At A Glance
The 2025 Magic Millions Tasmania Yearling Sale catalogued 126 lots (down from 140 last year), selling 83 lots at a clearance rate of 74.1 per cent (up from 69.8 per cent last year when 90 lots of a larger catalogue sold).
The average price of $23,488 was down on 2024’s average of $31,131 and lower than the 2023 figure of $35,041. The median fell from $26,000 in 2024 to $18,000 in 2025.
The 2025 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale recorded a gross of $1,949,500, down on last year’s gross of $2,739,500, reflecting a smaller catalogue and less lots sold overall.
Three yearlings made the top price of $80,000, which was below last year’s top lot of $145,000, and no yearlings made six figures in 2025. Two yearlings made $100,000 or more in 2024 which was the same as in 2023.
The leading buyer, by gross, was McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA) who purchased four lots for $215,000 including one of the sale toppers. Star Thoroughbreds/Randwick Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) were the leading buyer by average (2 or more bought) purchasing two yearlings for $80,000 and $70,000 for an average of $75,000.
Armidale Stud’s Needs Further finished as the leading sire. Needs Further was represented by seven lots that sold for an average of $34,000 and a gross of $238,000. Wooded (Ire) was the leading sire by average, and the leading first season sire, with two lots selling for an average of $47,500.
Armidale Stud also finished as the leading vendor, selling 20 of their 23 yearlings for an average of $40,750 and a gross of $815,000. They sold two of the three sale topping lots at $80,000 each.
Tasmanian-based buyers purchased 42 yearlings at an average of $20,405 and a gross of $857,000. Victorian-based buyers came in second, accounting for 25 lots (down from 36 last year) at an average of $26,960 and a gross of $674,000.
Star Thoroughbreds come back for more
Star Thoroughbreds have had plenty of success in Tasmania winning the Magic Millions Tasmania 2YO Classic three times headlined by this year’s winner Sanniya (Stratsophere) who they purchased from Grenville Stud last year for $67,500.
They purchased Lot 21, the equal top lot at $80,000, a half-sister to this year’s top 2-year-old filly Zany Girl (Needs Further) by Gold Standard.
“She looked to be an early running filly and we’ve had great success in Tasmania with the Magic Millions 2-year-old race over the years. She’s a half-sister to a well performed filly this season, and we felt she was definitely a chance to get the races just after next Christmas or early next year. We were happy to buy her, and pleased to take her home,” said Denise Martin of Star Thoroughbreds.
Lot 21 - Gold Standard x Isn't Life Strange (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“We’ve had tremendous success here with Deroche and Jubilance and several others over an extended time. We only buy a couple of horses a year to race here and it’s been a happy hunting ground for us.”
Star Thoroughbreds’ other Magic Millions Tasmania 2YO Classic winner are Lustica (Tale Of The Cat {USA}) in 2014, and Deroche (Needs Further) in 2019 who also won the 3YO version the following year. Star Thoroughbreds also won the Magic Millions Tasmania 3YO Classic on two other occasions with Jubilance (Needs Further) in 2018 and the inaugural one in 2012 with Conquestador (West Quest {Can}).
The operation also purchased Lot 29, a King’s Legacy colt for $70,000. “Brett Howard who helps me bought the mother, Lumic, several years ago when she had produced a seemingly talented gelding called Jupitus who races with us. He won at Sandown and looked promising but he went a little pear-shaped with some issues.” Jupitus (Sebring) won three races, one at Sandown and one in Sydney for over $100,000.
Lot 29 - King's Legacy x Lumic (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“When Brett bought Lumic she was in foal to Dirty Work and that yearling sold for $40,000, so then he sent her to King’s Legacy and the colt foaled at his farm in the Hunter Valley. Because Brett has an association with Armidale, he sent the colt to them to sell down here. I saw him for the first time yesterday and loved him, and so I was happy to buy him.” Lumic (Haradasun) is a half-sister to Listed winner Woppitt (Danzero).
