thought this sale was going to be a disaster. But looking back on the past two days, it’s been a stunning success.”
Extract from TDN 29.11.07
Thursday, April 24, 2008 
Von Costa De Hero (stallion.com.au)Of interest from a pedigree perspective is the ongoing success of the Northern Dancer/Northern Dancer cross revealed in the pedigree of the short-head runner up, VON COSTA DE HERO. His sire ENCOSTA DE LAGO is a grandson (by SADLERS WELLS own brother, FAIRY KING), while his dam is by SCENIC, a son of SADLERS WELLS. No doubt a mating decided on type while ignoring the conventional “bans of marriage” which would ordinarily have frowned on such intensive (or incestuous) inbreeding.