Filly blitzes Magic Millions sales record as hammer drops at $3.2m

Records have continued to tumble at the Magic Millions yearling sales on the Gold Coast, with a prized thoroughbred selling for a stunning $3.2m.

A record-breaking, $3.2m filly at the Magic Millions yearling sales on the Gold Coast. Picture: Luke Marsden Photos

Records have continued to tumble at the Magic Millions yearling sales on the Gold Coast, with a prized thoroughbred selling for a stunning $3.2m.

The bay filly, daughter of star mare Sunlight, was knocked down to Japan’s top trainer, Mitsu Nakauchida, on Friday night — smashing the previous $2.8m record set only a day earlier at the Bundall sales pavilion.

Mr Nakauchida said he only arrived in Australia on Thursday with his sights set on securing the horse.

“Mainly I came here for this filly and I just arrived yesterday. I was just lucky to secure the filly,” he said.

“Physically she is good and you cannot fault the pedigree. I’m very happy.

“I expected to pay a high price and it is a little bit more than the budget but I hope the filly it worth it. She will go back to Japan and train with me. Hopefully she will make a nice racehorse.”

Leading stud Coolmore paid $4.2m for Sunlight at the Magic Millions National Broodmare sales in 2020 after the mare amassed more than $6.2m in prizemoney, winning races including the 2018 Magic Millions Classic.

“Very much so - that is what you dream of,” Coolmore’s Tom Magnier said when asked if Sunlight’s hefty purchase had now been vindicated.

“When you have a mare like that and a filly like that, she has been the talking point of the sales all week, really you can’t pinpoint the exact figure you’d get but Mitsu is one of the great trainers around the world.

“He’s a great judge and I really wish him all the best with her. She’s fantastic.”

The massive sale pushed gross sales at the Magic Millions this week above $205m, with $272,500 the average paid for the 750-plus yearlings sold so far.

Originally published as Filly blitzes Magic Millions sales record as hammer drops at $3.2m