Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale: Five things we learned on Day 1

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

At A Glance

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Three horses fetched seven-figure sums on Day 1, compared to four in last year’s opening session, with Segenhoe Stud on top of the vendors' standings by gross after selling nine horses for a total of $5,540,000.

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The average of $284,724 was up slightly from last year’s Day 1 record of $278,549. The median, at $200,000, remained the same as Day 1 in 2025.

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The gross of $41,285,000 from 145 lots was down slightly on $45,125,000, however last year 162 lots sold.

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The clearance rate at the end of the day was 78.38% - an improvement of last year's end of day clearance rate of 74.65% - and likely to grow as passed in lots are sold.

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The $2 million top lot (59), a Frankel (GB) colt out of Lonhro mare Antibes, was purchased by Tom Magnier and offered by Segenhoe Stud.

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Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and David Redvers Bloodstock joined forces to become leading buyer on Day 1, spending $2.9 million on five yearlings.

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I Am Invincible the sires by gross with eight yearlings selling for $5.05 million at an average of $631,250.

1. Camilleri’s international breeding gamble pays off again

While bidding was frantic on Lot 59 - an impressive bay colt by international superstar Frankel (GB) - the price climbed to a cool $2 million to become the most expensive Frankel yearling purchased in Australia.

However while the action in the ring was intense, John Camilleri had other priorities occupying his attention; he was busy looking after his 2-year-old grandson Harry.

“You have to get your priorities right, my 2-year-old grandson is more important than any horse sales.”

The colt, presented by Segenhoe Stud on behalf of Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds, is out of the unraced Lonhro mare Antibes, who has made a promising start to her breeding career.

She is the dam of the Mark Walker-trained Chateau Eze (Frankel {GB}), a winner over 1212 metres at Benalla, who has also placed in the Listed Jim Moloney Stakes. Antibes is a half-sister to the Listed winner As Time Goes By (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and is out of the dual Group 3 winner A Time For Julia (Redoute’s Choice).

When explaining his successful approach of utilising the world’s best international stallions with his quality broodmare band, Camilleri explained the long-term thought process.

“It’s a big commitment, to go all the way to the Northern Hemisphere. It’s an expensive exercise, it’s risky. I’ve sent a lot of mares over, but you normally only get one or two shots at the world’s best stallion, and I thought I’d roll the dice. It’s paid off here.

“I’m only interested in having a small broodmare band and breeding elite horses. I don’t want hundreds and thousands of animals. So, if I think there’s something available, like a Deep Impact or a Frankel, and I’ve got the right mare for them, I simply don’t hesitate.”

“Cost becomes secondary, then.”

Talking about Antibes, an unraced daughter of Lonhro, and why she was the right mare to take the punt with, Camilleri was clear in his assessment.

“She had a great pedigree. She was a beautiful type. She had a lot of ability. She had an injury, so we didn’t race her, but Anthony Freedman rated her and said she could run.

“Her first foal has run second in the Moloney at Flemington. So I think the mare’s going to do it. She’s by Lonhro, she ticks a lot of boxes, so I thought she deserved a trip on a plane to Frankel.”

Segenhoe Stud’s Peter O’Brien also reinforced the bravery and conviction behind Camilleri’s use of elite international bloodlines.

“John Camilleri sends those mares over there. It’s a big risk to send them up there, travel them, bring them back, foal them, etc, so he deserves all the credit.

“The main thing for us is he’s gone to Chris Waller and Coolmore. They’ve been great supporters of ours.

“The mother had a ton of ability, but it doesn’t read it in the book, so John backed his knowledge of her ability and had a big swing with her, and he’s got the just rewards.”

When asked about investing heavily at the top end of the market, Camilleri acknowledged the challenges further down the scale.

“That’s where the bloodstock industry is heading. It’s very tough below that, I guess. It appears to be getting tougher and tougher below that.

“A long time ago, I thought I just want to invest at the top with a small number of mares. It’s a bit like waterfront land - it’s always in demand, it tends to stay up. It doesn’t go through the troughs. It’s a matter of choice, but I am having some good success.”

2. Maher and Redvers make a splash

David Redvers, bidding in partnership with Ciaron Maher Racing, was particularly active on Day 1 of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, securing five beautifully bred yearlings for an aggregate total of $2.9 million, at an average of $580,000 per yearling.

