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Laurel Oak Bloodstock has come away with the most sought-after colt in Adelaide.
Louis Mihalyka pulled off a successful hit-run mission on the Adelaide Magic Millions Yearling Sale when he landed the youngster who would end up the highest-priced colt of this year's offering.
The Laurel Oak Bloodstock operator paid $360,000 for the son of Extreme Choice and Congrats mare Tiara Star who was offered by Rushton Park.
It was the first time back at Morphettville in several years for Mihalyka and the youngster who went through as Lot 262 was one of the main reasons why.
"I haven't been to Adelaide for some years, but I went through the catalogue this year and I thought there were a couple of horses there I fancy, they were all on the Tuesday, so I flew in last night," Mihalyka said.
"We're flying home this afternoon, but we've got the main one we want."
Mihalyka outlasted South Australian native Tony McEvoy for the colt, who will head to Lindsay Park to be trained by Ben, Will and JD Hayes.
Laurel Oak's big buy was the only product of Newgate Farm's star stallion being offered at the sale and Mihalyka said being offered in Adelaide gave him the opportunity to get him.
"We're into our pedigrees and it's a good mating, it's a good match for the mare, and I like the stallion, obviously," he said.
"It's very hard to buy one by him and I guess, if you're going to do it, maybe Adelaide is the place to be trying to buy it, not Magic Millions (Gold Coast Sale) for us little battler types.
"We thought we'd give it a go and I suppose, in the end, whether it was going to be $310,000 or $360,000, it wasn't a huge difference if that's the one we wanted and that's the one we came here for."
The Extreme Choice colt was the second highest-priced lot of the sale behind the I Am Invincible filly who sold for $400,000 on Day 1.
The next two highest-priced lots of the sale were both by Justify, a colt also from the Rushton Park draft who sold for $300,000 on Day 1 and a colt from Bowness Stud who sold to Bennett Racing for $250,000 late on the second day.
All up, $15,379,500 changed hands across the two days, which was down a tick over $2 million on last year – when more horses were offered – but this year's $50,260 average was slightly up on 2023's $49,594.
The median in each of the past two years was $40,000, while this week's 79 percent clearance rate was down on last year's 84 percent.