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Hall of Fame trainer for competition inspired bloodstock agent

Sheamus Mills headed to Day 1 of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale keen on securing the filly by Snitzel out of Serena Bay, but a couple of factors on the day of the sale increased his determination to get her.

The first was that her older half-sister, Alinea, a daughter of Written Tycoon, comfortably won a Canterbury trial on Tuesday morning.

But the second, and most important, was that Gai Waterhouse was part of the competition for the Newgate Farm-prepared filly.

Waterhouse trains Alinea and her older half-sister Summer Loving, a daughter of Exceed And Excel who finished third in the 2022 Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

It was all the encouragement Mills needed to go to $1.25 million for the filly.

"I got a little bit of extra incentive when I realised that Gai was on it," Mills said.

"I think she's got the last two (out of Serena Bay), including the one that trialled this morning, so she's got to think something of them if she's punching us along this far.

"Thanks to Gai for that last little bit of incentive."

Mills' buy was the most expensive filly sold on Day 1 of the sale, edging out the I Am Invincible-Outback Barbie filly Tony Gollan bought for $1.2 million, and the second highest-priced lot of the sale to date.

The top lot is the I Am Invincible colt out of Palace Talk, who was bought in partnership by Te Akau Racing and Tom Magnier for $1.3 million.

Te Akau Racing also had its name attached to the day's other seven-figure lot, a colt by Zoustar out of More Than Ready mare Ready To Soar who sold for $1.1 million.

All up, $45,878,000 worth of bloodstock changed hands at the opening session with horses selling at an average of $283,198 – a figure that was up more than $10,000 on the previous Day 1 record.

The median was $210,000 with a clearance rate of 84.38 percent.