Home comforts – SP Bloodstock aims high with $680,000 filly

Prominent pinhookers made the most of the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale with an eye to next year’s yearling sales but it was the depth of the market which pleased the auction house boss at the completion of Sunday’s trade.

Sixty-two of the 203 foals to change hands sold for $100,000 or more, a similar figure to 2025, with almost $16 million being spent at the one-day sale.

Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch was satisfied with the results, noting that they were largely similar to last year with the median climbing to $50,000 and the average of $78,416 down about $900 year-on-year.

“It’s nearly a mirror image of last year’s sale, just with a few more withdrawals and fewer horses catalogued, so we’re delighted, and I think the vendors out here that brought quality lots got well-supported,” Bowditch said.

“Vetting was up on last year, from what I can gather, so there was a great demand here, and I think at different times today, there was a really good atmosphere and some really strong, solid bidding and good competition.”

The top lot was bought by SP Bloodstock’s Stefan Pardi for $680,000, with the third crop of champion first season sire-elect Home Affairs, destined for a yearling sale next year as the trader aims to build on a prolific 2026 season. 

The Home Affairs filly, who was bred and sold by Coolmore, is a half-sister to Group 1 Thousand Guineas winner Madame Pommery.

On the back of a brilliant pinhooking season for SP Bloodstock, which included a Too Darn Hot colt who fetched $2.2 million at the Inglis Easter sale, Pardi was keen to maintain the return his Equine Growth Fund backers achieved at the top-end of the market this year. 

As well as restocking on the Gold Coast, Pardi was in action at the recent Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, purchasing the auction’s top lot in Sydney, a filly by Shinzo, for $600,000.

“Look, I’ve been a little bit exposed with what’s happened this year (with our pinhooks) … It was just incredible and it’s hard to back that up,” Pardi said. 

“So, to try and back it up, I thought to myself, I’ll be a bit more disciplined rather than buying in the middle market.

“I’ll buy horses that I believe will sell well (at the top end) and this is a horse that you can take to Magic Mewins or to Easter. She’ll stand out as a type and on pedigree.”

Baramul Stud’s Gerry Harvey, the co-owner of Magic Millions, also had a win in the sales ring, selling a Zoustar colt from the family of Group 1 winner Mrs Onassis for $500,000 to Tasmania’s Grenville Stud.

Run by father and son Graeme and Bart McCulloch, Grenville Stud also enjoyed pinhooking success this year via a Too Darn Hot colt who sold for $1.3 million at the Easter sale.

The son of Zoustar, who is out of an I Am Invincible mare, is forward enough to be reoffered at the Magic Millions in January if Grenville chooses head in that direction, Bart McCulloch indicated.

“You try to breed a horse like that and it’s hard, you’ve got to breed a lot of horses to get one that looks like that and he’s by a champion stallion in Zoustar who is out of a very young mare,” McCulloch said. 

“We thought he was a really obvious one and he made good money but he’s one we really wanted to have.”

Grenville was the leading buyer at the sale, purchasing four foals for a total of $950,000 to put back through next year’s yearling sale series.

Amarina Farm was the leading vendor, selling 21 weanlings for a combined $1.715 million, $4000 more than what Coolmore grossed.

Earlier, Yulong bought the only Extreme Choice colt in the Magic Millions sale – and one of just 28 colts born in 2025 by the premier Newgate Farm-based stallion.

With a price tag of $480,000, Yulong’s Zhang Yuesheng will take a long-term approach to managing the colt’s career.

Bred by Kingstar Farm’s Matthew Sandblom, who also bred Yulong’s Blue Diamond-winning colt Devil Night by the same sire, was bought under the name of Sheng Geng, China.

“He’s a fantastic colt and … the sire has done so well and he’s one of the champions in Australia, and I see a lot of hope in his bloodline,” Yulong general manager Jun Zhang said.

While the Extreme Choice colt is unlikely to see a yearling sale next year, a $400,000 colt by I Am Invincible bought by Fernrigg Farm earlier in the session certainly will.

The son of I Am Invincible is the first foal out of Group 3-winning Reliable Man mare Renaissance Woman, who banked almost $700,000 in prizemoney for trainer Bjorn Baker and connections.

He was consigned by Scone farm Attunga Stud.

Dr Padraig Kelly, who operates Fernrigg Farm with his wife Rae-Louise, had extra time to undertake due diligence having inspected the I Am Invincible 

“Brian, Anna and Gabby (Nutt) at Attunga have been good friends of mine for a long time and I do their x-rays on-farm, so I saw this guy a few weeks ago when I dropped in,” Kelly said. 

“Straight away, he caught my eye when he walked out of the box and I didn’t think I’d be able to get him today. 

“I obviously paid good money for him and hopefully he’ll come home to Fernrigg now, grow out and continue to develop and improve. I look forward to re-offering him next year.”

An Ole Kirk sister to Breeders’ Plate winner King Kirk also sold for $400,000 on Sunday.

MyRacehorse and its legion of owners was dealt the cruellest of blows with the tragic death of their debut winner King Kirk, but rather than dwell on the past, the microsyndicator has embraced the late colt’s family.

Belmont Bloodstock’s Damon Gabbedy, who helps MyRacehorse with its bloodstock selections, teamed up with Kestrel Thoroughbreds’ Bruce Slade, the agent for King Kirk’s trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.

Oxford Angel’s fourth living foal, Prince Kirk, was bought privately by MyRacehorse and Damon Gabbedy, with the yearling colt to be trained by Bjorn Baker in Sydney.

The Ole Kirk filly, the third straight mating with the young Vinery Stud stallion for breeders Ged and Jan Nolan of Rosari Farm, will head to Waterhouse and Bott’s Tulloch Lodge.

“Myracehorse and Gai and Adrian were keen to team up again and continue with the family,” Gabbedy said. 

“She’s a beautiful filly by a stallion who’s going places and the cross works. We loved her, so we thought we’d get involved again.”

The Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday on the Gold Coast.

Sale statistics

Lots Catalogued: 360 (371) 

Lots Sold: 203 (223) 

Lots Withdrawn: 88 (64)  

Lots Passed In: 69 (84)

Sale Gross: $15,918,500 ($17,687,100) 

Top Price: $680,000 ($550,000) 

Average Price: $78,416 ($79,314) 

Median Price: $50,000 ($44,000) 

Sold %: 75 (73)