Their top lot of the day was Lot 35 - an imposing I Am Invincible colt out of the G2 Guy Walter Stakes and G3 Triscay Stakes winner Alassio (Foxwedge), purchased for $950,000.

Offered by Silverdale Farm, the impressive colt boasts significant depth in his pedigree. In addition to being out of Alassio, his grandam Cinque (Red Ransom {USA}) was also a Listed winner in South Australia.

When asked about the I Am Invincible colt, Redvers explained: “He was a horse that Sheikh Fahad particularly liked. We all loved him. We all know about the stallion and the mare’s a Group 2 winner, so he fits what we’re looking for.”

“We’ve got another very nice I Am Invincible with Ciaron called Invicto.”

Invicto is an unraced I Am Invincible colt that won his most recent jump-out at Cranbourne, he was purchased at last year's Magic Millions Yearling Sale for $600,000.

With the colt appearing early in the catalogue, Redvers felt the timing may have presented an opportunity to secure value compared to later in the sale.

“Just nice and early in the sale, I thought he was probably a bit of value because he’s early in the sale, compared to what the same horse tends to make halfway through Day 2.

“Very happy to have him.”

When asked about the physical attributes and attitude traits the colt displayed, Redvers again highlighted his standout qualities.

“He’s just incredibly athletic. He’s got a huge amount of presence, I love the fact that he was totally unflappable out there. He seems to have a very good mind, but for me, with the action and the athletic build of the horse, he was a real standout,” Redvers said.

“They make fools of us all, but there was a very good underbidder as well… let’s hope we all weren’t wrong.”

The other purchases that the duo signed for included a Jacquinot colt for $425,000, who may end up wearing the same Qatar Bloodstock colours that his sire Jacquinot carried towards the end of his successful racing career.

They also secured a Zoustar colt from Torryburn Stud for $825,000, a Written Tycoon colt purchased from Yulong for $500,000, and a Spirit Of Boom colt for $200,000 from the draft of Bell River Thoroughbreds.

With several days of selling still to come, there may well be plenty more additions to follow.

3. Te Akau back to the source

Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis has an enviable strike rate when buying horses from the Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale, and he will be hoping that trend continues after seizing the initiative early to secure Lot 1 — a classy-looking Snitzel filly out of the winning More Than Ready (USA) mare Yesterjoy, from Baramul Stud, for $500,000.

The filly is a three-quarter-sister to The Elanora (Redoute’s Choice), who counts the G3 Grand Prix Stakes and the G3 Spring Stakes among his four wins. This is also the family of the four-time Group 1 winner Tuesday Joy (NZ) (Carnegie {Ire}) and the eight-time Group 1 winner More Joyous (More Than Ready {USA}).

When asked about the filly, who may be perceived as a value buy - particularly as Lot 1 - Ellis was effusive in his praise.

“She’s a cracker, one of the best fillies that I’ve seen for a long time at a yearling sale. An absolute cracker.”

Ellis explained that part of the reason he believed he was able to secure the filly at a price he was more than happy to pay was the tendency for early lots to be undervalued or even overlooked.

“I was probably lucky that she was Lot 1 because the sale doesn’t normally hit its peak until later in the day, so I was very happy.”

Talking about the filly’s physical attributes, Ellis again highlighted her quality.

“She’s very athletic, a good strong filly, very correct, lovely shoulder. Just a top-class filly.”

Ellis has previously sourced elite talent from the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, including superstar Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), the Group-1 winner and exciting young sire Sword Of State, as well as other Group-1 winners Return To Conquer (Snitzel) and Captured By Love (Written Tycoon), along with the young Lovatsville Group-1 winning sire Move To Strike.

He further opened up the wallet later in the day to buy another two Snitzel fillies for $460,000 and $325,000, a Pinatubo (Ire) colt for $120,000 and a Pierata half-brother to Te Akau’s Champion sprinter Imperatriz.

The superstar mare foaled a Pierata filly back in September for Yulong, so she may bring further updates also to the family in the future.

Another David Ellis purchase was made in partnership with Fortuna Racing, picking up a Pierro filly from the Sledmere Stud draft for $90,000.

4. First-season sires start strongly

The Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale always provides the first opportunity for buyers to assess the initial crops of the industry’s newest stallions, a feature that consistently generates early interest.

