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A daughter of Playing God has set a new record for a price paid for a WA yearling
A sister last year's Railway Stakes winner Busler obliterated the record price for a yearling in Western Australia on Day 1 of this year's Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale.
The Mungrup Pty Ltd-prepared filly, by Playing God out of Cosmah Domination, got to $625,000 before being knocked down to prominent Victorian agent Sheamus Mills.
"I say this with all due respect, I don't want to go to a sale and just buy the most expensive horse," Mills said.
"I want to go to a sale and buy a horse that I really, really rate as a racehorse. I haven't seen a better physical specimen this year.
"She, physically, just to me, looked like everything you'd want in a racehorse."
Mills' big buy, who was Lot 41, is the fourth filly from Cosmah Domination, a daughter of Oratorio whose only two to the races are Bustler, a winner of seven from 17 starts and $1,671,650, and Group 2 WA Guineas runner-up A Lot Of Good Men.
It was not the long-standing record of $365,000, set by an Elusive Quality filly in 2007, that the Playing God filly eclipsed as the highest-priced WA yearling with a son of Brazen Beau having already readjusted that mark.
The Yarradale Stud youngster, who went through as Lot 26, had a brief stint as the record-holder after selling to China Horse Club, William Racings WA and Suman Hedge for $375,000.
"We thought he was the best colt in the sale," Grant Williams said.
"We went to Sydney last week and I don't think we saw one as good as that.
"He's got a beautiful body, nice and strong, (and a) good attitude.
"He ticked all of our boxes. It (the price) was right on our limit and we were hoping it wouldn't go any further."
Playing God also had the third and fourth-highest yearlings sold, a colt who sold for $350,000 and a filly who sold for $250,000, the same as a daughter of Zoustar who rounded out the top five.
Day 1 saw 143 lots were sold at a record average price of over $99,178 with a gross of $14,182,500 and a 79 percent clearance rate.
That clearance rate is well down on last year's 89 percent with the 2023 gross $13,380,000 with a $93,566 average.
DAY 1 SALE STATISTICS (2023 Book 1 in brackets)
Lots Catalogued: 192 (177)
Lots Sold: 143 (143)
Lots Passed In: 37 (18)
Lots Withdrawn: 12 (16)
Sale Gross: $14,182,500 ($13,380,000)
Top Price: $625,000 ($350,000)
Average Price: $99,178 ($93,566)
Median Price: $80,000 ($72,500)
Sold %: 79.4 (89)
DAY 1 TOP SELLERS
$625,000: Playing God-Cosmah Domination filly (bought by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock)
$375,000: Brazen Beau-Burgoyne colt (China Horse Club/ Williams Racing WA/Suman Hedge Bloodstock)
$350,000: Playing God-Boutique colt (Premium Bloodstock Services)
$250,000: Playing God-Precious Cargo filly (China Horse Club)
$250,000: Zoustar-Run All Night filly (Kennewell Racing/Group 1 Bloodstock)