Magic Millions will put contingency plans in place to postpone the QTIS 600 yearling sale until April.  

The second-tier Gold Coast sale is scheduled for March 20 & 21 but the Thoroughbred Breeders Queensland committee has requested a delay to give the industry more time to recover from the devastating floods.

Unlike this week’s high-profile auction on the Gold Coast, the QTIS 600 Sale is a primary source of stock for Queensland based owners and trainers.  But the locals will still be too busy counting the cost of the floods to buy new stock in eight weeks’ time.  

There are several windows for the QTIS 600 yearling sale in April.  The Magic Millions Central Queensland yearling sale is timed for April 8 at Rockhampton and that date must also be open to a deferment.

The Inglis Australian Easter yearling sale is set down between April 5 and 7 and the Inglis Melbourne Autumn yearling sale is slated for April 17 & 18.

Queensland’s leading studs escaped relatively unharmed from the floods.  There haven’t been any reports of lost stock to date.  The worst affected area in the Lockyer Valley isn’t home to any major thoroughbred properties.

Industry stalwart Colin McAlpine has seen it all in a lifetime operating Eureka Stud on the Darling Downs and he’s grateful damage was restricted to just fencing.  McAlpine bred and part-owns Magic Millions candidates Spirit Of Boom and Temple Of Boom and their Toowoomba based trainer Tony Gollan will have to take detours to reach the Gold Coast in time for Saturday’s multi-million dollar raceday.

The repair bill in the Beaudesert region will also be limited to fencing.  Glenlogan Park studmaster Steve Morley said the Innisplain property sustained more damage when a flash flood tore through the property on December 27.

TBQA president Basil Nolan snr is based at Raheen Stud which is situated 130 km west of Brisbane.  He reports there is no news of missing stock in the Gladfield Valley.

Warwick based Lyndhurst Stud is based right on the Condamine River but owners Jeff and Griff Kruger were given ample warning to move their stock to higher ground.