Ciaron Maher broke new ground on the Gold Coast on Friday, paying the most he has ever paid for a yearling.
Victoria’s leading trainer went to $2.5 million for the first foal from Group 1 winner Booker, a colt by sire-of-the-sale I Am Invincible, on Day 4 of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The colt was the third most expensive of the sale and Maher said he headed to the Gold Coast intent on securing him.
“For a yearling, that’s the highest I have ever gone, but they’re only expensive if they’re slow and hopefully he’s not that,” Maher said.
“I saw him before he started his yearling prep. He’s a smashing type. He stood out. With that pedigree, he was always going to be a high price and we had a bit more to go as well.
“Ideally, he’ll win a Slipper and a Coolmore (Stud Stakes).
“He ticks all the boxes physically and mentally.”
Booker, a daughter of Written Tycoon and the Flying Spur mare Noondie, raced 22 times for four wins, the biggest of which was the 2019 Oakleigh Plate (1100m).
The colt was sold by Coolmore Stud, which will retain a share to race, and Tom Magnier said he had all the attributes to become a ‘champion’.
“I think he’s a champion, the horse,” Magnier said. “He’s the best horse we’ve taken to a sale in a long time.
“He’s been very popular and all the top people were on him.”
The Booker colt gives I Am Invincible five of the top six lots of what is shaping as a record sale.
His colt out of Anaheed on Thursday set a new Magic Millions yearling record of $2.7m, claiming the mantle from the $2.6m sister to Sunlight (Zoustar x Solar Charged) who went through the day prior.
The Yarraman Park stallion also had a colt out of Golden Slipper winner Mossfun sell for $1.65m, a colt by Group 1 winner Spright sell for $1.6m and a colt out of a daughter of Mossfun sell for $1.4m.
