Imperatriz sale: Champion mare to be sold on Gold Coast in May at Magic Millions

Imperatriz is expected to fetch between $5 million and $7m when she is auctioned at the Magic Millions next month. Photo / Bruno Canntelli

Champion New Zealand mare Imperatriz will be sold on the Gold Coast next month but she won’t actually be there.

The recently retired sprint queen will be offered for sale as a broodmare prospect on May 28 at the Magic Millions sales.

But Imperatriz will remain in New Zealand and not travel to Australia.

Her auction will be conducted at the Magic Millions complex with a video of her career highlights and the mare herself at home at Te Akau to be shown during the auction.

Buyers will be able to bid online or at the sales complex as if she was in the actual sales ring.

Te Akau say they will have veterinary reports available for Imperatriz but the few serious buyers at that level will now almost certainly comission their own vet reports on the wonderful mare, standard due dilligence when buying at thoroughbred sales.

Imperatriz’s likely sale price is hard to estimate but $5 million to $7 million seems realistic, with exact prices at that rarified end of the market dependent on whether there are two high-end buyers who refuse to back down rather than just the one keen buyer.

The 10-time Group 1 winner only raced in early April when bogged down into fourth in the TJ Smith in Sydney but was found to have wear and tear when given her end-of-season veterinary examination.

“It is just the wear and tear you expect from a horse who has been racing at her level, and some people might have patched her up and kept racing,” says David Ellis, managing owner of Te Akau syndications.

“But we think it was her telling us she has had enough so she will retire sound and happy and start her next career.”