Redoute’s Choice colts sell high at Magic Millions Gold Coast sale

Two colts by prominent Australian sire Redoute’s Choice brought $463,500 to lead the Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale’s opening day Wednesday.

The colts were out of Australian stakes winner I Got Chills (by General Nediym) and the winning Unbridled’s Song mare Miss Jakeo, already the dam of two Australian Group 3 winners. Trainer Gai Waterhouse and bloodstock agent James Harron teamed up to buy the son of I Got Chills from Strawberry Hill Stud. Kevin Maloney’s Segenhoe Stud bought Miss Jakeo’s colt from Baramul Stud. The colt originally was listed as a buyback but Segenhoe negotiated a deal after he left the ring.

Wednesday’s top price of Aus$450,000 was well below last year’s Aus$850,000 ceiling, and the opening session rang up mixed results versus last year’s first-day figures. The session sold 124 yearlings, down from 131 last season, for about $15,192,500, a drop of 11 percent from last year. The average price, about $122,520, fell 6 percent. But median price stepped up by 5 percent, rising to about $103,000. Buybacks remained level at 25 percent.

The auction continues through Sunday.

◗ The Jockey Club reminds owners and breeders that they must make a valid attempt to name their 2010 foals by Feb. 1, 2012, if they wish to avoid a $75 late fee. The registry has published about 40,000 names that have been released for use. Most of those are names of horses more than 10 years old that haven’t raced or been bred in the preceding five years.

◗ Darley, Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum’s breeding operation, has named Dean Roethemeier to its nominations team in the U.S. He will work out of Darely’s Jonabell division in Lexington.