Which stallions kicked investment goals at Magic Millions?

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

I Am Invincible was, unsurprisingly, the leader in terms of turnover; his 38 sold amassing over $22 million which is impressive considering the whole sale saw $207 million in sales; his sons and daughters a decent 10.6 per cent of that!

But he was not the only high achiever with some less prolific stallions faring even better in terms of return on investment. We examine these stallion's results - though it’s important to note that these figures don’t account for the mare’s capital value.

The proven stallions

By 2022, Newgate Farm’s G1 Blue Diamond S. and G1 Moir S. winner Extreme Choice had really started to up the ante and by that spring his service fee was $275,000 (inc. GST), making him Australia’s most expensive stallion.

It was quite the trajectory for the horse who made his debut in 2017 at a fee of $38,500 (inc GST) before serving three books at just $22,000 (inc GST).

His 2025 yearlings are his first bred off his markedly increased fee (he was 'on application' the previous season) and that crop really hit the ground running at the recent Magic Millions sale where all 12 (from a crop of 40 live foals) of his youngsters on offer were sold for an average of $478,333; a return on investment of 1.9 x his service fee.

Others had higher returns in terms of percentages but if you take the $275,000 and add $50,000 (a rough approximate of the various costs to produce a horse and present it to the sales ring) most returned a tidy profit, with only one of his yearlings sold for below the overall sales average of $269,388.

Another popular member of the Redoute’s Choice sireline is Arrowfield Stud’s five-time Group 1 winner The Autumn Sun who stood for $66,000 (inc GST) when his current yearlings were conceived.

All but one of his 12 Magic Millions entries sold, with buyers keen to secure another Autumn Angel, Coco Sun or Vibrant Sun (the three Group 1 winners amongst his five stakes winners from his first 76 winners). Each of those five stakes winners to date are female, and breeders were particularly keen to sell his daughters with buyers responding, his fillies average being $330,555 versus colts of $167,500.

Overall, his average was $298,333 and his return on investment was 5.0 x his service fee. He had four (all fillies) sell above the sale average with his most popular yearling being a $900,000 daughter of the South African champion Carry On Alice (SAf) (Captain Al {SAf}).

Table: Top 10 sires by yearling sale average

Hot hot hot!

On the back of his early success in Australia there was already going to be a thirst for the progeny of Darley’s multiple Group 1-winning Too Darn Hot (GB), and that demand was increased by the fact that he did not make his way to our shores last spring.

Represented by 34 winners amongst his first 72 Australian runners, with six stakes winners including the triple Group 1 winner Broadsiding amongst that tally, Too Darn Hot had 23 yearlings in the sale. Twenty of those found homes; an average price of $262,500 off a $44,000 (inc GST) service fee. His return on investment was 6.2 x his service fee.

A $650,000 colt from the prolific Stella Cadente (Centaine) family was his best result, and he is bred on the same Too Darn Hot/Redoute’s Choice cross as Broadsiding and the Listed winner Silmarillion.

Queensland's favourite son

Spirit Of Boom, a dual Group 1-winning sire of 27 stakes winners, the QTIS eligibility ensuring he was popular with local buyers: four of his five biggest sellers going to the Tony Gollan stable.

Sixteen of his 19 yearlings sold for an average of $175,789 off a service fee of $33,000 (inc GST) and a tidy return on investment of 5.9 x his service fee. Four of those sold for above sale average with his biggest result being a $575,000 full brother to the stakes winners Outback Barbie and Barbie’s Sister. They are amongst the 22 winners from 26 Spirit Of Boom runners out of mares by General Nediym.

That colt was purchased by Tony Gollan, John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA) and Black Soil Racing and that same group laid down $300,000 for another Spirit Of Boom at last year’s sale. And she is one of the four Spirit Of Booms contesting Friday’s R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic; the equal favourite La Bella Boom.

The Frankel factor

There were many yearlings on offer by the legendary Frankel (GB), but what impressed buyers was his average of $762,500 the second-best of the sale after Snitzel.

Four of his six on offer were sold off a Southern Hemisphere service fee of $246,560 (inc GST). His return on investment was 3.4 x his Southern Hemisphere service fee and each yearling sold for at least double the overall sale average. There are obviously additional logistical costs of a European cover that haven't been factored into the profitability number but even so, off his Southern Hemisphere service fee Frankel's profitability was an outstanding $490,596.

