The latest yearling from Arrowfield Stud's grand producer Madame Andree topped Day Three of selling at the 2026 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale on Thursday.
The Snitzel filly, consigned as Lot 504, was purchased for $1.6 million by Hermitage Thoroughbreds and will be out to emulate a crack filly connections race by the same sire.
Today's top seller is from the unraced War Emblem mare Madame Andree, a mare who has already produced five stakes gallopers including recent Gosford Guineas winner Caffe Florian.
"There was a lot (of competition for her)," Hermitage's Shannon Clarke said. "She was our top pick for the sale."
"Obviously we've had a lot of luck with a Snitzel filly recently and that's probably guided us into this filly today."
"That was our limit. That was where we were going to sit and my heart was pounding at that point and I'm happy that we were able to secure her."
"We have a lot of luck with Arrowfield-bred horses, sold horses. It's a great partnership that we have and long may it continue."
Clarke said today's top seller had great similarities with another of their star Snitzel race fillies Lady Shenandoah.
"They're both very athletic fillies. They just have an athletic physique, they showed that early on at their parades," she added. "(They have) nice leg on them, good movers and we're just chuffed to get her."
Leading Sydney based bloodstock agent James Harron was again a strong bidder on the quality lots and his Colts Partnership in conjunction with Tony Fung Colts signed for two more colts for over $1 million.
Harron went to $1.2 million late in the day to secure the Snitzel-Play That Song colt from the draft of Newgate Farm.
"They're not making any more Snitzels," Harron said. "He’s a really good, strong, purposeful colt, lovely medium size, his mother was a good, sharp two-year-old, so he profiled-up really nicely."
“He comes off a fantastic farm in Newgate. They’ve got a fantastic record of producing really good horses and that’s a big part of our thought processes and how much confidence we’ve got in investing in these horses."
"I thought it was just an incredible line-up of Snitzels, to be honest." I was really pleasantly surprised that there were so many nice ones here."
"We’ve been able to pick up three now, so we’re really happy. We’re really happy with how they’ve averaged out for us across the three days so far."
"Every weekend he’s in the headlines as a stallion, so it’s a great loss to the industry that he’s not with us anymore but it’s brilliant that we’ve still got the opportunity to pick up these beautiful colts."
Harron added another feature lot to his haul when his partnership again teamed up with Tony Fung Colts to buy the Frankel colt from the imported stakes winner Miss Alacrity for $1.1 million.
"She is from a fast American mare who made her name as a two-year-old," Harron said. "She was very impressive."
"From a family that is one of the top leading stallions in America and we were really pleased to see that speed come through the dam side."
"It is going to be interesting to see what sort of horse he shapes into, he's a beautiful athlete."
Harron and his clients have been enjoying a great Gold Coast Yearling Sale so far and are hoping it continues tomorrow.
"It’s been great. Once we got through inspections and we went through the shortlist, we were really pleasantly surprised with how many we had on the list and how deep that catalogue and that list was."
"The horses vetted out really well and handled the sale super, so that gave us the confidence to go in and invest in them alongside our partners and, of course, TFI."
"We’re very happy with how it’s gone so far and one day to go," Harron added.
The first seven figure seller of the day was the I Am Invincible filly from the Blue Diamond Stakes placegetter Lankan Star.
The Segenhoe Stud offering is the second foal of her dam, a daughter of Nicconi. She was purchased by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in conjunction with Bruce Slade's Kestrel Thoroughbreds.
“She’s a beauty," a delighted Harron said. "A lovely way to start the day and has put a pep in our step for the day."
"We're delighted to secure her where we wanted to be and where we wanted to land. We probably didn't have too much more after that (bid)."
"A real quality filly. She's one to get excited for the way she handled the sale and she profiles up really well with her breeding and pedigree."
"The mare was fast and precocious in her own right so hopefully her daughter can do the same. She well and truly stood out physically. The farm did an immaculate job presenting her."
The sale gross of over $146 million has now surpassed the same stage as last year despite less horses being offered - due to an increased average of over $281,000 and a top class clearance rate of over 85 per cent.
"I thought it was genuinely strong across the board, at all levels," Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch summed up the day.
"The auctioneers were of the opinion that it was really, really genuine and even in that $80,000 to $150,000 bracket there were plenty of bids coming and it was a good market to be auctioneering in which is fantastic."
"The average is holding at $281,000 which has been consistent for the week, the median is $200,000 and hasn't moved and the clearance rate that continues to thrive is above 85 per cent now."
"These are numbers that are very much in line with our expectations."
"We've had 30 lots less at this point in time compared to last year but the gross is up around $1.7 million on last year so we are tracking along nicely and we have a similar day to last year coming up."
Bowditch said he and his team was looking forward to tomorrow's Howden Super Session with a quality line-up of yearlings set to be sold.
"I think the Super Session will be buzzing," he added. "There'll be more people around for the races and I see the sale continuing to build on itself day-by-day."
"There is a really good vibe and everything that we hoped for."
To view the results of the sale or to make an offer on a passed in lot click here.
Day Four, the Howden Super Session, will commence at 10am (QLD time) tomorrow.
SALE STATISTICS
(2025 – Days 1-3 in brackets)
Lots Catalogued: 690 (720)
Lots Sold: 520 (521)
Lots Passed In: 89 (133)
Lots Withdrawn: 80 (66)
Sale Gross: $146,142,500 ($144,500,000)
Top Price: $2,000,000 ($2,800,000)
Average Price: $281,043 ($277,351)
Median Price: $200,000 ($200,000)
Sold %: 85 (80)
DAY THREE TOP SELLERS
$1,600,000 - Snitzel-Madame Andree filly (Lot 504)
Vendor: Arrowfield Stud (As Agent) / Buyer: Hermitage Thoroughbreds (NSW)
$1,200,000 - Snitzel-Play That Song colt (Lot 680)
Newgate Farm (As Agent) / James Harron B'stock Colt P'ship/Tony Fung Colts (NSW)
$1,100,000 - Frankel-Miss Alacrity colt (Lot 545)
Newgate Farm (As Agent) / James Harron B'stock Colt P'ship/Tony Fung Colts (NSW)
$1,000,000 - I Am Invincible-Lankan Star filly (Lot 455)
Segenhoe Stud (As Agent) / Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott/Kestrel T'breds (NSW)
$950,000 - I Am Invincible-Mumbai Rock filly (Lot 593)
Coolmore Stud (As Agent for Morning Rise Stud) / Ciaron Maher B'stock (NSW)
