History was made on Wednesday when a cracking filly by Sepoy sold for $850,000 and topped the opening day of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

New Zealand based bloodstock agent Michael Wallace secured the filly from the draft of South Australia’s Mill Park for the China Horse Club.

The filly, a gorgeous chestnut, is the first foal of the stakes winning Starcraft mare Celebrity Girl and was catalogued as Lot 143.

In being sold for $850,000 the filly set a record – the highest price ever achieved by a yearling on the Gold Coast by a first season sire.

“She’s a filly with an exceptional pedigree,” Wallace said. “She has great similarities between her sire and her mother.”

“She’s an outstanding first foal from some of the best breeders in Australia in Mill Park so she had plenty going for her.”

“It was probably a little more than we expected to pay, but diamonds don’t come cheap,” Wallace added.

Mill Park, who previously prepared the Magic Millions graduates including Happy Trails, Divine Madonna, Devil Moon, Undoubtedly and Mummify, presented the filly on behalf of her Adelaide based breeders Trevor and Beth Robertson.

The day’s top seller was one of six yearlings to sell for Sepoy a former outstanding sprinter at an average price of $367,500. At the conclusion of the day the only sire to return a better average with numerous sales was Fastnet Rock at $433,333.

Two lots sold for $600,000 – the More Than Ready-Chinchilla Rose colt to Gai Waterhouse and the Fastnet Rock-Delta Girl colt to Chris Waller.

“She’s a young mare, she was a brilliant mare and he’s by a proven sire,” Waterhouse said of her purchase of Lot 153 from the draft of Segenhoe Stud.

“He’s a really sexy, loose type of horse – exactly the sort of horse that attracts my attention. I thought he was very special.”

Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox said he was pleased with the opening session of the sale with most figures well up on the corresponding session 12 months earlier.

“It’s been sensational,” Cox said. “Effectively you can say the market is up 20 per cent which is outstanding.”

“In saying that there’s horses here to be sold. Buyers should not be intimidated by the market as there’s some really nice lots who were passed in who will turn out to be good horses.”

“There will be some great opportunities coming up during the next few days,” he added.

Cox said the market had responded positively to an outstanding line up of yearlings by exciting first season sires including Sepoy, Smart Missile, Foxwedge and So You Think.

“You wouldn’t have ever thought a first season sire would be sitting that higher level for a start but to be there topping the market is incredible.”

Day Two of the Gold Coast Yearling Sale will commence at 11am (Qld time) tomorrow at the Bundall sales complex.

To view the results from today and to make an offer on a passed in lot click here. To see a video review of the day click here.

SALE STATISTICS
(2004 Day One in brackets)

Lots Catalogued: 200 (190)
Lots Sold: 140 (137)
Lots Passed In: 41 (34)
Sale Gross: $23,335,000 ($19,400,000)
Top Price: $850,000 ($450,000)
Average Price: $166,679 ($141,506)
Median Price: $130,000 ($130,000)
Sold %: 80 (77)

DAY ONE TOP SELLERS

$850,000 – Sepoy-Celebrity Girl filly (Lot 143)
Vendor: Mill Park (As Agent) / Buyer: China Horse Club (HK)

$600,000 – More Than Ready-Chinchilla Rose colt (Lot 153)
Segenhoe Stud Australia Pty Ltd (As Agent for Fairway T’breds) / Gai Waterhouse Racing (NSW)

$600,000 – Fastnet Rock-Delta Girl colt (Lot 195)
Coolmore Stud (As Agent) / Chris Waller Racing P/L (NSW)

$575,000 – Redoute’s Choice-Dances On Waves colt (Lot 185)
Mill Park (As Agent) / Stallion Racing/Jadeskye Racing (NSW)

$460,000 – Sepoy-Academy Idol colt (Lot 43)
Riversdale (As Agent) / David Raphael (NSW)

$450,000 – Redoute’s Choice-Augusta Proud filly (Lot 86)
Broadwater Thoroughbreds (As Agent) / Jon Kelly (USA)/Gai Waterhouse Racing (NSW)

$450,000 – Redoute’s Choice-Awesome Planet colt (Lot 91)
Newgate Farm (As Agent) / Gary Mudgway Bloodstock (Vic)

LEADING SIRES
(ranked by average – 2 or more sold)

$433,333 – Fastnet Rock – 3 sold
$367,500 – Sepoy – 6 sold
$365,833 – Redoute’s Choice – 6 sold
$260,000 – More Than Ready – 4 sold
$237,500 – Commands – 2 sold