Three Queens for Wootton Bassett

Tom Magnier was active at the Magic Millions National Broodmare sale on Tuesday securing three exceptional mares – Zougotcha, Climbing Star and Moesha – that will all visit Wootton Bassett this spring.

A triple Group I winner of $2.8million in prizemoney Zoustar mare Zougotcha proved irresistible to Tom Magnier, who won out in an epic bidding duel.

Offered by Chris Waller Racing she sold for $5.25million to top the opening day of the sale.

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, producing stakes-winner Dawn Service as her first foal, while her third foal a filly by Home Affairs topped the Magic Millions Yearling Sale this year when selling for $3.2million.

“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.”

Another Widden Stud bred and sold Group I winner by Zoustar, Climbing Star will also head to Coolmore after being purchased for $2.1million.

“She’ll go to Wootton Bassett. In fairness, Zoustar is going to be an unbelievable broodmare sire, we’ve sent a lot of mares to Zoustar and we will continue to do so and I’d like to think Antony (Thompson)is going to give me a discounted rate now,” quipped Tom Magnier.

“These are very special mares, very well-bred, very good-looking and we’ve got a great bunch of people behind us.”

The third mare Moesha is Group placed and comes with a big pedigree as a half-sister to nine winners including Group winners Argentia and Thewizardofoz being from Champion NZ 3YO Filly Princess Coup.

By champion sire I Am Invincible, she was snapped up for $1.35million.

“We’ve got the luxury of the quality of Wootton Bassett in our backyard so we bid on these commercial mares with a bit more confidence," said Tom Magnier.

“She’s a group performed daughter of I Am Invincible out of a champion in Princess Coup and it is a very active family.

“So she’ll head to Wootton Bassett with a great group of partners involved in her and we feel like she’s an ideal mare to go to him and produce commercial offspring.”