Darley buys Magic Millions session topper

As expected, there were fireworks at Monday's first broodmare session of the

Magic Millions

National Sale in Australia. Multiple Group 1 winner Divine Madonna (Hurricane Sky)

brought a

final bid of A$2.7 million to set a new record for a broodmare on the Gold

Coast. Consigned

by Widden Stud, the five-year-old mare was purchased by Bill Mitchell, acting on

behalf of

Darley Australia.

"It's obviously a lot of money, but we're delighted to be able

to buy her," Darley Australia's Stud Manager John Sunderland said. "It's very hard to get

mares of her

quality and, accordingly, you have to spend a lot to buy them."

Mating plans

have not yet

been finalized for the mare. An A$80,000 yearling purchase, Divine Madonna won

eight races,

including four Group 1's, and earned more than A$2 million on the track for

owners P & H

Ryan Racing Syndicate, D. Thackeray, Ms. M. Shephard and Mrs. I. P. Kavanagh, wife

of trainer

Mark Kavanagh.

 "I am a bit sad, but it opens another chapter to her life and now

we can look

forward to her producing quality offspring," Mark Kavanagh said. "We're

delighted with the

price...and with my wife being a part owner it makes me feel a lot better! It's

been a

memorable ride, and, as they say, while one door closes, another will open."

The eight-year-old Zabeel mare Zagalia, consigned by Strawberry Hill Stud, realized the day's

second-highest price on

the Gold Coast, with Magic Millions, agent, purchasing the Group 1 heroine for

A$875,000. A full-sister to Group 2-placed Zaria, Zagalia was produced by Snow

Quill (Bluebird), herself a half to Group 3

winner Lomond Blossom (Lomond).

Zagalia enjoyed her best season as a three-year-old

when she

annexed the Queensland Oaks (Aus-G1). She would later add a pair of Group 1-placings

to her

resume while bankrolling A$585,250. Bred to Redoute's Choice in 2005, she

foaled a

filly by the leading sire the following year and in 2007 had an Encosta de Lago filly.

Zagalia sold in foal to Redoute's Choice on a Nov. 22 cover.

In all, 123 mares

sold at the

National Sale Monday for A$11,747,250, an average of A$95,506. Fifty-six lots

failed to find new homes, an RNA rate of 31.3 percent. Four additional broodmare

sessions will run Tuesday

through Friday, followed by three yearlings

sessions running from June 10-12.

For more information, visit

www.magicmillions.com.au.