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Group 1-winning daughter of Ocean Park set to go under the hammer at Magic Millions
Last year’s All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Tofane (Ocean Park) will be offered as a racing and breeding prospect at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale which gets underway on the Gold Coast on May 25.
The daughter of Ocean Park (Thorn Park) will be offered as part of the Newgate Farm draft and will continue racing through to the sale.
Trained by Mike Moroney, Tofane has won five of her 18 starts to date and as well as her win in the All Aged Stakes the mare also took out the Northwood Plume Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) and the Begonia Belle Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) in the spring of 2019 and her prize-money earnings currently stand at $1,308,720.
Her victory in the All Aged Stakes denied Group 1 winner Pierata (Pierro) a swansong win before his retirement to Widden Stud, while she also beat other top-flight winners Bivouac (Exceed And Excel), Santa Ana Lane (Lope De Vega), Fierce Impact (Deep Impact), Dreamforce (Fastnet Rock) and Super Seth (Dundeel) in the Group 1.
Dane Robinson, who will begin his new role as bloodstock manager at Magic Millions on Thursday, told Racing & Sports Bloodstock that Tofane was a very exciting prospect and expects her to garner a lot of attention at the sale.
“She obviously won the All Aged Stakes, which is one of the pinnacle races of the autumn and she beat an amazing field with a lot of Group 1 winners behind her - she’s a proper horse,” said Robinson.
“She has a great pedigree behind her - out of a three-quarter sister to Funstar and a half to Youngstar, she is going to be highly sought after at the sale.
“I haven’t actually yet seen her in the flesh, but I have been told she is a high-class physical as well, we are really excited to get the opportunity to be able to offer her for sale.”
Part-owner Rupert Legh believes the mare could add to her already burgeoning CV in the coming weeks.
“With Tofane the most exciting part is what is to come for her on the racetrack and how she might add to her exceptional profile,” Legh said. “I feel her race record only tells half the story of how good a race mare she is.
“She is set to resume in Sydney on April 17 and will target four Group 1 races before and after the Magic Millions sale.
“On the back of this coming preparation I think everyone will have a new level of appreciation for her class, that is backed up by huge depth to her pedigree.”
Tofane boasts a top-class pedigree, being out of winning Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) Baggy Green, who is herself a daughter of Starspangled (Danehill), making her a three-quarter sister to Group 1 winner Funstar (Adelaide), while she is a half-sister to fellow top-flight winner Youngstar (High Chaparral).
Tofane’s third dam is multiple Group 1 winner User Friendly (Slip Anchor).
Newgate’s Henry Field said the mare represented a ‘rare jewel’ and would be the headline act in any broodmare band in the world.
“We are so proud to have been given the opportunity to consign Tofane,” Field said.
“An outstanding Group 1 winner of the All Aged Stakes, she has a genetic makeup that is nothing short of mouth watering.
“She is a rare jewel, who would be at the top end of any broodmare bands, no matter how elite, anywhere in the world.”
Tofane is one of a number of star names set to go under the hammer at the National Sale and they include, multiple Group 1 winner Melody Belle (Commands) and Group 1 placed Mizzy (Zoustar) and 38 broodmares from the Shadwell dispersal.
Robinson added the catalogue would be completed in the coming weeks and everyone at Magic Millions was excited about the quality of bloodstock on offer.
“We are just finalising the catalogue and there will be more announcements to come in the next few days,” said Robinson. “To be able to offer the calibre of horses such as Melody Belle and also the mares among the Shadwell draft is really exciting and we are expecting fireworks when these mares enter the sales ring.
“The catalogue this year is just rewards for everyone’s hard work on compiling what is turning out to be a great catalogue and we are hoping it will be unbelievably strong.”
