No Nay Never Colt Tops MM 2YO’s in Training Sale

An outstanding colt by exciting international sire No Nay Never from El Shahar proved the star of the show when he sold for $525,000 to top the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YOs in Training Sale.

Consigned by Benalla based Nolen Racing, the colt attracted intense interest before Gold Coast based trainer Michael Costa and Hong Kong bloodstock agent George Moore locked horns in a sale ring duel.

When the hammer fell it was Costa's bid, for Ardross Bloodstock,of $525,000 that proved the winning one.

"We thought he was one of the standouts of the sale and he was our number one pick," Costa said.

"We had to give a little bit extra for him but we were determined to get him.

"He has got a really good attitude which will stand him in good stead if he does head over to Hong Kong as well. His breeze up was one of the talks of the sale and he ticked a lot of boxes," Costa added.

For vendor Tal Nolen the result capped a hugely successful sale in which he sold nine youngsters for a gross of $1.23 million.

"He was a lovely horse," Nolen said. "The best breeze up horses we've ever had.

"He has heaps of improvement and he will grow into a lovely horse - a Group One horse even!

"I bought him here in June (for $90,000). It's a massive gamble and you have got to have something like this (result) to keep going."

The star colt was bred by Ross Hatton's Rathmore Bloodstock and reared at his Rathmore Lodge before being sold as a weanling and then a yearling.

He is from well related Encosta de Lago mare El Shahar, a half-sister to Group I winner Zip Zip Aray and stakes-winner Zipanese.

The sire of 19 stakes-winners from his first two Northern Hemisphere crops, No Nay Never is back at Coolmore Australia this spring at a fee of $44,000.