Divine Madonna 會於六月拍賣
Outstanding race mare Divine Madonna will be a star attraction at this year's Magic Millions National Broodmare sale at the Gold Coast in June.
The four-time Group One winner was retired last week after she suffered a muscle injury during what was her last racetrack preparation.
Purchased as a yearling from the Adelaide Yearling Sale by trainer Mark Kavanagh, Divine Madonna established herself as one of the great Australian mares of the modern era - earning over $2 million from just 26 starts.
"She was an absolute delight to train," Kavanagh said.
"Not only a sensational racehorse, she was a real stable favourite."
"She's got the most wonderful temperament and she'll make the perfect broodmare."
Kavanagh also announced Devil Moon's autumn campaign was over following her lacklustre performance in Saturday's Queen Of The Turf Stakes at Canterbury.
The Turnbull Stakes winner will be spelled and brought back for the spring.
Divine Madonna will be offered at the auction by Widden Stud.
Widden's Antony Thompson said he was delighted to be entrusted with the valuable broodmare prospect.
"We're honoured to be able to present the mare on behalf of her owners at the sale," Widden proprietor Antony Thompson said.
"She will be without doubt the best race filly or mare to be offered in Australia this year."
Magic Millions managing director David Chester agreed with Thompson's assessment.
"She's the mare of the year," Chester said. "We're honoured to be able to get her back to sell to the public as a broodmare after originally selling her as a yearling in Adelaide."
"There would be no better mare being offered at auction anywhere in the world this year than Divine Madonna."
Divine Madonna is one of two Group winners from the top producing Pergo mare My Madonna.
A three time winner in her own right, My Madonna is also the dam of the Group Three Standish Handicap winner Blessum.
Divine Madonna is just one of the many stand out entries for the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
At last year's Broodmare sale,triple Group One winner Private Steer fetched $1.4 million and Gypsy Dancer, the mother of star sprinter Dance Hero, was sold for $1.5 million.
However, the Australian record for a broodmare is also the record for any thoroughbred sold at public auction with dual Group One winning sprinter Virage De Fortune selling for $3.4 million at the William Inglis Broodmare Sale last year.
She was purchased by Dubai's Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who recently spent a reported $500 million to buy the Ingham family's Woodlands Stud operation.
Sheik Mohammed also paid the previous best price for a broodmare of $2.05 million when he bought Mannington in 2005.
|