Away Game’s Former Trainer to Guide Her $1.8m First Foal
The first foal of Away Game will be trained by Ciaron Maher, the man who orchestrated her remarkable racing career. Alongside big-spending American owner John Stewart, Maher secured the filly by Written Tycoon for $1.8 million at the Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner and Golden Slipper runner-up’s sale. The purchase made the filly the top lot on Day 1 of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
SOLD!
$1.8 million for the first foal of Away Game – a stunning Written Tycoon filly.
Offered by @YulongInvest she goes to the bid of @resracingky, @jstewartrr & @cmaherracing.
Congratulations on an exciting acquisition. #MMGC2025 #MoreMagic pic.twitter.com/mBg14u3hxF— Magic Millions (@mmsnippets) January 7, 2025
Maher, who already trains horses for Stewart’s Resolute Bloodstock, expressed excitement about working with the Written Tycoon filly, born from one of his favorite mares.
“He had her marked down as the best filly in the sale, so he was taking her home I think, no matter what,” Maher said. “Fortunately, I’ve got a relationship with him and hopefully she can take these owners on a similar journey to what Away Game took hers.”
Maher noted that the filly shares traits with her dam, Away Game, who achieved top-tier results, including placings in the Oakleigh Plate and Sangster Stakes, earning $3.75 million in prize money during her career.
“(There’s) similar movement, she’s probably got a little bit more substance than Away Game, who was relatively neat,” Maher said. “She was an over-achiever on the track, and it looks like she’s going to be an over-achiever in the breeding barn as well.”
Away Game was sold for $4 million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in 2022 to Yulong Investments, which saw its best result at this year’s yearling sale.
“We are absolutely stoked, it’s the best result we’ve had at Yulong ever,” said Yulong general manager Vin Cox. “It’s a great result for Mr. Zhang and his family to realize a price in that order, it’s just wonderful. “You never expect that sort of money, you always hope, and it was well beyond where we’d hoped. “It’s justification for all the investment and the time and faith that Mr. Zhang has, obviously in the industry generally, but here in Australia as well.”
The Away Game filly was among several highlights on Day 1 of the sale, which also featured a $1.6 million I Am Invincible filly out of nine-time Group 1 winner Avantage and a $1.7 million colt by Wootton Bassett out of Battleofwinterfell.
The first day of the sale saw nearly $45 million change hands, with an average yearling price of $278,000—slightly up from last year’s overall sale average of $275,675.
MAGIC MILLIONS GOLD COAST SALE DAY 1 TOP LOTS
- $1,800,000: Written Tycoon x Away Game filly (Resolute Bloodstock/Ciaron Maher)
- $1,700,000: Wootton Bassett x Battleofwinterfell (Dean Hawthorne)
- $1,600,000: I Am Invincible x Avantage (Resolute Bloodstock)
- $1,000,000: Stay Inside x Bleu Zebra (James Harron/Tony Fung)
- $950,000: Snitzel x Baaqyah (Sheamus Mills)
- $850,000: Snitzel x Villami (Go Bloodstock)
