A$525,000 Fastnet Rock filly tops first day of weanling sale

A daughter of Fastnet Rock headlined the opening session of the 2017 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale on the Gold Coast on Thursday.

The filly, a three-parts sister to the last horse to beat Winx, was purchased by Segenhoe Stud Australia for A$525,000 - the highest price for a weanling in Australasia this year.

"I love Fastnet Rock," said Segenhoe's Peter O'Brien. "And this filly was my pick of the sale on type, the best foal I'd seen in a couple of years. We didn't want to leave without taking her home with us. She's a beautiful mover - a lovely loose action with plenty of scope."

The top lot is out of the Sadler's Wells mare Starrystarrynight, who will herself go under the hammer at the upcoming National Broodmare Sale. Her daughter Gust of Wind beat Winx in the Group 1 AJC Australian Oaks at Randwick in April 2015.

The second highest price of the day was paid for Arawata Bloodstock's Snitzel colt out of the stakes winner Cariad, knocked down for A$460,000 to Blue Sky Bloodstock's Julian Blaxland.

First-season sires proved popular, a colt by Dissident leading the way when selling to David Lucas on behalf of Dubai's Phoenix Investments for A$300,000, while a colt by Brazen Beau sold for A$270,000.

In all over $10.5 million was traded on 194 lots sold, at an average of $54,307 (virtually unchanged year-on-year) and a clearance rate of 79 per cent.

"It's been a very good start to the sale," said Magic Millions managing director Vin Cox. "It was a very even, balanced market, where people can operate and trade."