Omicron might be surging across Australia’s holiday capital of the Gold Coast, but it is not denting discretionary spending – a bay colt bred in the Hunter Valley fetched $1.7 million at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale on Wednesday.

Magic Millions owners Gerry Harvey and Katie Page hope this year’s sale of 1230 horses over the next five days can come close to matching the $212 million grossed last January, which created a southern hemisphere yearling sale record and smashed the 2020 Magic Millions takings of $187.5 million.