Fernrigg Farm

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Good two year-olds come from Fernrigg Farm and their Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale drafts. Last year, they sold Mach Ten for $1.2million and the Exceed and Excel colt has had one start as a two-year-old this season, running second in the Gr3 Breeders Plate. With black type achieved at his only start to date, Mach Ten now has sire potential. In 2020, Fernrigg Farm sold Shaquero (Shalaa) who won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic at his fourth start and went on to win the Gr3 Pago Pago Stakes in the autumn. Three year-old filly Penthouse (Capitalist) who was Listed placed on debut is from the 2021 Fernrigg Farm Magic Millions draft, and since her debut she has won, and recently ran third in the Listed Woodlands Stakes behind Gr1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner In Secret and 3rd in the Magic Millions Ballarat Classic. Another Fernrigg graduate from this sale is Listed Hong Kong Classic Cup winner Excellent Proposal.

In 2023, Fernrigg will present a quality draft of twenty yearlings. Two colts in this draft are likely to be the most inspected, as both are by top sires from Gr2 winning mares. Lot 107 is a Snitzel colt who is the fourth foal of Gr2 Johannesburg Spring Fillies and Mares Challenge winner Mella Maria (Star Witness), whose three year-old Miss Passion has placed in all of her five starts to date. By I Am Invincible, Lot 621, is out of Gr2 Doomben Roses winner Arabian Gold (Dubawi) who won nine races, five at stakes level, and was placed in the Gr1 Queensland Oaks, and this colt is her third live foal. Her first foal is a city winner in Sydney over 1200m.

A half-sister by Street Boss to Gr2 HKJC Sprint Cup winner Amazing Star (Darci Brahma) is Lot 685, and her dam, Bright Abyss, was a stakes placed winner in America, and is out of a winning half-sister to Champion 3YO Colt and six-time Gr1 winner Snow Chief.

The first foal of city winner and multiple times Gr2 placed Platinum Angel (Snitzel) is a filly, Lot 244, by Deep Field, and this is the family of Gr1 winner Hellbent. Another first foal is Lot 929, a colt by Fastnet Rock from Listed Queen Adelaide Stakes winner Heaven’s Deal (Spirit
of Boom) who is from the family of Incentivise, Ardrossan, Diamondsondinside, Cheyenne Warrior, and Prince of Boom (Spirit of Boom). Spirit of Boom has a colt in this draft,

Lot 686, who is the first foal of winning mare Brigid of Kildare (Street Cry) from the family of Bonanova, Kakakakatie, Stroll, and many others. This is the legendary Eight Carat family, best in The Stud Book.

Two colts by second season sire Written By will create plenty of interest for the draft, with Lot 1 to open the entire sale. The colt is the first foal of Jackpot Telephone (Dream Ahead) who is a half-sister to Champion 3YO Miler in Singapore, Given Vision, from the family of Gr2 Karrakatta Plate winner Lucky Street. The other Written By colt is Lot 165, is the third foal of My Michelle (Nicconi) a winning full sister to Gr3 Vain Stakes winner Tony Nicconi (Nicconi).

Second season sire Harry Angel has two lots in the Fernrigg Farm draft, led by Lot 227, a colt whose two-year-old sister, Live To Tell (Territories) ran second on debut recently. This is the family of four-time Gr1 winner Divine Madonna (dam of Maternal). The other Harry Angel is Lot 1265, a colt out of a half-sister to Gr3 winner Ammirata.

Pierro colt, Lot 111, is out of Metza, a winning half-sister to Gr1 winner Linton, and to the dam of group winner and Gr1 placed Heatherly.

The other stallions represented in this draft are:
Capitalist (Lot 1209), Heroic Valour (Lot 1271), Pariah (Lot 1086), Pride of Dubai (Lot 991), Russian Revolution (Lot 1049), Star Witness (Lot 1048), Tassort (Lot 517), and Zousain (Lot 993).

Fernrigg’s Rae-Louise Kelly is confident, “There’s sure to be more early stakes winners in this draft and I’m looking forward to presenting them to potential buyers in January.”

What is the best horse you have sold through Magic Millions?
We have been fortunate to sell some nice yearlings in our short time as consignors and even before that as Pinhookers. In 2016 we found a little athletic filly with a lot of attitude in the Chester Barn who we just had to have. That filly turned into Group 1 winning KRONE, one of the toughest mares of her time.

Excellent Proposal came out of our very first draft in 2018, he has won at Group One level in HK and has amassed $2,958,853 in career earnings. He was born and raised at Fernrigg and was always a standout being by our favourite stallion.

I do think the best is yet to come though, MACH TEN came out of our 2022 Magic Million draft and made his debut in the Gr3 Breeders Plate where he finished a gallant second place so we are all very hopeful he could surpass them all.

When assessing breeding which influences/key horses do you mainly look for?
Australia is all about speed, so I like to see double Mr. Prospector, especially if its in the first 4 dams. The same goes for Nureyev, it adds a bit of class to the pedigree.

Do you still get butterflies as your yearling enters the ring?
Absolutely! They are my babies. Fernrigg is a small boutique farm so everyone is very much hands on with the yearlings from the day they are born. I become very attached to them and their individual personalities very early on, and I think it becomes obvious who my favourites are. When they enter the sale ring, it’s not about how much money they make but more importantly that they go to the very best home where they will be given every chance. When each yearling returns back to its stable I say goodbye and tell them all they have to do is try their best and run their fastest.

What makes Magic Millions at the Gold Coast such a success?
There are so many things that contribute to the success of the Magic Millions. The team do a fantastic job of making sure the very best trainers and agents from around the world turn up and everyone is always so excited about the first yearling sale of the year, especially in the sunshine. The women’s bonus and race series has most definitely been a huge driving force in recent success. It’s fantastic to see more women around the sale complex getting excited about buying yearlings and in the owners enclosure at the races. I actually became part of a women’s syndicate two years ago and made so many new girlfriends who just love horses and champagne.

Do you prefer fishing or football?
Oh, I am from Newcastle Upon Tyne, home of some of the greatest football legends of all time – Allan Shearer, Peter Beardsley, Jackie Milburn and Bobby Robson to name a few, so it has to be football, I am also terrified of fish!

What would you do if you sold a yearling for $10 million?
Firstly, we would throw a huge party for Team Fernrigg.
It takes an entire farm to raise a yearling, especially one worth 10 million. I would buy a beach house, to make memorable holidays with our precious daughter and then build a fancy arena to enoy with my OTT jumpers and then most likely invest in more broodmares at the Magic Millions in May. (haha)