Two of his progeny, a half-brother to the dual Group 1 winner Nettoyer (Sebring) and a filly descending from the great Hasili (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) family fetched $900,000.

A top service fee multiple was delivered by the high-class sprinter Harry Angel (Ire). He had only four yearlings at the sale, but all sold; an average of $256,250 off a $16,500 (inc GST) service fee (one which has more than doubled since) at an outstanding 17.3 multiple; breeders seeing that as a bargain price as it was the biggest book of mares he has served in Australia.

Tassort's big results off a low service fee

Newgate Farm’s Tassort was still standing for his first-season fee of $11,000 (inc GST) in 2022 and on the back of his debut crop success which included two of the best 2-year-old fillies; Manaal and Ameena, his progeny were understandably in demand.

All but one of his 13 yearlings were sold for an average of $205,833 at an excellent return on investment rate of 20.8, three selling for above sale average. His best seller was a $500,000 colt out of the dual Group 2 winner Shumookh (Dream Ahead {USA}).

Tassort is represented by Secret Sort in Friday’s big race; a longshot but one with consistent form and a good barrier draw (2).

Gallery: Some of the stallions with excellent return on investment

Yarraman Park’s G1 William Reid S. winner Hellbent was another quiet achiever; off a $22,000 service fee he was able to achieve an average of $211,818 with 11 sales from 12 offerings. At a very good 10.7 x multiple of his service fee, with two fetching above sale average.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club took home his biggest priced yearling, a $425,000 colt out of a three-quarter-brother to the Listed winner Harlem River (Fastnet Rock), with his brother Hell To Pay (Hellbent) lining up in Friday night's Magic Millions 3YO Guineas.

Kia Ora’s G1 Golden Slipper winner Farnan had his second crop of yearlings go through the ring with 20 sold and just three passed in for an average of $276,750 off a service fee of $55,000 (inc GST). His return of investment from his service fee was 5.6 x his service fee.

Seven of his progeny proved more popular than the sale average including a $750,000 half-brother to last year’s R. Listed Magic Millions Cup winner Semana (Winning Rupert) who has accepted to run in two races on Friday: well-fancied in both.

Farnan has had eight debut crop runners so far, the stakes-placed North England his first winner. That Golden Gift winner is a member of the Waterhouse and Bott stable, and they must like what they are seeing from the breed, as they took four home from the sale.

Yulong’s G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Tagaloa is yet to have a debut crop winner, but he is worth a mention as whilst represented by only four yearlings, all sold for an average of $190,000 of a $30,250 (inc GST) service fee which has since decreased. His return on investment was 7.0 x his service fee.

Table: Top 10 stallions by multiple of yearling conception service fee

The Champion Sires

It is harder for the most expensive stallions to deliver a high multiple of service fee but the actual dollar profits for some stallions was good. As was their popularity in regards to clearance rates and averages.

Such as with Snitzel, the sale’s most successful stallion by average; $765,556 off a $220,000 (inc GST) service fee for the Arrowfield Stud-based, four-time Australian Champion Sire.

He had 27 sell with only four passed in, at an average of 3.9 x his service fee. None of his yearlings sold for below the sale average, thankfully, for those who outlaid the fee and bred a yearling with enough quality to appear at the Magic Millions sale. His best result being a $2.8 million colt out of the Group 3 mare Humma Humma (Denman).

That colt was one of the four seven-figure results for Snitzel, the most of any stallion at the sale. Snitzel also kept up his standing as being outstanding in terms of profitability, with his supporters on average receiving $517,556 profit.

The sale’s most successful stallion by gross was Yarraman Park’s reigning Australian Champion Sire I Am Invincible who stood for $247,500 (inc GST) in 2022 - a figure close to the sale average of $269,388. He had 38 sell, nine pass in, for an average of $580,395; a multiple of 2.60 x his service fee and a profitablity of $307,645 which is a very good effort of his high service fee price that season.

All bar three of his attracted higher than overall sale average prices with three fetching seven figure sums including a $2.3 million full sister to the dual Group 1-winning sprinter In Secret. I Am Invincible could be in for a big Friday night with nine runners including Invincible Woman and Hi Barbie who are both major chances in the main event.

Yulong’s Champion Sire Written Tycoon had 14 sell and nine pass in. His average of $538,214 came off a $165,000 (inc GST) fee. His average is a multiple of 3.6 x that service fee, with only three of his attracting below sale average prices. His average rate of profitability was a very good $339,714.

