A last start million dollar race winner is among the highlights of a quality draft from one of the country's power stables for the upcoming 2026 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast.
Ciaron Maher, last season's champion Australian trainer by wins and prizemoney, will present buyers with a wonderful opportunity with a draft of 17 lots nominated for the Southern Hemisphere's most important breeding stock auction.
Among the headline acts is Snitzanova, a Group winner in Victoria and New South Wales, who was a last start winner of the $1 million Magic Millions Queensland Subzero, where she beat home Group One Classic winners You Wahng and Major Beel.
The daughter of Snitzel, a winner of over $1 million from just 11 runs, is one of a select group of fillies and mares entered by Bennett Racing, one of the Australia's most successful syndication outfits.
The lightly raced four-year-old is a winner of the Group Two Sandown Guineas and Group Three Spring Stakes at Caulfield and Newcastle respectively.
The other Bennett Racing entries include Group Three winning juvenile Military Tycoon (Written Tycoon) and stakes winner Zaszou (Zoustar).
Military Tycoon, at her second lifetime start, won the Group Three Ottawa Stakes at Flemington and subsequently contested the Golden Slipper. Such regard is she held in by connections that earlier this year she was pitted against the likes of Tentyris, Benedetta and Giga Kick in the Group One Lightning Stakes. She was only a length adrift of the recent Galaxy winner Marhoona, while she beat home Golden Rose winner Beiwacht by two lengths.
"We're excited about the draft heading to the sale, which is largely made up of Magic Millions graduates — some ready for the breeding barn, and others just hitting their straps on the track," Nathan Bennett of Bennett Racing reported.
"We're particularly excited by the likes of Group Two winner Snitzanova, coming off a win in the Magic Millions Subzero earlier in the year and now being targeted toward the Group Two The Q22 during the Brisbane Winter Carnival, with longer-term spring ambitions including the Group One Caulfield Cup. That looks well within reach given the depth and European influence in her pedigree, which suggests she'll run a strong 2400 metres under those conditions.
"Listed winner Zaszou is on a Group One Tattersall’s Tiara path, alongside Group Three winner Military Tycoon, who also profiles as a genuine lightweight contender for the race this year, so we have genuine racing upside still to come through the carnival."
"Our buying results from January have us operating at close to 27% stakes winners to runners, reflected in the performances of horses like Snitzanova, Military Tycoon and Zaszou. We’re also excited to offer some of the first pregnancies by our Group 1-winning graduate Southport Tycoon at the National Sale this year, including Melisende and Holyrood Girl, who will be presented through Riverstone’s draft."
"Magic Millions has been great supporters of our operation, and we've had a tremendous run with their graduates, so it's only fitting to complete the circle and return to the Gold Coast to offer these mares under the Maher Racing / Bennett Racing banner at National," Bennett added.
The Ciaron Maher Racing draft will also include the Group winning two-year-old Icarian Dream as well as fellow Group performers Wiltshire Square and Extratwo.
Sires represented in the draft read like a who's who of the Australian bloodstock industry - Written Tycoon, Zoustar, Snitzel, Pierro, Not a Single Doubt, Wootton Bassett, Deep Field, Sebring and Toronado.
"We're really pleased with the draft we’re bringing to the National Sale this year, highlighted by the Bennett Racing fillies, along with a number of other black-type performers," Ciaron Maher Racing's Head of Bloodstock Will Bourne reported.
"It's a group that has performed at a high level on the track and, importantly, has the profiles and pedigrees to go on with it in the breeding barn. The depth right through the draft is strong, and we feel it gives buyers a genuine opportunity across a range of values."
"The National Sale continues to be the right platform to offer these mares off the track — we’ve had some outstanding results on the Gold Coast over the years," Bourne added. "You're getting the deepest buying bench and a very competitive environment at a time of year people genuinely enjoy being on the Coast, which gives you every confidence when presenting a draft of this quality to the market."
Entries for the 2026 Magic Millions National Broodmare sale close today. To lodge an online entry click here.