When asked if he was typical of the sire, Martin said, “We bought a King’s Legacy last year, called Ancestral, and this colt looks quite similar. The stallion is just starting to produce a number of winners and I felt he was value for money.”
On the state of the sale, “I didn’t stay for the whole sale. I think for many vendors it will be very disappointing, there’s a low clearance rate, and nothing has sold over $100,000. I normally look to buy two (yearlings) here and I got my two.”
McEvoy Racing/Belmont combine for one of the top lots
Damon Gabbedy of Belmont Bloodstock purchased four yearlings along with McEvoy Mitchell Racing, led by the sale equalling top lot, Lot 71 by Satono Aladdin (Jpn), at $80,000.
“She’s a gorgeous filly, by a seriously good stallion who runs at around 10 per cent stakes winners to runners in the Southern Hemisphere. And she’s out of an Exceed And Excel mare who is a champion broodmare sire. She had a deep girth, and good hindquarter,” Gabbedy said.
“We are really thrilled with her and we think we got a bargain, as he’s a proper stallion with proper broodmare sire and she’s a great type.”
Lot 71 - Satono Aladdin (JPN) x Shining Star (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Sold by Macleay Thoroughbred Stud, the Satono Aladdin filly is from Shining Star (Exceed And Excel) who won four races up to 1200 metres, and whose first foal is a winner. It is the family of Group 3 winner Red Card (Ribchester {Ire}) and the sire Stryker.
“We bought an Anders colt from a Hussonet mare who Tony trained called Set To Sparkle. She had plenty of ability and he’s a very athletic colt. I’m a bit of a pedigree enthusiast and the Hussonet over Not A Single Doubt and Redoute’s Choice is a really good nick. We thought we’d take the punt on him.” The colt, Lot 67 was a $60,000 buy for McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA). Set To Sparkle (Hussonet {USA}) won six races, four in town and over $300,000. Anders is a son of Not A Single Doubt who has two winners from his first crop so far.
Gallery: McEvoy Mitchell Racing and Belmont Bloodstock secured top-quality colts at the Magic Millions Tasmanian Sale, images courtesy of Magic Millions
“The All Too Hard colt was a ripping type. We are happy to get him.” Lot 51 is out of winning mare Princess De Lamour (Dane Shadow) who is a winner producing half-sister to Listed winner Bold Matador (Celtic Swing {GB}).
“We got a bargain with the Extreme Warrior, who is a horse we rate highly. And he was bred by Alva Stud who are good breeders. We ended up with a nice mixture with two proven sires and a second season sire and a first season sire.” Lot 119 cost only $15,000 and the colt is out of unraced mare Dis Da Boss (Street Boss {USA}) who is a daughter of Listed Tasmanian Guineas winner Di’s Angel (Racer’s Edge).
“More trainers should come to Tassie, you can get some good bargains. This was the toughest of all the sales to date, and the lack of depth of the local market was telling with lots of passed in horses. It was a tough day for breeders.
“There’s still good money at the top end of the market, but (for a sale like this) you need the depth of buyers and the locals weren’t really in force today. Hopefully Melbourne and Adelaide will be stronger.”
Prime’s success rate drives more investment
Prime Thoroughbreds were the buyers of the other equal top lot, Lot 89, a Needs Further filly. “She's a lovely filly. I love Needs Further - we've got Zany Girl this year who is the top 2-year-old in the state,” Joe O'Neill told Magic Millions.
Lot 89 - Needs Further x Why For (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“We've also had Our Long Sali, Bine and a number of them (Needs Further) over the years. I thought she was the pick of the fillies in the sale. She's very athletic with a great temperament and she comes from Armidale who I think are outstanding breeders down here. We've had a lot of success with the Whishaw family. This filly will go to Stu Gandy and she looks like a 2-year-old and he's a great trainer of 2-year-olds.”
Prime purchased only Lot 89 from Armidale Stud and the filly's dam Why For (Xaar {GB}) won eight races and ran second in the Listed Tasmanian Oaks. Her four winners are led by Speed Force (Tough Speed {USA}), who won an impressive 12 races.
