Arrowfield sires deliver at Magic Millions
The $1.6 million Snitzel-Madame Andree filly heads to the ring at Magic Millions 2026. (PHOTO: Celia Cole, Arrowfield)
A diverse buying bench, a generally pragmatic approach by vendors and energetic work by Magic Millions gave the 2026 ANZ sales season a strong and satisfying start on the Gold Coast last week, achieving total sales of $203.6 million and an excellent clearance rate of 87.35%.
Arrowfield returned to the No. 1 spot on the Vendors’ list for the first time since 2021, selling 48 (92.3%) of 52 yearlings in Book 1 for $15,345,000, including a Snitzel filly & colt for $1.6 million and $1.5 million. The Stud’s average price of $319,688 was 18.2% above the Book 1 average.
The 89 Book 1 yearlings by the six Arrowfield sires represented at Magic Millions generated total sales of $32,075,000 – 15.7% of the Book 1 aggregate.
Snitzel continues to re-write the record books and was the Sale’s leading sire by aggregate for the first time since 2017, with 29 lots sold for $19,980,000, his third-highest figure at Magic Millions. It may be no co-incidence that Snitzel also won his first Premiership in 2017, and took the lead on the current sires’ table after Snitznova’s victory in Saturday’s $1 million Magic Millions Subzero!
Snitzel’s top-priced yearling was the $1.6 million filly from the wonderful broodmare Madame Andree offered by Arrowfield and purchased by Hermitage Thoroughbreds. Three Snitzel colts made $1.5 million, going to China Horse Club, Newgate & Clarke Bloodstock, Tom Magnier for Coolmore and Chris Waller & Mulcaster Bloodstock.
In all, the 4-time Champion Sire posted 6 million-dollar yearlings offered by Arrowfield, Coolmore, Milburn Creek, Newgate & Rosemont – a Magic Millions record for him, and more than any other sire contributed to the auction’s final tally of 15 seven-figure sales.
The first yearlings by triple Group 1 winner Hitotsu were well-received by the market, with 13 of 14 lots sold at an average price of $135,769 – 6.7 times his $20,000 fee.
His top-priced lot, the $280,000 Ms Rodarte filly bought by Richard & Chantelle Jolly from Arrowfield’s draft, was one of 7 Hitotsu yearlings sold for $150,000 or more. Other buyers included Hitotsu’s co-trainer Ciaron Maher, Robbie Griffiths, Bjorn Baker, Kris Lees, Matthew Dunn, Gary Portelli, Mark & Levi Kavanagh and Triple Crown Syndications.
The Autumn Sun matched his 2025 Magic Millions results with 12 of 13 lots sold for an average of $292,500, and a top price of $650,000 paid by James Harron Bloodstock, Michael Freedman and Tony Fung for Tyreel Stud’s filly out of Pacific Dragon. The same vendor/buyer combination, minus the Freedman stable, transacted on The Autumn Sun’s top-priced colt, the $400,000 son of Bollywood.
Other purchasers were Star Thoroughbreds & Vin Cox, Chris Waller & Mulcaster Bloodstock, Katsumi Yoshida, Gai Waterhouse, Adrian Bott & Kestrel Thoroughbreds, Busuttin Racing, Triple Crown, Equine Growth Fund, SP Bloodstock & Blueblood Thoroughbreds, Stephen McLean Racing & Bevan Smith Bloodstock, Laurel Oak Bloodstock and Dynamic Syndications.
All but one of Maurice‘s 20 yearlings found new homes, averaging $168,947 with 7 $200,000+ sales headed by Arrowfield’s $425,000 filly out of Mallory, purchased by Victorian trainer Archie Alexander. His top-priced colt out of One Last Fight was sold for $325,000 by Baramul Stud to Hawkes Racing.
Other buyers included the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Cambridge Stud, Williams Racing, Mitch Freedman, Kris Lees, Malua Bloodstock, Phillip Stokes, Robert & Luke Price, and Ciaron Maher & Danny O’Brien (each with Starblue Consultancy).
Dundeel‘s 10 sales from 13 lots averaged $252,000 and were topped by Arrowfield’s $460,000 full brother (ex Salutations) to Group 1 winner and sire Super Seth. He was one of only 3 yearlings purchased by Yulong Investments.
Sledmere Stud presented Dundeel’s most expensive filly, out of dual Group winner Four Moves Ahead (by Snitzel). Star Thoroughbreds & Vin Cox signed for her at $280,000.
Also on the Dundeel buyers’ list were the Waterhouse, Bott & Kestrel team, O’Shea Charlton Racing & James Bester, Anthony Freedman & Julian Blaxland, Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis, Matthew Dale & Blandford Bloodstock and Matt Cumani.
Six of the 7 Book 1 yearlings by Castelvecchio sold, all but one achieving $170,000 or more, with a top price of $240,000 paid by Lindsay Park & Dean Hawthornefor Glenbeigh Farm’s colt out of Sista Act. Castelvecchio’s average price of $181,667 is 7.2 x his 2023 fee.
Arrowfield sold his top-priced filly out of Mother’s Mercy – she was a $200,000 buy for Knine Inc. and the Rising Sun Syndicate. Castelvecchio also has Magic Millions yearlings heading to the stables of John O’Shea & Tom Charlton, Paul Shailer & Phillip Stokes.
The next opportunity to purchase Arrowfield-sired yearlings is at Karaka, celebrating 100 years of the New Zealand National Sale Series.
18 yearlings by Snitzel, Dundeel, Maurice, The Autumn Sun, Castelvecchio & Hitotsu will be offered across the three days of Book 1 & Book 2, Sunday 25 – Tuesday 27 January.
That will be followed by the Inglis Classic Sale, Sunday 8 – Tuesday 10 February, including Arrowfield’s 43-strong draft.
