With the exception of the season disrupted by Equine Influenza, Australia has never waited this long for the first live yearling sale of the year, but Magic Millions is now set to open its Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The globally recognised auction, which attracts buyers from around the world, begins on Tuesday and runs through until Sunday at the Bundall complex.
The Gold Coast sales grounds have been bustling since early last week as buyers arrived to inspect lots, and Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said the later-than-usual January start has only added to the anticipation.
“Inspections started here Tuesday and I think vendors and buyers were both eager to get here given the fact we’re that little bit further away from New Year than normal,” Bowditch said.
“Everyone’s got in and got a lot of inspections done, it’s been fairly solid on the complex, and there are a lot of nice horses.
“The inspectors, agents and buyers are predicting there’s great depth to the catalogue. There’s a fantastic middle (market), there are some very significant horses in the catalogue that are going to go very well and, all in all, from an inspections perspective Magic Millions is delighted.”
The 1221-lot sale gets underway at 11am on Tuesday, following the barrier draws for the $3 million 2YO Classic and $3 million 3YO Guineas, which will be conducted on the sands of Broadbeach.
A Written Tycoon colt out of Away Game and an I Am Invincible filly out of Avantage headline the 210 lots catalogued for Day 1, followed by 240 lots on both Wednesday and Thursday.
Friday will again feature the popular ‘super session’ with 290 yearlings offered, before Book 2 concludes the sale on Sunday with a further 241 lots.
“The Super Session is logical, it was well received last year, and it worked extremely well,” Bowditch said.
“Obviously, we had some massive fireworks late in the sale, and the sale topper came in the last hour of the sale.”
The 2025 sale-topper was the Home Affairs filly out of Sunlight, who fetched a record-breaking $3.2 million.
Across Book 1 last year, just over $205 million was spent, with an average price of $272,507.
This year’s catalogue includes 31 yearlings out of Group 1 winners, including a standout I Am Invincible filly out of Qafila prepared by Coolmore Stud.
That filly is set to sell early in the Super Session, while Arrowfield’s colt by Snitzel out of Iffranesia, a brother to Beadman, looms as another potential headline lot when offered on Day 2.
Interest is also strong across leading Australian betting sites ahead of the Magic Millions racing features that frame the week.
The sale again offers the first chance to buy stock by leading first-season sires, headed by nine-time Group 1 winner and former Horse of the Year Anamoe, who has 31 yearlings catalogued.
The post All set for Magic Millions 2026 sale on the Gold Coast first appeared on Just Horse Racing.
