The 2023 Magic Millions Yearling Sale is off to a flying start on the Gold Coast, with more than $36 million splashed on horses on the opening day on Tuesday.
Organisers of the event are hoping for another big day when the sales continue this morning after one horse was auctioned for a whopping $1.65 million.
The colt by champion sire I Am Invincible and from former glamour racemare Mossfun topped day one of the sales after an entertaining bidding battle.
Offered by breeder Emirates Park, the much admired colt attracted an opening bid of $500,000 before bidding quickly reached seven figures and then beyond.
When the gavel fell it was the Hawkes Racing team who held the winning bid at $1.65 million.
Trainers Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes prepared Mossfun during a racetrack career that netted three group victories including the Golden Slipper Stakes.
“We’re racing for a lot of prizemoney now and this colt just stood out when we saw him,” Michael Hawkes said.
“You come to the sales expecting to go home with lovely horses and when you see a horse of this calibre especially out of a horse like Mossfun that we had a lot to do with, it doesn’t get much better.
“There’s a lot of similarities to Mossfun and he really does look like mum quite a bit. He’s just a bigger version.
“We love his athleticism, he’s got a great attitude and wanted to work it and had that beautiful fluid walk. It doesn’t get much better from an I Am Invincible out of a Slipper winner.”
There were two other horses that were auctioned for more than $1 million on Day One as some of the biggest names in racing flocked to Bundall for the much-anticipated event.
All up across the opening day, 134 lots sold for an average price of $271,343, bettering last year’s Day One average of $248,000.
Day Two will commence at 10am this morning.
Watch the video below to learn more about the 2023 The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale:
