$997K mare tops sale day

Shalt Not, the dam of Australian Group 2 winner Amelia's Dream, fetched the session-topping bid of about $997,500 Tuesday at the Magic Millions national broodmare sale on Australia's Gold Coast.

Sir Patrick Hogan's Cambridge Stud of New Zealand made the purchase from Yarraman Park Stud. Cambridge Stud manager Marcus Corban signed the ticket for the mare.

Shalt Not, a stakes-winning 11-year-old daughter of St Covet, sold in foal to Testa Rossa.

The day's second-highest-priced purchase was Musidora, a 3-year-old Group 3 winner previously owned by a partnership managed by Mrs. John Magnier. Sold without reserve to dissolve the partnership, the Rock of Gibraltar filly brought about $950,000 from agent Mark Pilkington. Pilkington said she would return to training with David Hayes.

"We will offer her to her former owners, but we have a number of stable clients who would love to be members of a new syndicate," Pilkington said.

Through Tuesday's session, the second of five for the broodmare portion of the national sales, the auction so far has sold 265 mares for about $20,890,025, resulting in an average price of about $78,830. The cumulative buy-back rate was 27 percent.

Wednesday's third session gained an important late entrant Tuesday with the retirement of Australian Group 1 winner La Montagna. A 5-year-old Monashee Mountain mare, she was scheduled to sell at the end of the Wednesday session.