Day 3 sale-toppers: Snitzel colt smashes Magic Millions record at $2.8M

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

Lot 489 - Snitzel x Humma Humma (Denman), colt - $2,800,000

Just moments into Day 3 on the Gold Coast, the sale ring erupted with excitement for Lot 489, the second foal of three-time stakes-winning mare Humma Humma (Denman) by Champion Sire Snitzel. The bidding escalated to an astonishing $2.8 million, before ultimately being knocked down to Ciaron Maher Bloodstock.

Offered by Widden Stud and bred by Widden Bloodstock, Warringah Stud Farm and Frampton Racing the remarkable colt, who hails from the family of G1 Victorian Derby winner Manzoice (Almanzor {Fr}) and speedy stakes-winning mare Tycoon Humma (Capitalist), comfortably became the highest priced yearling in the history of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Gallery: Lot 489 - Snitzel x Humma Humma (colt) sold for a record-breaking $2,800,000 to Ciaron Maher Bloodstock, images courtesy of Magic Millions

“He looks really early and sharp,” Maher said. “He’s from a quality family with a sharp pedigree.

“Bred on a good farm and hopefully he can get back to a farm in good time.

“The quality, you’ve always got to pay for. The top ones always get stronger. We thought he was one of the colts of the sale.

“It was probably a bit more than expected but the competition is always strong on those big ones.”

After a stellar racing career under the care of John McArdle, which saw Humma Humma claim six wins and over $650,000 in prizemoney, the Denman mare was snapped up by Widden Stud for $1 million at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

“A really proud moment for us. It has been an amazing sale for Widden,” owner of Widden Stud Antony Thompson said.

“We sold Sunlight here as a record price mare. Having sold Clean Energy, I think she was a record-priced filly, and now to have the highest-priced yearling, it is a big honour.

“With nine or 10 serious players on him and a couple knuckling down over a million-and-a-half, I was always confident he’d sell well but it is hard to know how well.”

Humma Humma’s first foal by Zoustar, named Price Tag, was sold for $600,000 at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale to Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ) and has already proved himself a more than handy racehorse, placing in this season’s G3 Maribyrnong S.

Humma Humma had a colt by I Am Invincible this season and has revisited Widden’s champion stallion Zoustar.

Lot 505 - Written Tycoon x In Her Time (Time Thief), colt - $1,800,000

Anticipation was high for Lot 505, a colt by Champion Sire Written Tycoon and out of the exceptional dual Group 1-winning mare In Her Time (Time Thief). He certainly met expectations, selling for a remarkable $1.8 million to Coolmore’s Tom Magnier, marking his third seven-figure purchase for the week.

This colt, bred by Yulong Investments, is the third foal of In Her Time, who was acquired for $2.2 million at the 2022 Inglis Chairman’s Sale. The mare's first two foals, a colt by I Am Invincible and a full brother to this colt, fetched $800,000 and $750,000, respectively. The latter was also purchased by Magnier and is currently in training with Chris Waller, where he is reportedly demonstrating significant potential.

Gallery: Lot 505 - Written Tycoon x In Her Time (colt) sold for $1,800,000 to Tom Magnier, Images courtesy of Magic Millions

“We’re very happy to get this horse,” Magnier said.

“Obviously, we got the brother last year for the syndicate as well, again we’re very lucky to have the people we have in this syndicate and everybody was very keen on the horse.

“Everybody liked him and you could see again from the bidding the good judges were on this horse.

“I think Chris has an opinion of the brother, which probably gave us the confidence to come back this year.”

Over the past several years, Yulong has sought-after and established a top-tier broodmare lineup, with over 60 individual Group 1 winners or producers now belonging to the stud. Magnier sees it as an opportunity not to be missed.

“It’s a very good page, Mr Zhang and their team have gone out and bought some lovely mares, as we have, and the progeny of that stock is coming through,” Magnier said.

“It’s a very good pedigree, he’s a nice individual and Chris really liked the horse, as did all the team, so we’ll know our fate this time next year but just delighted we got him.”

In Her Time foaled a filly by Diatonic (Jpn) in September and also visited Pierata this season.

Lot 695 - Extreme Choice x Mrs Ramona G (USA) (Kantharos {USA}), colt – $925,000

After an intense bidding battle, China Horse Club in partnership with Newgate Bloodstock & Partners, claimed victory by acquiring Lot 685, a son of their statistically freakish sire Extreme Choice, for $925,000.

