ACROSS Monday and Tuesday, 353 sold at Inglis’ Riverside complex next Warwick Farm racetrack for the staggering gross of A$137,770,000 as 26 yearlings were bought for A$1 million or greater as fears of a downturn linked to rising interest rates were allayed.

Topping the sale at A$1.8 million was The Autumn Sun half-sister to the Golden Rose winner In The Congo, a pinhook who had been bought by Silverdale Farm and Shrone Bloodstock for $600,000 at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.

“What a result,” said Rob Petith of Silverdale. “Everyone is over the moon. This is all the long days, late nights, early starts, this is what we do it for.”

The filly was purchased by Arrowfield Stud and Hermitage Thoroughbreds with John Messara describing the filly as: “...a particularly exciting prospect because of her physical characteristics.

“She had balance, she had scope, she had substance, she was a great mover, she had everything you look for.”

Of the millionaire yearlings, nine were by I Am Invincible, seven by Snitzel, two by The Autumn Sun, Written Tycoon and Zoustar, and one each by Russian Revolution, Fastnet Rock, Deep Field and Pierro. Coolmore paid $1.6 million for the Snitzel colt, the 11th foal out of Ultimate Fever, who proved to be the top priced colt at the sale.

Overall the sale averaged $390,283 with a median of $280,000 as the sale posted a clearance rate of 84%, the metrics of which were all fractionally down from 2022. With 68 yearlings entered in the catalogue of 457, Arrowfield were comfortably the leading vendors, selling 54 for an aggregate of $22.26 million.

On the buyers side of the leger, Yuesheng Zhang’s Yulong Investments, based in Victoria, were by a handy margin the heaviest buyers, outlying $11.685 million for 23 yearlings at an average of $508,043.

Tom Magnier signed for colts by Snitzel (two) and I Am Invincible, whist Dermot Farrington bought five fillies including three by Pierro, as well as buying in partnership with Brae Sokolski’s Yes Bloodstock to secure the full-brother to Verry Elleegant for $260,000 to be trained by Chris Waller.

Of the stallions, the powerhouse economic drivers that are I Am Invincible and Snitzel continues, the pair having 39 and 40 sale entries respectively.

Topping the aggregate and averages was I Am Invincible, his 31 to sell totalling $24,455,000 at an average of $788,871, whilst Snitzel’s 34 to sell made $21,270,000 at the average of $625,588.