Two of his sold for $1.8 million, a filly out of the multiple Group winner Away Game (Snitzel) and a colt out of the dual Group 1-winning sprinter In Her Time (Time Thief).

Both are bred on the highly success Written Tycoon/Redoute’s Choice cross with the former bred on the same more specific Written Tycoon/Snitzel cross as the Group 1 winners Private Life, Velocious and Captured By Love.

Other notable commercial results

Coolmore Stud's Wootton Bassett (GB) had 24 sell, five pass in for an average of $430,417 off a service fee of $71,500 (inc GST). Seventeen of his sold for higher than the sale average with his biggest result being a $1.7 million colt out of a stakes-placed imported mare from the family of Storm Bird (Can).

There are eight winners amongst Wootton Bassett’s first 17 Australian runners with his two stakes winners so far being imported gallopers. Of his first locally bred horses; this season’s juveniles, two of his six runners are winners whilst Wiltshire Square is his first stakes performer. He delivered a multiple of 6.7 his service fee for breeders and a very good $316,067 profitability rate for breeders that used him in 2022.

Gallery: Other stallions with notable results

Vinery Stud’s G1 Caulfield Guineas and G1 Golden Rose winner Ole Kirk boasted a 100 per cent clearance rate with his 13 youngsters offered all finding buyers.

Off a $55,000 (inc GST) service fee, he achieved an average of $230,000; 4.6 x his service fee. Four sold for above overall average with his most sought-after yearling being a $700,000 son of the Warwick Farm winner Pop Girl (Snitzel).

Home Affiars, Stay Inside and co.

Newgate Farm’s G1 Golden Slipper S. hero Stay Inside has 120 debut crop members and 38 were on offer, 34 of those selling for an average of $295,147 off a $77,000 (inc GST) service fee, with his progeny averaging a multiple of 4.3 x fee.

Nineteen of his youngsters proved more popular than the sales average, his best seller being a $1 million (the first seven-figure yearling sold by Eureka Stud) out of the Doomben winner Bleu Zebra (I Am Invincible).

Darley’s multiple Group 1-winning sprinter/miler Pinatubo (Ire) has 84 debut Australian crop members, 15 of whom were sold last week with four being passed in; an average of $229,667 off a $55,000 (inc GST) service fee and a 4.6 multiple on service fee.

Two sold for better than sale average with his headliner being a $700,000 (the most expensive purchase ever for Lindsay Park) colt out of the four time Group winner Fiesta (I Am Invincible).

Gallery: Top first-season sire results at the 2025 Magic Million Gold Coast Yearling Sale

With the highest average ($383,298) of all the first season stallions at the sale, Coolmore Stud’s dual Group 1 winner Home Affairs had 47 sell, eight pass in off a $110,000 debut season service fee. His price came down during his next two years at stud so there will be some very happy broodmare owners out there.

His return on investment from his service fee was 3.9 with 25 selling for above the sale average including the Japan bound record breaking $3.2 million filly out of Sunlight (Zoustar). She was one of his two seven figure yearlings, the most of any of the sale’s first season stallions.

Table: Top 10 stallions by profitability index

Please note $50,000 has been used as an amount as a guide for approximate costs to reach the yearling sales.

New Zealanders creating a big impression

Cambridge Stud’s G1 Sistema S. winner Sword Of State created a big impression with his first yearlings through the ring. He did not have the large numbers of others but six of his eight sold, three of those over the average.

His average of $240,888 was outstanding off a service fee of NZ$15,000 (plus GST); an excellent 16.1 x multiple.

Waikato Stud’s G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas hero Noverre (NZ) had only three at the sale but they all sold (two above sale average) and they really impressed the good judges with their average price of $350,000 concieved off a NZ$10,000 (plus GST) service fee. This was at an outstanding 35 x his stated service fee and his profitability rate was also an outstanding figure of $340,000.

Gallery: New Zealand stallions that enjoyed excellent returns at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale

Staggeringly, and in a strong example of 'newness bias' Noverre actually outperformed his exceptional Champion sire Savabeel (three sold, one passed in) in regards to average ($281,667).

The results for Sword Of State and Noverre made it an exciting sale for New Zealand breeders supporting those two young stallions, as all eyes turn toward Karaka next week.