It's stories like this that keep smaller breeders in the game.
Yarraman Park's modestly priced sire Magic
Albert took centre stage at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale on
Thursday when he lit up the sale ring with a stunning bay colt that topped the
Session II part of the sale when fetching $750,000.A half-brother to Golden Slipper winner Mossfun from Eye for Fun, the colt was bred and consigned for sale by Ian and Linda Duckworth of Fairview Park Stud, who could not believe their good fortune when Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum put in the winning bid for their colt.
Last year the couple sold Mossfun for $85,000 to Emirates Park at this sale and were well pleased with that result, but this time around were taken to a whole new playing field in the sale ring.
"It was very exciting and my wife was beside me," Ian Duckworth told Sky Sports Radio in the moments after the sale.
"It's been one of those things you can hardly believe, right from last week when Mossfun won the Slipper.
"It's been life changing. I just wish all the smaller breeders could be just as lucky as we are, because it has been a wonderful, wonderful experience."
Conceived from a service fee of $16,500, the star colt is the second foal of unraced Snitzel mare Eye For Fun, who was also bred by the Duckworth's and retained to breed with after losing her eye in a paddock accident as a weanling.
"He was very popular all week and is a lovely big strong horse," Duckworth said.
"He's a lot like Mossfun, although a stronger colt version of her and we can only hope he can do just as good a job as she's done.
"I would love to be here in a few years still selling progeny from this mare, who is very much a family horse for all of us, so hopefully she can continue with it."
The star colt set a new record top price for Easter Session II and also a record price for a yearling by his sire Magic Albert.
Magic Albert topped the sire averages in the Session II part of the sale with five yearlings offered and all sold at an average $232,000.
