TOM Magnier and Yulong matched each other at the Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling sale, both landing colts for A$2 million to top the first three sessions.

Early on Tuesday, day one, Magnier purchased lot 59, a Frankel colt out of the Lonhro mare Antibes from Segenhoe Stud.

“He was one of the standouts and we’ve had a lot of luck with Segenhoe,” said Magnier.

“We’ve had a lot more Frankels in the northern hemisphere than in the southern hemisphere so we know them well. All the team really liked him. He has a lovely fluid action and he ticks all the boxes.

“We’ve bought him in a syndicate with Chris [Waller] so he’ll go straight in with him. Fair play to Peter O’Brien and [breeder] John Camilleri. They breed good horses and we’re just delighted to be a part of it.”

On day two, it was Yulong’s turn to top the session when they went to $2 million for the Extreme Choice out of the Hinchinbrook mare Hazlebrook.

“He’s a very special colt, he was our only target that we definitely needed to buy,” said Yulong General Manager Jun Zhang.

Stallion ambition

“We can see some stallion potential with him and also we own the sister as well, so we try and create our own families so that is another reason why we had to get him. Extreme Choice is a very successful stallion and could be a history [making] stallion in the future, so this is why Mr Zhang is trying to get every Extreme Choice he can.”

After three sessions, the top-priced filly changed hands on Thursday when Arrowfield sold the Snitzel filly out of the unraced War Emblem mare Madame Andree to Hermitage Thoroughbreds for $1.6 million.

“Obviously we’ve had a lot of luck with a Snitzel filly recently [triple Group 1 winner Lady Shenandoah] and that’s probably guided us into this filly today,” said Hermitage’s Shannon Clarke.

“That was our limit. That was where we were going to sit and my heart was pounding at that point and I’m happy that we were able to secure her. We have a lot of luck with Arrowfield-bred horses, sold horses. It’s a great partnership that we have and long may it continue.”

AFTER three completed sessions of Book 1’s four sessions, the Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale was tracking to match and exceed last year’s results.

“The auctioneers were of the opinion that it was really, really genuine and even in that $80,000 to $150,000 bracket there were plenty of bids coming and it was a good market to be auctioneering in, which is fantastic,” said Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch.

“The average is holding at $281,000 [last year’s average was $269,388] which has been consistent for the week, the median is $200,000 and hasn’t moved and the clearance rate that continues to thrive is above 85 per cent now. These are numbers that are very much in line with our expectations.

“We’ve had 30 lots less at this point in time compared to last year but the gross is up around $1.7 million on last year so we are tracking along nicely and we have a similar day to last year coming up.”

With 116 of the 520 to sell making $400,000 or greater, 12 yearlings have broken through seven figures after three sessions. They are led by Snitzel with five in that group, followed by I Am Invincible with three, and two each to Extreme Choice and Frankel.

IN the headline event of the newly minted Magic Millions Gold Raceday, a prelude to the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, the Kelly Schweida-trained Grafterburners, franked his race favouritism with an easy win in Saturday night’s A$3 million slot race, the Magic Millions Sunlight 3YO Plate over the Gold Coast’’s 1,100 metres.

The three-year-old Graff colt landed the race’s second edition by nearly two lengths ahead of the Farnam colt Nashville Jack and the I Am Invincible filly Sylph. The win brought up Grafterburners’ sixth win from 12 starts and his fourth in succession, nudging him past $2 million in career earnings.

“He was outstanding,” said jockey James McDonald. ”Credit to Kelly and his team, they turned him out in immaculate order. He drew a good gate and he put himself in the box seat, he did everything he was asked and he’s just a good horse.

“It’s always a great carnival to be a part of and it’s nice to win on a beautiful colt like this.”

JOCKEY Robert Whearty from Co Meath landed a winner at Flemington from his only ride there last Saturday.

Piloting the Irish-bred Night Of Thunder horse, Midnite Storm for Ciaron Maher, Whearty got the $9 chance home by a half-length in the National Jockeys Trust Trophy over 1,600 metres.

“Unbelievable, some atmosphere here. First time here and I’m glad it was a good one,” said Whearty, who has had 24 rides on 11 different tracks for three wins and four placings so far in Victoria.

“Everyone told me it’s unbelievable and I must do it. I’m glad to get there. It’s a very nice course to ride, obviously it’s top class.

“I got my licence extended the other day so I’m out here for another couple of weeks. Hopefully I can get on a couple more of these racecourses.

“There’s a lot of lads I keep contact with back home. Shane Foley’s only recently over and he’s been a big help. He’s been around a long time, he knows the ins and outs of the game so I just go to him if I’ve got any issues or problems or need a little bit of advice.”

WHILST Shane Foley missed out at Flemington on Saturday on the Robbie Griffiths-trained Mr Magnus, he has chalked up two wins and three placings so far from his 16 rides on his return.

“I enjoyed it last year, I rode a few winners, and the lifestyle is good, the weather more so than anything. It’s minus 4 at home at the moment,” quipped Foley.

“Its a quiet time at home for us now, it’s just literally all weather, Dundalk, and there’s not much happening until the end of February so it’s a kind of working holiday, as the lads say.

“It took me a while to adapt last year, it’s a lot different to how we ride at home. But I’m a lot more familiar this year; with the tracks, the jockeys, the way they ride, and the way people like their horses to be ridden.”

Asked about the year just past, Foley was quick to highlight the Jessica Harrington-trained Barnavara. “We’ve had a good year, we topped it off with a Group 1 winner in France, a filly that won the Prix de l’Opera, Barnavara. She went on and then was sold to Yulong and I think she joins Mr Waller at the end of the month and she could be a Via Sistina ‘fill-in’ we hope, so looking forward to seeing her continue her career here. She was the highlight of my year last year.”

Based at Cranbourne, Foley is mostly riding out for Ciaron Maher and Robbie Griffiths.