Prominent Japanese trainer Mitsu Nakauchida launched a daring raid at the Gold Coast on Friday, securing the Home Affairs-Sunlight filly for a record $3.2 million in a marquee conclusion to Book 1 of the Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
The trainer of top Japanese filly Liberty Island, Nakauchida completed a successful fly in, fly out mission late in Friday’s Super Session, the last of four Book 1 days of selling, to buy the fourth most expensive yearling ever sold in Australia.
The appearance of Nakauchida at Bundall, where more than $205 million was traded this week, was far more worthwhile than what had transpired last time he visited the country with the intention of buying a filly.
Last April, Nakauchida came away empty handed when attending Sydney’s Inglis Easter sale, having inspected champion mare Winx’s daughter by Pierro.
Despite his best intentions, the trainer never got a bid in on the $10 million filly, who was bought back by her co-breeder Debbie Kepitis for the world-record price, and he was also keen on $3 million I Am Invincible-Booker filly at the same Inglis sale, only to be beaten by American owner John Stewart who paid $3 million.
On the Gold Coast on Friday evening, however, Nakauchida had the last laugh, winning an enthralling duel for the Coolmore-bred daughter of Home Affairs against online bidder Stewart.
Record smashed!
— Magic Millions (@mmsnippets) January 10, 2025
$3.2 million for the Home Affairs filly from Sunlight.
That’s another Magic Millions record. She goes to Mitsu Nakauchida of Japan! #MMGC2024 #MoreMagic pic.twitter.com/TWtdVeyxWW
When auctioneer Grant Burns, who also had the honour of selling Winx as a yearling 12 years ago, brought down his gavel it ended an almost year-long quest by Nakauchida to acquire an Australian-bred filly.
“I’ve been lucky to have had success with Australian mares. I have Liberty Island out of Yankee Rose. I have another very good three-year-old called Eri King out of Youngstar,” the trainer said.
“So, Australian mares do quite well in Japan at the moment. They go well with Japanese stallions.”
The third foal out of champion filly Sunlight, a $4.2 million acquisition by Coolmore out of the same Gold Coast sales ring in 2020, she is a half-sister to this season’s Listed-winning three-year-old Dawn Service while her second is an unnamed Wootton Bassett colt in training with Chris Waller.
A record breaker on multiple levels, the filly bettered the Magic Millions sale benchmark set a day earlier when a Snitzel colt realised $2.8 million, the prized filly is also the most expensive yearling sold in Australia by a first season sire and is the fourth overall behind Winx’s filly.
Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch revealed that Nakauchida had expressed his interest in the filly about a fortnight ago after he “fell in love with her” after seeing her pedigree and viewing her photos and parade video.
“It’s fantastic to have a buyer that hasn’t spent a lot of time in Australia or Magic Millions to attend the sale and take home the highest-priced yearling of all time here at Magic Millions,” Bowditch said.
“We’ve got to thank Coolmore Stud for supporting the sale with great horses. Obviously it was some bidding duel and two big international players paired off, which was outstanding.”
The $2.8 million Snitzel colt was also bought by an overseas owner, with British insurance underwriter Phil Cunningham joining forces with trainer Ciaron Maher.
Not to be dissuaded after missing out on the Home Affairs filly, Stewart’s Resolute Racing later teamed up Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott to buy Silverdale Farm’s Snitzel half-sister to Group 2 Percy Sykes winner Eneeza for $1.6 million, taking his spending spree to $8.46 million for 12 horses either outright or in partnership.
There were 13 million dollar yearlings sold during the week but vendors had to work hard to get their horses sold in the middle to lower end of the market, with the clearance falling five per cent year-on-year to 81 per cent with $18 million less spent compared to last year’s sale.
The average of $272,507 was down 2.5 per cent while the median held at $200,000.
Sydney trainer Michael Freedman, who put an $800,000 exclamation mark on an "exhausting” week with the purchase of an Extreme Choice filly out of Flight Stakes winner Speak Fondly about 5.30pm, was far from an alarmist about the market sentiment.
“We’ve been knocked off on quite a few but I don’t think it has been too different to any other year,” said Freedman, who will welcome at least 12 Magic Millions graduates into his Randwick stable later this year.
“The quality horses are making their money and some of the others that aren’t as popular haven’t been but I think this is part of a normal sale.
“I haven’t noticed that there’s been any holes.”
Aushorse Investor’s Guide 2025
- More Races worth $1 million+ than Europe & America combined
- More than 140,000 Australians involved in racehorse ownership
Bowditch said Friday evening’s crescendo without the Saturday night post-Magic Millions race day session was a great way to finish the Book 1 sale.
“We had a great ending to the sale and our vendors knew that (with the way) they supported the sale. We felt as if vendors bought into the Friday night (concept),” Bowditch said.
“A gross of $205 million exceeded our expectations (and) a clearance of 81 per cent is healthy and acceptable. We’ve had some very high clearance rates here in the past few years.”
The Book 2 sale will start at 3.30pm on Sunday.
SALE STATISTICS
(2024 in brackets)
Lots Catalogued: 1021 (1020)
Lots Sold: 754 (800)
Lots Passed In: 172 (132)
Lots Withdrawn: 95 (88)
Top Price: $3.2 million ($2,100,000)
Sale Gross: $205,470,000 ($223,475,500)
Average Price: $272,507 ($279,344)
Median Price: $200,000 ($200,000)
Sold %: 81 (86)