Bowditch disappointed with clearance rate
With a catalogue of 126 horses, only 74 sold through the ring, but this had risen to 83 by the end of the day with the Magic Millions teams working hard to marry up vendors and buyers.
“Over the last two years, this sale has come back a few cogs. We are disappointed in the clearance rate although we expect that to improve in the coming hours and days, but we were obviously hopeful that we could have a sale that was a $2 million-plus sale,” said Magic Millions Managing Director, Barry Bowditch.
“Over the last two years, this sale has come back a few cogs. We are disappointed in the clearance rate although we expect that to improve in the coming hours and days,” - Barry Bowditch
“We had good participation from interstate buyers and some went home empty-handed which is a disappointment for them. We would encourage local breeders to keep a few more for this sale to give the higher end of the sale more confidence. Denise Martin from Star Thoroughbreds and Joe O’Neill both participated at the top and their race results here in this state show how this sale keeps producing good horses that are winning the right races."
With no lots making over $100,000, compared to two in each of the previous two years, and a smaller catalogue, the Magic Millions Tasmania Yearling Sale was lower than the previous year on all measures.
“Today was tricky and there was not a lot of confidence from locals. The reality is that the clearance rate through the ring was disappointing and we are working hard to get as many of those passed in lots sold as we can.”
Armidale’s Whishaw outlines why confidence might be low
Armidale Stud was the leading vendor in the sale with 24 horses catalogued and at the time of writing, they’d sold 20 of them for an average just over $40,000. They stand Needs Further who was the leading stallion, and Managing Director David Whishaw is also the President of Tasbreeders.
“From a whole industry point of view it was an extremely tough sale. We were expecting a downturn, as a hangover from COVID, the increasing cost of living and with interest rates high, and more importantly, confidence in local racing is at a 15 year low with integrity a key issue. Tas Racing have made key appointments and these issues are finally starting to be sorted, but sadly the impact of it taking so long has seen a lack of confidence,” said Whishaw.
David Whishaw | Image courtesy of Armidale Stud
“It’ll take a while to filter through but it’s lovely to see some changes in the integrity space. Confidence is one of those things that disappears with one knock and can take five or six wins to rebuild. It’ll take a while to build that momentum again (in Tasmanian racing) and hopefully, the ball is rolling now.”
"Confidence is one of those things that disappears with one knock and can take five or six wins to rebuild. It’ll take a while to build that momentum again (in Tasmanian racing) and hopefully, the ball is rolling now.” - David Whishaw
A changing marketplace is the other issue that Whishaw mentioned as a factor for why this sale is declining. “The way Tas Racing set the programming is encouraging trainers to buy tried horses online, and this is flowing to record low investment in yearlings by Tasmanian trainers. Only a handful were active today, as many are focused on tried horses only now.
“The clearance rate was at an all-time low. Most breeders bring horses here to sell, and it’s not like there’s been a slow market, there been no market for several horses. It was a very tough sale from an industry perspective.”
Long-term supporter group is key for Armidale Stud in tricky market
Armidale Stud has been run by the Whishaw family since they purchased the land in 1919, although they only ventured into Thoroughbreds in the 1960s. “We were lucky to weather the storm better than others,” said David Whishaw.
“Having a loyal long-term supporter group is key with 75 per cent of our horses sold to repeat buyers who’ve invested again this year. When the market was strong, we didn’t feel our history contributed as much as we would’ve hoped, but now that the market is tighter, our loyal supporters are here and we are blessed to have them.
“Having a loyal long-term supporter group is key with 75 per cent of our horses sold to repeat buyers who’ve invested again this year. When the market was strong, we didn’t feel our history contributed as much as we would’ve hoped, but now that the market is tighter, our loyal supporters are here and we are blessed to have them.” - David Whishaw
“We’ve sold horses to local leading trainer John Blacker as well as emerging trainers like Siggy Carr and Leanne Gaffney, and several mainlanders who have purchased horses with our brand have come back again. We bring them here to sell, and we are realistic for where they sit in the market and do what we can to get them sold.”