Striking at just under 12 per cent stakes winners to runners, it’s no surprise to see that the progeny of Extreme Choice are averaging just over $500,000 on the first three days at the Gold Coast.

Bred by S F Bloodstock and Henry Field Bloodstock, the eye-catching grey colt is the third foal from the stakes-performed American mare Mrs Ramona G (USA) (Kantharos {USA}), who recorded four wins from 1200 metres to a mile.

Michael Smith, the Australasian representative for China Horse Club, stated that this colt was an obvious selection due to his impressive physical traits.

“We know how good Extreme Choice is and we thought this was an excellent physical by the stallion out of a fast American mare,” Smith said.

“I think they’re (US Mares) usually very tough, quick horses with great constitutions, and it just works (with Extreme Choice).

“This colt was a really lovely moving, athletic horse with plenty of strength. Probably more strength than is typical for an Extreme Choice.”

After a fruitful partnership with Newgate Farm which has spanned over several years and produced some of the most prominent sires in the country, Smith is hopeful this colt is the next to rise to prominence carrying the famous red-and-yellow silks.

“Horses like Russian Revolution, Wild Ruler, In The Congo, Captivant, Artorius, Stay Inside, we’ve raced a lot of good colts in partnerships and hopefully this can be the next one,” Smith said.

Mrs Ramona G foaled another colt by Extreme Choice this season.

Lot 586 - Wootton Basset (GB) x Lady Piaf (I Am Invincible), filly, $875,000

A stunning black filly and the first foal of I Am Invincible mare Lady Piaf continued an outstanding sale for the exciting first-season sire Wootton Bassett (GB), selling for $875,000 to Clarry Conners’ Victory Lodge.

Lot 586 represented the fifth offspring of Wootton Bassett (GB) of 14 presented to date, to achieve a sale price exceeding $500,000 at the auction.

“The Wootton Bassetts have been going great, and we think they are 2-year-olds so we were naturally interested,” Conners said.

“My client was interested. We picked out two or three and we liked her a lot. She reminded me very much of Belle Du Jour. Light legged, light on her feet. Nice filly. Not over big, just racy.”

Bred by Cobra Bloodstock Australia and offered by Coolmore Stud, the filly boasts a deep pedigree page, stemming from blue hen and G1 Blue Diamond winner Lady Jakeo (Last Tycoon {Ire}), who produced four stakes performers as well as the dam of Group 1 Oakleigh Plate winner Mrs Onassis (General Nediym).

“It is a good family and as long as we win races with her, I’ll be happy,” Conners said.

Lady Piaf was offered in foal to Wootton Bassett at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale but, fortunately for connections, failed to meet her reserve of $225,000, with resulting foal being this beautiful filly.

Lady Piaf had a filly by St Mark's Basilica (Fr) in September and visited the French stallion again this season.

Lot 650 - Snitzel x Medovina (Exceed And Excel), colt - $850,000

James Harron partnered with Aquis Farm’s Tony Fung to acquire his seventh purchase of the sale when securing a Snitzel colt from Medovina (Exceed And Excel), a winning half-sister to Group 3 winner Brave Mead (Brave Smash {Jpn}) and Listed winner Solemn (Bernardini {USA}), for $850,000.

Harron has a phenomenal reputation for sourcing future stallions, namely purchasing and racing Group 1-winning sires King’s Legacy and Capitalist from the Gold Coast sale. On Thursday, Harron added a fourth colt to his purchases from Magic Millions 2025, Lot 650.

“He’s a lovely colt,” Harron said. “From the start of the week to the end of the week I loved the way he progressed through the sale and really went about his work well.

“He’s a lovely shape of a horse and you have a lot of confidence buying off a farm like Vinery. They produce good horse's year-in-year-out. We were very happy to get him and we'll all came together on him.

“I looked at him a few times and he didn’t put a foot wrong. He looked like a real racehorse.”

Bred by Hybrook Pastoral Co, the striking bay colt certainly has a stallion’s pedigree, hailing from the family of G1 Australasian Oaks winner La Volta (Laranto) and G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Mighty Boss (Not a Single Doubt).

Medovina foaled a filly by Vinery’s All Too Hard this season before she was once again covered by Champion Sire Snitzel.

Top lots