The all time record price for a colt at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale was broken on Thursday with a youngster by Playing God topping proceedings when selling for A$450,000.
One of three yearlings to sell for A$400,000 or more, the sale topping action came early in the day when offered as Lot 15.
A son of WA’s champion sire Playing God, the colt is the first foal of an unraced Sessions half sister to Group One winning sire Portland Sky, a former graduate of the Perth Yearling Sale.
After a fierce bidding battle it was Idan Young who came out on top. The colt will head to the stables of leading Ascot horseman Dan Morton.
“With what the Andersons (of Anita Vale) breed – everything they touch they turn to gold,” Young said.
“As an individual he’s the best I’ve seen for a while.He just stood out to me and I had to have him.He’s got the Lonhro/Octagonal cross. I like the Blackfriars with the Sessions cross – he just had all the ticks for me.I looked at him several times and I just had to have him – just a beautiful type,” Young added.
The colt was presented at the auction by John Andrew’s Alwyn Park Stud as agent for proven local Group One producing nursery Anita Vale.
“He’s just a cracking type,” Andrew said. “He’s a good walking horse.”
“He is such a lovely natured horse. The amount of times he has been out – he’s taken the whole lot in his stride.”
“He hasn’t turned a hair.”
“The people that bred the horse would be over the moon. The fact the horse is staying here and he’s going to a leading trainer in Perth.”
“I think that is a massive plus for WA to be honest,” Andrew added.
Neville Parnham went to A$400,000 to secure Ridgeport Holdings’ Zoustar colt from Leitfaden later in the afternoon.
The half brother to Saintorio was one of 10 purchases for Parnham. He was the leading buyer on spend with his youngsters costing A$1.42 million.
Later in the afternoon Pearce Racing outlasted Parnham to buy Playing God-Super Stardom colt from the Yarradale Stud draft for A$400,000.
That colt is the second foal of a twice Perth two-year-old winning War Chant mare. His third dam is Karrakatta Plate winner Born Priceless.
The leading vendor on gross for Book One was Greenfields Lodge with the 10 sales amassing over A$1.1 million, while Yarradale Stud topped farm averages at A$168,000.
Playing God was the leading sire by average (3 or more sold) at A$154,250 – well clear of his rivals. His progeny grossed over A$3 million today.
Across the day over A$13.4 million was traded on 152 lots sold at an average price of A$88,378 and an impressive clearance rate of 86 per cent.
“It was a very successful Book One for the Perth Yearling Sale in 2025,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said.
“It’s our second highest grossing Book One here in Western Australia – that is fantastic for the breeders here.The local buyers really do get in and support their own. They’ve got a great product over here – they get behind the market and love the Westspeed bonuses.To have an average of almost A$90,000 and a clearance rate of 86 per cent and a gross of A$13.4 million – these are really good numbers.”
“We had more individual buyers than we did last year – all in all it was just a really solid day’s trade.”
“Playing God has had a super sale and rightly so. He’s an outstanding sire.”
Bowditch said the opportunities for buyers would continue with tomorrow’s Book Two offering.
“We have another lovely group of horses to go through tomorrow. We have 160 lots catalogued from 10am and there are plenty who would have fit into today’s sale really well.”
To view the results of the sale or to make an offer on a passed in lot click here.
Book Two of the 2025 Perth Yearling Sale will commence at 10am (WA time) tomorrow (Friday).
- BOOK ONE STATISTICS
(2024 in brackets)
Lots Catalogued: 190 (192)
Lots Sold: 152 (143)
Lots Passed In: 25 (37)
Lots Withdrawn: 13 (12)
Sale Gross: A$13,433,500 (A$14,182,500)
Top Price: A$450,000 (A$625,000)
Average Price: A$88,378 (A$99,178)
Median Prince: A$70,000 (A$80,000)
Sold %: 86 (79)
- BOOK ONE TOP SELLERS
A$450,000 – Playing God-Clear Blue Sky colt (Lot 15)
Vendor: Alwyn Park Stud (As Agent for Anita Vale) / Buyer: Idan Young (WA)
A$400,000 – Zoustar-Leitfaden colt (Lot 73)
Ridgeport Holdings / Parnham Racing Stables (WA)
A$400,000 – Playing God-Super Stardom colt (Lot 141)
Yarradale Stud / Pearce Racing (WA)
A$300,000 – Playing God-High Aims colt (Lot 51)
Lynward Park Stud / Parnham Racing Stables (WA)
A$260,000 – Written By-No Looking Back colt (Lot 99)
Greenfields Lodge / Yenrise Pty Ltd (WA)
- LEADING BUYERS
(ranked by total spend)
A$1,420,000 – Parnham Racing Stables – 10 lots
A$795,000 – Pearce Racing – 7 lots
A$665,000 – Gangemi Racing – 7 lots
A$600,000 – Commercial B’stock Services – 6 lots
A$560,000 – Williams Racing WA/Suman Hedge B’stock – 4 lots
- LEADING VENDORS
(ranked by gross)
A$1,102,500 – Greenfields Lodge – 10 sold
A$997,500 – Forest View Farm – 10 sold
A$887,500 – Mungrup Pty Ltd – 9 sold
A$885,000 – Alwyn Park Stud – 8 sold
A$852,500 – Mogumber Park – 10 sold
- LEADING VENDORS
(ranked by average – 3 or more sold)
A$168,000 – Yarradale Stud – 5 sold
A$147,500 – Ridgeport Holdings – 4 sold
A$125,833 – Lynward Park Stud – 6 sold
A$110,625 – Alwyn Park Stud – 8 sold
A$110,250 – Greenfields Lodge – 10 sold
- LEADING SIRES
(ranked by average – 3 or more sold)
A$154,250 – Playing God – 20 sold
A$121,667 – Written By – 3 sold
A$117,500 – Maschino – 5 sold
A$107,500 – Bivouac – 4 sold
A$88,125 – Hellbent – 4 sold