Armidale Stud sold two of the three equal sales toppers. “We had a couple I hoped would bring $100,000 and they’ve only bought $70,000 or $80,000 which erodes any profit in them, and as for the rest, it was tough. We have the next two crops underway and we hope there’ll be several stakes winners in this draft, which is usually the case, and that’ll give those who bought from us a nice return.”
Top vendors by gross
| Armidale Stud, Carrick, Tas | 24 | 20 | $ 815,000 | $ 40,750 |
| Grenville Stud, Whitemore, Tas | 25 | 15 | $ 349,000 | $ 23,267 |
| Motree Thoroughbreds, Waterhouse, Tas | 21 | 14 | $ 264,500 | $ 18,893 |
| Macleay Thoroughbred Stud, Westwood, Tas (As Agent) | 7 | 4 | $ 105,000 | $ 26,250 |
| Magnum Park, Old Beach, Tas | 10 | 7 | $ 71,000 | $ 10,143 |
Top vendors by average (2 or more sold)
| Armidale Stud, Carrick, Tas | 24 | 20 | $ 815,000 | $ 40,750 |
| Bingley Bloodstock, Bridport, Tas | 4 | 2 | $ 57,500 | $ 28,750 |
| Macleay Thoroughbred Stud, Westwood, Tas (As Agent) | 7 | 4 | $ 105,000 | $ 26,250 |
| Grenville Stud, Whitemore, Tas | 25 | 15 | $ 349,000 | $ 23,267 |
| K W & C E Smithers, Gawler, Tas | 5 | 2 | $ 46,000 | $ 23,000 |
Top sires by gross
| Needs Further | 10 | 7 | $ 238,000 | $ 34,000 |
| Stratosphere | 14 | 8 | $ 202,000 | $ 25,250 |
| Hanseatic | 6 | 5 | $ 126,000 | $ 25,200 |
| Gold Standard | 5 | 4 | $ 108,000 | $ 27,000 |
| Wooded (Ire) | 3 | 2 | $ 95,000 | $ 47,500 |
Top sires by average (2 or more sold)
| Wooded (IRE) | 3 | 2 | $ 95,000 | $ 47,500 |
| Needs Further | 10 | 7 | $ 238,000 | $ 34,000 |
| Gold Standard | 5 | 4 | $ 108,000 | $ 27,000 |
| Stratosphere | 14 | 8 | $ 202,000 | $ 25,250 |
| Hanseatic | 6 | 5 | $ 126,000 | $ 25,200 |
Top buyers by gross
| McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA) | 4 | $ 215,000 | $ 53,750 |
| John Blacker | 8 | $ 166,000 | $ 20,750 |
| Star Thoroughbreds/Randwick Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) | 2 | $ 150,000 | $ 75,000 |
| Felicity Radley | 5 | $ 113,000 | $ 22,600 |
| Adam Trinder | 4 | $ 99,000 | $ 24,750 |
Top buyers by average (2 or more sold)
| Star Thoroughbreds/Randwick Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) | 2 | $ 150,000 | $ 75,000 |
| McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA) | 4 | $ 215,000 | $ 53,750 |
| Moorillah Pastoral | 2 | $ 76,000 | $ 38,000 |
| Stuart Gandy Racing | 2 | $ 70,000 | $ 35,000 |
| Siggy Carr Racing | 3 | $ 84,000 | $ 28,000 |
Buyers by location
| Tas | 42 | $ 857,000 | $ 20,405 |
| Vic | 25 | $ 674,000 | $ 26,960 |
| Nsw | 2 | $ 150,000 | $ 75,000 |
| Sa | 6 | $ 103,000 | $ 17,167 |
| Qld | 4 | $ 72,000 | $ 18,000 |
| Japan | 1 | $ 42,500 | $ 42,500 |
| China | 1 | $ 26,000 | $ 26,000 |
| Philippines | 2 | $ 25,000 | $ 12,500 |
