$200,000 Zoustar Filly Tops Day One of Adelaide Yearling Sale

Media Release - Thursday Mar 19

A lovely filly by Australia's reigning champion sire Zoustar topped Day One of the 2026 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale at Morphettville on Thursday.

Offered as part of a quality draft from The Chase, the filly was purchased for $200,000 by Philippines based buyer Miguel Almeda, who was represented at the sale by brother Jun.

The filly is the second foal of a Canadian winning Tapit daughter of Gold Mover and half sister to Maleen and Giant Move, a stakes winner and dam of two Group winners.

$200,00 Zoustar filly topped Day 1 for The Chase - image MM

"We loved the US line of her pedigree, through Tapit," Jun Almeda said. "We have a lot of Tapit blood in the Philippines."

"We will put her into training here (in Australia) and try her as a two and three-year-old and after that she can be a broodmare in Manila."

Michael Smith, China Horse Club's Regional Manager of Australasia, was delighted with the result for their homebred youngster on Day One.

"We've supported the Adelaide Sale for the past four or five years," Smith noted. "We've had some really good results here."

"We hope she can be another success on the track. We sold Eternal Warrior here, who won the Merson Cooper this year, was third in the Blue Diamond Prelude and was unlucky in the Blue Diamond."

"We also sold another filly Shadhavar who won the Magic Millions 3&4YO race down here and she's stakes placed and hopefully this filly can add to that graduates list."

"We love coming here. The buyers love coming here. The horses settle in so well and parade well."

"There's such a great history in Adelaide with trainers and breeders and now Magic Millions and we're delighted to be a part of it," Smith added.

The top selling colt on the day was Glenn Lee Thoroughbreds' The Autumn Sun colt from Cavaloce who was as agent for Arrowfield Stud.

The colt, who was knocked down for $180,000, is the fifth foal of a stakes winning Testa Rossa mare and he was snapped up by Shane McGrath Bloodstock and Clinton McDonald Racing.

"I love the sire, The Autumn Sun," a delighted McGrath said. "He's obviously got appeal locally, but also the international market."

"I loved the colt. There's plenty of size and scope to him. He's a very good mover and he has a great temperament."

"We've had a lot of success here (in Adelaide) in the past. I bought Simply Steffi here last year and we've got a very good colt at home with Clinton who we like as well."

Across the day 125 lots sold at an average price of $45,572 with as gross of almost $5.7 million. The clearance rate currently sits at 66 per cent.

"The quality horses certainly set the tone here in Adelaide," Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. "Horses that had a good pedigree, well conformed and vetted out, were highly sought after like other sales."

"There was fierce competition on anything that fitted the trade market - that was a hard market to play in."

"Obviously the market is selective. There's a thirst for quality but at the lower end it is very tough for our vendors."

"We will keep working on our passed in lots. We've got a solid foundation from Day One and there's plenty of nice horses to come and there's great value to be found particularly for trainers out there."

"There's been a great cross section of buyers - international, interstate and local," Bowditch added. "Vendors who were willing to meet the market with the right product were getting rewarded across the day."

To view the results of the sale so far, or to make an offer on a passed in lot click here.

Day Two of the 2026 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale will commence at 10am (SA time) on Friday.

SALE STATISTICS

(2025 Day One in brackets)

Lots Catalogued: 218 (227)

Lots Sold: 125 (139)

Lots Passed In: 65 (52)

Lots Withdrawn: 28 (36)

Sale Gross: $5,696,500 ($6,833,500)

Top Price: $200,000 ($260,000)

Average Price: $45,572 ($49,162)

Median Price: $35,000 ($40,000)