“THE horse is expensive but he’s out of a very good mare from a running family and he’s probably the best Snitzel I’ve seen,” was the quote from Damion Flower, who with trainer Gerald Ryan, went to A$1.6 million to land the Snitzel colt out of Dehere mare Mirror Mirror at the end the second session of Book 1 at the 2016 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale. Ryan, who trained Snitzel with Flower as a part-owner, added: “I reckon he’s the best colt I’ve seen in the last three years.”

The colt was one of two Snitzels to top seven figures with Dean Hawathorne going to $1.1 million to land the full-brother to the Group 1 winner Sweet Idea for a syndicate that will send the colt to Hawkes Racing.

After two sessions the sale average was $191,031 with a median of $150,000 for 344 lots sold at the clearance rate of 88%.

Snitzel, with 28 sold was the leading sire by average and aggregate at the halfway point with Fastnet Rock, Sebring and Street Cry hot on his trail. Arrowfield was just shading Baramul in the vendors’ ledger while Gai Waterhouse and China Horse Club were at 19 and 16 purchases respectively as the leading buyers. Two of the Waterhouse buys were in partnership with Irish agent Dermot Farrington whose tally was five after two sessions.

Book 1 continues till Saturday with the final 97 lot session held at the conclusion of the Magic Millions Raceday at the Gold Coast racecourse, directly opposite the sales complex.

TAUPIRI dairy farmer John Morell landed his first winner at Ellerslie in the best possible style on New Year’s Day with a Group 1 win in the Railway Stakes. The trainer, who co-owns and bred Ryan Mark with his daughter Anna saddled up the race favourite in wet conditions to suit, with a group win and three group placings from his past four starts boosting Morell’s confidence.

The Thorn Park five-year-old gelding got home by a neck defeating the Guillotine gelding Allez Eagle with the Coats Choice gelding Natuzzi third.. “We’ve bred some really nice horses from the mare but this guy is clearly the best,” said Morell. “We never got to see the best of Annalee (Ryan Mark’s dam) but hopefully now we’ve done her proud with this win.”