The Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, which has produced group 1 winners Asfoora and Private Eye, as well as Hong Kong standout Galaxy Patch in recent years, gets underway March 22 with 359 yearlings (425 less 66 withdrawals) set to go through the ring across two days at the Morphettville complex.
A total of 54 vendors will offer progeny by 109 individual stallions, with the catalog featuring proven names such as Zoustar, Ghaiyyath, Written Tycoon, and The Autumn Sun. Buyers will also be presented with 15 first-season sires, including locally bred Dalasan, Hitotsu, and Artorius.
In 2025, the sale returned a clearance rate of 77.34%, with 297 yearlings sold at an average of AU$48,463, a median of AU$32,000 and a top price of AU$350,000, with overall metrics marginally down on the previous year despite an expanded catalog.
Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said confidence was high heading into this week's sale, citing both the depth of the catalog and encouraging levels of buyer activity on the complex.
"I think there's an exceptional quality of horse here on the grounds," he told ANZ News. "I think the middle of the sale is very deep and all going well, and vetting in most cases being acceptable, I can see the trade market being exceptionally strong.
"I think today and yesterday the amount of inspections going on is pleasing, it's in line if not better than last year. I think that, albeit, we've got a tighter catalog this year, so we can't expect the gross to be in line with where it was last year, but, we think, statistically speaking, the average clearance rate, pieces like that, are the bits that we aspire to hold a reasonable number with."
Despite softer statistical results at last week's Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, Bowditch believes the conditions surrounding the Adelaide sale are more favorable.
"I think last week had some boundaries. In fact, it was a larger catalog, and probably the exceptional circumstances around floods and things like that took a bit of the confidence out of the market. Whereas this week, I feel we have got a very diverse group of buyers.
"Everyone loves coming to Adelaide, whether you're a buyer or a seller, and I feel as if there's good positivity here on the grounds. I don't think we're gonna be breaking any records, by any means, but I think we've got the right quality of horse here. We got the right type of buyer for the quality of horse we've got here, and we can have a solid two-day sale."
With the sale continuing to build a reputation as a strong source of trade horses, Bowditch added that both international and interstate buying benches are well represented.
"I think we've got some good buyers from Hong Kong, and obviously New Zealand. David Chester (international sales director) has got some other areas of Asia covered, so I feel as if, internationally, we've got a good cross section of buyers, and then the diversity, whether it be Western Australia, Tassie, or all the main states, I think all will feature here on the results sheet as the sale goes on."
Leading South Australian nursery Mill Park Stud will present a 16-strong draft at Morphettville, with general manager Chris Watson confident the farm has returned with a lineup comparable in quality to last year's offering.
"We've got a nice lineup that will suit a lot of the prospective buyers, from sprinters, through to some horses that will get over a bit of ground and be better 3-year-olds," Watson told ANZ News. "We are very happy with what we're presenting."
Among the draft's prospects are lots 259 and 287. Lot 259 is a colt by Russian Revolution out of group 3 winner Gogo Grace, already the dam of group 1 performer Hot Too Go. Lot 287 is a filly by Spirit Of Boom out of 2015 Ellerslie Railway Stakes (G1) winner In Style, a mare who has produced four winners from four to race, including group 3 scorer Brazen Style and the dual stakes-placed Total Babe.
With the sale shifted to a later position in the week, Watson said inspection levels have remained strong despite a quieter on-course presence.
"It's very hard to do an exact comparison to previous years since we were on some different days this year, being a Thursday and Friday sale. But looking at generally cards and inspections overall, we're exactly on par to last year, so we're very happy. There's less people on the complex because it's not over a weekend, but everybody here is a genuine buyer. We're happy to see it as busy as it is."
The sale gets underway at 10 a.m. local time.
