Pinatubo filly sets new record as Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale gets back on track
Magic Millions’ Tasmanian Yearling Sale bounced back in resounding fashion from its flat 2025 edition, with a deeper range of quality yearlings bringing a vastly improved average and gross – and a new all-time record price.
Armidale Stud’s half-sister to Melbourne stakes-winning filly Yum (Ghaiyyath) – by another young Darley shuttle stallion in Pinatubo (Shamardal) – sold to the Redgum Racing enterprise of Yum’s trainer John McArdle for $170,000.
On a day when the top three lots – and five of the top six – were fillies, the price for the Pinatubo more than doubled last year’s high and broke the sale’s nine-year-old record of $160,000, for subsequent six-time winner and stakes-placed Queen La Diva (Snippetson).
Nine lots sold for more than last year’s high mark of just $80,000, with five hitting six figures – all sold by renowned Tasmanian farm Armidale Stud.
On Monday evening, the average sat on $36,090 – up a huge 53.5 per cent on last year’s results. The gross stood at $2,815,000 – a 44 per cent increase from 12 months ago, despite five fewer lots being sold (78).
The clearance rate of 72 per cent was down slightly from 74 per cent in 2025, while the median was up 18 per cent at $21,000.
Overall, it was a sale that had Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch beaming, reasoning the Tasmanian ship had been righted through a drive to have fewer quality yearlings from the state sent to the mainland for sale, and a correlating push to attract more mainland buyers.
“It was a pleasing sale,” Bowditch told ANZ News. “We were coming off a low benchmark with last year, but it was pleasing to be back in line with 2024, or slightly better.”
The 2024 sale had an average of $29,984 and a median of $24,000, with only two six figure lots topped by one of $145,000.
“In most cases, there was a good appetite for the quality horses in the catalogue, which you see with five six-figure yearlings and a new record sale-topper,” Bowditch said.
“And the vibe, the energy in the room, was a helluva lot better than last year.
“The breeders have come with us on a journey. We had some particularly nice horses here, and they sold like nice horses. They were very well received.”
The sale appeared to have benefited from lessons learned from last year regarding the quality of horses kept in Tasmania for sale, and from strategies such as more engagement with the south of the state. At the head of that move was the decision to shift the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m), run earlier this month, from Launceston to Hobart.
Increased bonuses and incentives through Tasbred had also had a positive impact, Bowditch said, but more opportunities remained to parlay this year’s sale result into a still stronger edition in 2027.
“I still believe there’s an opportunity for more interstate buyers to come here and see what it’s about, because they are nice horses and when you look at results of sales so far this year, there’s still good value to be had here,” Bowditch said.
“You’d also still like to see more local buyers get in and support the sale. We need a bit more vigour from our local market.
“That’s something I want to continue to speak to Tasracing about, to do our best to give owners and trainers and syndicators the best opportunity to work here in Tasmania.
“We want to continue to work with Tasmania to give local people more reason to play a part here, come and engage in the auction process, and take home some nice yearlings.”
He added: “Nearly all the best horses in the state have been bought out of this sale. So I hope the locals show a bit of faith, come here and put their hand up.
“Fundamentally, that’s where it begins, and if we’ve got a good catalogue next year – and there’s no reason why we can’t get the breeders to support it – I feel there’s also more impetus on getting more mainland buyers here.
“I think the quality of horses here this year gives the mainland buyers who did come the faith to come back again.”
Bowditch said the “proof is in the pudding” that quality horses would attract “the right buyers”, but work would continue to promote the sale.
“The bonuses Tasbred are putting out there are more than enough. It’s more about engaging and showcasing what it’s about down here and selling this sale as best we can,” he said.
“Us moving our race to Hobart this year, engaging with the south, is something we can continue to do more with. I think that worked really well, in terms of giving confidence to take part in the auction from the locals’ perspective.”
Star of the show on Monday was Lot 93, the daughter of Pinatubo out of Dream Food (Snitzel), a two-time winner and sibling to two stakes victors, and dam of four winners from four runners.
All four were bred by Melbourne octogenarian Ken Breese, who handed Yum to McArdle after she was passed in at the Tasmania sale two years ago, and who’ll be staying in the Pinatubo filly.
“I’m very pleased to get her,” McArdle told ANZ News after his lone purchase at the sale.
“Obviously, I train her half-sister Yum, so this filly was one that was always on the radar and so to get down here and get her was a very good result.
“She’s very similar to Yum but probably a little bit sharper. Being by Pinatubo, that’s probably sharpened her up a little bit.
“She’s strong like her sister, probably a bit more correct than Yum as a yearling, but she’s very typical of the family, so once I saw her I was very keen to buy her.”
McArdle has trained other relatives including dual Group winner I’ll Have A Bit (Smart Missile) and the stakes-placed Eye Of The Eagle (Alpine Eagle).
“Ken’s a very good breeder and we’ve had a lot of success together. I bought I’ll Have A Bit off him, and he gave me Yum to train, so it’s been a relationship that’s been going a long time,” said McArdle, impressed with the sale overall.
“Tassie breeders do a great job presenting their horses and Magic Millions get the right people down here, and they’ve had a pretty solid sale, so a good job done by all.
“I’ve been coming here for many years and I’ve had a fair bit of success out of Tassie.”
The sale was a runaway success for Armidale Stud, which sold not only the top five lots but eight of the top nine.
Second-up was Lot 50, a filly by Capitalist (Written Tycoon) out of Tasmanian stakes-placed mare Speedonova (Tough Speed), bought for $120,000 by My Racehorse, trainer Stuart Gandy and Belmont Bloodstock.
The third highest priced yearling was Lot 62, a filly by Darley’s first-season sire Paulele (Dawn Approach) out of placed mare Ventura (Lonhro), a sister to Group 1 winner and subsequent sire Denman. She was sold to Prime Thoroughbreds for $115,000.
Armidale was leading vendor by average, with the operation having sold 21 yearlings at an average of $68,238, while they recorded a gross of $1,433,000). Motree Thoroughbreds was second by gross at $461,000) and Grenville Stud third with $364,000.
Trainer John Blacker was leading buyer, spending $346,500 on 12 lots, ahead of Star Thoroughbreds, parting with $295,000 for four.
Armidale stallion Needs Further (Encosta De Lago) was leading sire, with 11 lots yielding $503,000, ahead of Grenville’s Stratosphere (Snitzel), who had 16 lots sold for $471,500.
Armidale sold its two three-quarter sisters to Tasmanian legend Mystic Journey (Needs Further). Lot 26 – by Needs Further out of Oh So Gold (Savoire Vivre) – was bought for $100,000 by Star Thoroughbreds and Randwick Bloodstock Agency, while Lot 112 – by Needs Further out of Gold Phoenix (Jayemzed), went to Victoria’s Ralph Zito for $65,000.
Sale statistics – Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale
2026 2025
Catalogued 125 126
Offered 109 112
Sold 78 (72%) 83 (74%)
Aggregate $2,815,000 (+44%) $1,949,500
Average $36,090 (+53.5%) $23,488
Median $21,000 (+16.6%) $18,000
Top Lot $170,000 $80,000