Chris Waller Racing consigned two of the stable’s superstar older mares to the Magic Millions National Sale on Tuesday with Zougotcha (Zoustar) selling for $5.25million and Atishu (Savabeel) for $2.7million.
A triple Group I winner of $2.8million in prizemoney Zougotcha proved irresistible to Tom Magnier, who won out in an epic bidding duel.
Back in 2020, Magnier purchased another champion Zoustar mare in Sunlight from this sale for $4.2million and she has proven a resounding success for Coolmore, read about her here.
“Well done to Chris Waller and all his team. She was a beautiful mare and everybody was on her this week,” said Magnier.
“She will go to Wootton Bassett. Having him back this year, it give us the confidence to find these mares and with what he is doing both in Australia and Europe, we are very fortunate to be in this position.
“We are very close to Sophie Baker and the Waller team. When you look at these top ones that they keep putting through the sale, they’re blue chip mares for everyone.
“Hopefully they might be buying the offspring in years to come.”
Zougotcha was a $500,000 Inglis Easter Yearling purchase from Widden Stud for Chris Waller Racing / Mulcaster Bloodstock and had a big group of owners that included Frank and Christine Cook, who was at the Gold Coast for the sale.
“It’s the end of one era and the start of another,” said Christine Cook.
“She was just such an amazing animal. The people we were in her with were just incredible, we had so much fun with her – there was never any arguments about where she was going and what she was doing. We just went on her ride, which was wonderful.
“It’s just unbelievable, genuinely unbelievable. I just hope she makes beautiful babies.”
Atishu was originally a $260,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase for New Zealand syndicators Go Racing and started her racing career in New Zealand before transferring to the Waller stable in 2021.
She also became a triple Group I winner of $5.9million wining 11 of 50 starts for her big group of owners and will now join the elite Yulong broodmare band..
“Mr Zhang was very impressed when he saw her. She’s a beautiful type so it is great to have her in the broodmare band,” said Sam Faigray.
“She doesn’t need to take on Via Sistina (on the track) so she’s going straight to the breeding barn.
“She will probably go to Alabama Express. I think it is a really nice cross. She’s a beautiful mare so it is exciting to have her.”
