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First Light Racing secure top lot at March Yearling Sale 

A colt by Newgate Farm's leading first season sire Russian Revolution (Snitzel) was the most expensive lot sold during this year's Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale when he was bought for $230,000 during Tuesday's second session of the sale by First Light Racing. 

Sold by Lyndhurst Stud Farm as Lot 274, the colt will head to the Sydney stable of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. 

"We thought he was the colt of the sale," First Light's Bloodstock Manager Ashleigh Dowley said. "And we are delighted to get him."

"We were keen to get another Russian Revolution into the team. He (Russian Revolution) looks like he could be the next superstar stallion on the rise."

"There's not many more opportunities to get yearlings by Russian Revolution this year so we were keen to buy him."

"The colt is a natural two-year-old type and he will be given every opportunity to get back to the Gold Coast next January. He should be in the early juvenile races."

"He will head to Gai and Adrian. Gai trained the mother and she was a sharp and fast youngster."

The colt is out of the placed Denman (Lonhro) mare Right Of Way who has produced one winner to date and was one of two yearlings by Russian Revolution to be offered at the sale with the other, a colt out of the dual Group 1 place getter Honesta (Monaco Consul), who sold for $100,000 to Kyhope on Monday. 

The sale's second top lot was also sold on Tuesday when A List Stud went to $185,000 to secure a filly by Capitalist (Written Tycoon). 

Sold by Tullyard as Lot 254, the filly is out of the dual winning Charge Forward (Red Ransom) mare Prerequisite who is herself a half-sister to Railway Handicap (Gr 1 1200m) winner Gold Trail (Hussonet) being out of Listed winner Trail Of Gold (Danewin). 

Gollan Racing and John Foote Bloodstock, who bought the session topper on Monday, finished the sale as the leading purchasers having spent $712,000 on six lots. 

Kenmore Lodge was the leading vendor by aggregate having sold 35 yearlings for $1,771,500, while Glenlogan Park was the leading vendor by average with their eight yearlings selling at an average of $84,625. 

Eureka Stud resident Spirit Of Boom was the leading sire by gross with 26 lots selling for $1,947,500 at an average of $74,904. Capitalist finished on top of the table by average with the four lots by the Newgate resident selling at an average of $120,000. His son Written By had six lots sell at an average of $76,667. 

Four lots sold for $150,000 or more, while 22 lots made $100,000 or more. 

Across the sale over $12,446,500 was traded on 314 lots at an average price of $39,639 (down 11.5 per cent). At the 2021 renewal, 323 lots sold for $14,462,500 at an average of $44,776. The median was down 14 per cent from $35,000 last year to $30,000. The clearance rate remained steady at 83 per cent, compared to 84 per cent last year. 

"It was another solid day's trade," Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. "Vendors should be rewarded for presenting stock in such outstanding fashion and being willing to meet the market."

"We had a really genuine buying bench that was here to participate at all levels."

"When you take into account the increase in numbers of QTIS yearlings in the Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January and add those results to what has been achieved this week – it's been a great year for Queensland in the sales ring."

"I would like to congratulate the Queensland buyers for getting behind the sale and why wouldn't they with all the bonuses and prize money offered by Racing Queensland," Bowditch added.