A filly by Snitzel fetched AU$550,000 (US$354,841, AU$1=US$0.65) to top a Gold Coast National Weanling Sale that had Magic Millions bosses more than satisfied as their bloodstock auction week began May 25.
Offered out of Highgrove Stud's draft, Lot 279—a full sister to triple group winner Splintex and a half to listed victor Invictus Salute—was bought by North Bloodstock, on a day of reasonably spirited trading. North intends to race the filly, rather than offer her as a yearling.
Second top lot was Holbrook Thoroughbreds' colt by Zoustar, bought by Yulong for AU$500,000, who is set to be pinhooked next year.
From an original catalog of 371, a total of 223 weanlings had been sold by late Sunday at an average of AU$79,314 (US$51,171)—an increase from AU$77,162 in 2024, when 244 lots were sold. The median rose from AU$41,000 to AU$44,000 (US$28,387), while the clearance rate of 73% was down from last year's 81%. The gross was AU$17,687,100 (US$11,411,098).
A total of 26 weanlings sold for AU$200,000 or more, compared with last year's 22. Anamoe's first offspring made Darley's nine-time group 1 winner the leading sire of the sale by aggregate, with six lots fetching AU$1.59 million at an average of AU$265,000.
The top buyer's title was shared between two entities—New Zealand's Kaha Nui Farm and the united combination of Trilogy Racing and Suman Hedge Bloodstock—who each bought four weanlings for AU$850,000.
Leading vendor by gross was Newgate, with 11 lots yielding AU$1.7 million, ahead of Amarina Farm, whose 20 weanlings fetched AU$1.6 million. Highgrove Stud was the top vendor by average, selling three lots at AU$280,000.
Though the day's top price fell well short of last year's AU$800,000 for a daughter of I Am Invincible—the Australian record figure for a filly—organizers were pleased with the sale's results.
"When you look at the numbers—a slightly increased average on last year, and we didn't have a dispersal this year, and an increase on horses sold for AU$200,000 above, and around the same amount sold at AU$100,000 and above, we're really pleased with how today went," said Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch.
"It was a really confident start to an important week for the industry." Describing the sale's middle market as "very, very deep", Bowditch said the sale augured well for the days ahead at the Gold Coast, featuring the National Broodmare Sale on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the National Yearling Sale on June 2 and 3.
"This is a very, very important week for our industry, and to get off to a confident start is fundamental," he said. "I think today was very,
very buoyant and strong and confident."
North Bloodstock were delighted to acquire the sale's top lot, Highgrove Stud's ninth living foal of multiple black-type placed mare Acquired who's a sibling to Splintex and Invictus Salute. Acquired is also a half sister to Hips Don't Lie, dam of three stakes winners and grand dam of Australian champion 2-year-old filly Learning To Fly (Justify ).
"She has a beautiful pedigree, everything you want. She won't be going back through the sale ring and we're going to keep her as a broodmare going forward and race her," said North's general manager Mick Malone.
