Forty-two yearlings sold for $1 million or more during the 2024 Australasian sales season. As that crop are about to turn three years of age, The Straight checks out how they have fared so far on the racetrack.
When an I Am Invincible colt sold for $1.2 million at the 2024 yearling sales, he was one of 42 yearlings among the thousands sold during the year to leave the auction ring with at least a seven-figure price tag.
Consigned by Segenhoe Stud at the Australian Easter Yearling Sale, the colt attracted more interest than most with handsome looks and conformation complementing the depth of his pedigree.
As a son of a champion sire out of Anaheed, a Fastnet Rock mare who earned more than $1.5 million on the racetrack courtesy of three Group 2 wins and a Group 1 placing in the Manikato Stakes, expectations would have been high.
Twelve months earlier, the colt’s older sibling, named Superluminal, became at the time the most expensive yearling by I Am Invincible sold at auction, fetching $2.7 million and topping the Magic Millions sale when bought by Coolmore.
This time, it was a Newgate Stud Farm syndicate that stepped up, securing the winning bid in Sydney before following Coolmore’s lead and placing the horse with champion trainer Chris Waller.
Fast-forward to last month, the colt, named All Star, appeared among almost 350 entries catalogued on the Inglis Digital platform with an upfront and honest appraisal.
“All Star is one of the best-looking horses to have been sold at any yearling sale in 2024,” the sales description read.
“So far, he has only shown limited ability; however, with more time to mature, he could potentially improve.”
The business model under which colts’ syndicates, like those belonging to Newgate, Coolmore and bloodstock agent James Harron, focus on chasing speed for the Australian market.
Hits and misses are an accepted part of doing business at the top end of the industry, knowing that one standout colt can balance the books for the ones that aren’t so good.
Such is the high benchmark of racetrack success required by this model, a ‘miss’ in the view of a colts fund will not be considered a miss by others in the market. A future metro winner, or even gelded stakes winner holds more value for a trainer than it does for a studmaster.
That’s why All Star has been moved on, selling for $60,000 to the bid of Hawkesbury-based trainer Fabio Martino.
The sale matched the price that Superluminal made online in November, knocked down online to clients of leading Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan.
Waller gave All Star two starts but 50 per cent of the seven-figure yearlings purchased across sales in 2024 which includes 26 colts and 16 fillies, have yet to make it to the races.
This group includes four of the five top-priced Lots, headlined by Quinceanera, the daughter of champion racemare Winx.
Quinceanera smashed the Australasian record for a yearling at auction when sold for $10 million to Winx’s part-owner Debbie Kepitis at Easter last year.
She is yet to be seen in a public trial with just over a month of her two-year-old season remaining.
The most expensive 2024 graduate to make it to the racetrack so far is Ernaux, an Easter purchase for American investor John Stewart, a much-publicised underbidder on Quinceanera.
Ernaux is the second foal of Group 1 Oakleigh Plate winner Booker and was signed for under the banner of Stewart’s Resolute Racing for $3 million.
The filly, which also includes Coolmore in her ownership, has raced twice at a midweek level in Sydney for as many placings.
Her Waller stablemates Wodeton and Central Coast, both by Wootton Bassett and each raced in Coolmore interests, are two of only seven individual winners so far from the 2024 million-dollar club.
At this stage, Wodeton is the most experienced - and the most accomplished.
Bought for $1.6 million, Wodeton has raced five times for a Sydney metropolitan win in January but his potential has been underlined with a runner-up finish in the Golden Slipper and two other stakes placings.
Wodeton, who has banked $1.1 million in stakes, promises to be a genuine spring contender and a Group 1 win will rubber-stamp his place on Coolmore’s roster.
Central Coast has also been earmarked for the spring after breaking through in Sydney last week.
A blueblood colt as a son of Wootton Bassett from the outstanding racemare Sunlight, Central Coast was a $1.4 million Easter buy.
Regally bred Central Coast gets the job done at Canterbury, and that's the First 4 to @cwallerracing after he trained the Quinella in Race 1 at Doomben as well! 💪@aus_turf_club @coolmorestud pic.twitter.com/vDeK9IKN3a
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 18, 2025
Waiting for them when the races start to get serious will be Devil Night, a $1.4 million Extreme Choice colt already assured of a spot on Yulong’s stallion roster.
Devil Night, who hails from the Hawkes Racing barn, recouped his purchase in three juvenile starts, highlighted by his Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes win.
Across the Tasman, Snitzel’s Return To Conquer emerged from the season with the best record among his million-dollar contemporaries with an unblemished record for Te Akau Racing.
Costing $1.3 million at Magic Millions, Return To Conquer is undefeated in four starts.
Return To Conquer ended his season in style, winning the Sistema Stakes at Ellerslie to bring up Te Akau principal David Ellis’ 100th Group 1 success.
What a finish in New Zealand!
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 8, 2025
Return To Conquer WINS the G1 Sistema Stakes at Ellerslie! 🏆@blake_shinn pic.twitter.com/YVD95NB1fj
As of June 23, with five weeks of the Australian racing season left, other 2024 seven-figure purchases to have won include Conscience ($1.4 million - Magic Millions), Farcited ($1.2 million - Magic Millions) and Hi Barbie ($1.2 million - Magic Millions).
Successful in the Phelan Ready Plate at Listed level, Hi Barbie is the only filly among the 26 sold for $1 million or more last year to win a race.
Fermoy, a Zoustar colt who was the equal highest-priced male sold in 2024 at $1.9 million, is yet to win in three appearances but he is a city placegetter who was sent to the spelling paddock after coming up short in the autumn.
Trial By Fire, a son of Too Darn Hot who also cost $1.9 million, seems on course for a late-season start after two recent Sydney barrier trials.
Two colts remain unnamed - a $1.15 million I Am Invincible and a $1 million Zoustar who hails from Atlantic Jewel’s family.
List of million-dollar yearlings from 2024