Anamoe was always expected to attract strong demand, and that proved the case when Lot 114 - a strong bay colt offered by Newgate Farm on behalf of Ridgmont Farm - sold for $525,000 to the combined bid of Equine Growth Fund, SP Bloodstock, Blueblood Thoroughbreds and Ciaron Maher Bloodstock.

Anamoe had six yearlings offered on Day 1, with five selling for an aggregate of $1,845,000 at an average of $369,000. His first season fee was $121,000 inc. GST.

Jacquinot also made a major impact. He had six yearlings offered on Day 1, with five selling for an aggregate of $1.56 million at an average of $312,000 - an excellent return off his introductory service fee of $33,000 (inc. GST).

In The Congo made his own statement when Lot 167 - a colt from the Newgate Farm draft - sold for $300,000 to Fitzsimmons Racing, Wattle Bloodstock (FBAA), Elvin Bloodstock and Jig Racing. That result was followed by Shailer Racing, Julian Blaxland (FBAA) and Hughes Bloodstock bidding $280,000 for Lot 118 - a brown filly out of the Listed-placed Winning Rupert mare Bolsonaro - from the Widden Stud draft.

Other first-season stallions, including Profondo, Best Of Bordeaux, State Of Rest (Ire) and Hitotsu, also recorded solid results off more modest introductory service fees.

5. Telemon filly sells despite foal declaration appeal limbo

Early in the sale, Lot 25 - a Spirit Of Boom half-sister to Listed winner Charleise (Foxwedge) - in the draft of Telemon Stud was purchased by Tony Gollan Racing, Strong Bloodstock, and John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA) for $150,000.

The intrigue comes from a note on the lot’s page that informed potential buyers that her ownership declaration was submitted late, and an appeal is currently underway with the Australian Studbook to confirm the filly’s eligibility to race in Australia.

The Australian Racing Rules state that a foal ownership declaration must be lodged within 30 days of the birth of a foal. New rules introduced August 1, 2025, mean that breeders have until 60 days after a foal is born to lodge the declaration, or the foal will be ineligible to race in Australia.

There is an appeals process where an independent legal expert can review the evidence and make a decision.

Thoroughbred Breeders' Australia have been vocal about their wish for Racing Australia to adopt a more collaborative approach to dealing with late registrations, however a solution does not seem to have been addressed - nor an appeals process transparently outlined, at this stage.

Speaking to Telemon Stud, it was revealed that the appeal against the filly’s ineligibility to race was lodged in early October 2025 and there was no communication from Racing Australia about the appeal for 80 days, until just before Christmas. They were then informed that the information in the appeal was insufficient and more was required by Racing Australia.

Telemon Stud shared that the breeder was experiencing financial and personal hardship when the filly was born, which delayed the lodgement. They were also informed that the appeals process would take 30 days, but didn’t receive a response for over double that time, despite repeated attempts to contact Racing Australia for an update.

It is unclear when they will receive another update on the appeal’s progress.

However, despite this, the filly was offered with a guarantee by Telemon Thoroughbreds and snapped up by a very astute group who may have just picked up the bargain of the sale!

Bowditch pleased with Day 1

Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch was pleased with Day 1, mentioning he was content with how the key metrics were stacking up, and optimistic that the figures would continue to improve.

“It has been a really pleasing day for Magic Millions. The vibe when I came back from the barrier draw - when I walked in here at 10am - the stand was already full and it had a good feel about it.

“The sale had a really solid start. I think it is a genuine market. The vendors are very motivated to meet the market and get their horses sold.

“I was talking to the auctioneers through the day and they were commenting on the number of horses that were reaching reserve, that they were going on and making reserve-plus prices.

“That’s always a great sign that there’s genuine competition out there. The statistics themselves - to be sitting at 78 per cent on day one, a median of $200,000 and an average of $285,000 - are all numbers that were within my expectations, but in saying that, I’m pleased with how we went.

“I thought today’s sale was something we’d build upon. I feel the lists are longer over the next couple of days, and I think the market found its feet today.

“There’s good confidence out there.”

Top Lots

Buyers by gross

Buyers by average (2 or more bought)

Vendors by gross

Vendors by average (2 or more sold)

Sires by gross

Sires by average (2 or more sold)