A colt by elite dual hemisphere sire More Than Ready sold for the highest price of $600,000 ($539,460 in United States funds) on the fourth day of the Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale Jan. 11 in Queensland.
Sydney trainer Bryce Heys landed the colt out of the Giant's Causeway mare Polaway from the consignment of Newhaven Park, agent for Twin Palms Stud.
The session topper is the second foal out of stakes-placed Polaway, a winning daughter of 2003 Golden Slipper (Aus-I) victress Polar Success. His price ranks him as the third-highest price horse thus far at the sale, which runs through Jan. 14.
Sire More Than Ready, a 17-year-old son of Southern Halo, stands the Northern Hemisphere season at WinStar Farm near Versailles, Kentucky, and shuttles to Vinery Australia for Southern Hemisphere duty.
"Physically, he was as an impressive colt as there was on the sale ground," Heys said of the session topper. "We thought he was the best colt in the sale.
"He's got the pedigree to back it up. He's a generation away from a Golden Slipper winner, and I bought him with a profile to graduate to that race."
The team of trainer Gai Waterhouse and bloodstock agent James Harron went to the day's second-highest price of $525,000 ($472,027) for Musk Creek Farm's Northern Meteor colt out of group I-placed Ms Bowie, by Anabaa.
Australia's leading first-crop sire of 2012-2013 season, Northern Meteor died July 30 after a swift onset of colic.
A colt by Darley shuttler Lonhro brought the third-highest price of the day of $500,000 ($449,550) from Sun Bloodstock. Offered by Willow Park Stud, the youngster is out of winning Exceed And Excel mare Noesis.
Lonhro, a 16-year-old son of Octagonal, stands the Northern Hemisphere season at Darley's Lexington operation.
"The market was very strong and it was also very consistent," Magic Millions managing director Vin Cox said at the close of trading on day four.
"The buyers were willing to participate across all levels of the market and that created a magical vibe."
The fourth session marked the conclusion of the sale's Book 1 catalog. Overall, 521 horses have sold for total sales of $75,082,500 ($67,506,675), an 11% gain, compared with the same period in 2013.
The highest-priced horse from Book 1 was Newhaven Park's Redoute's Choice colt out of the winning Encosta de Lago mare Hades, bought for $1 million ($894,814 in U.S. dollars) by California-based owners Jon and Sarah Kelly.
The Book 1 average price of $144,112 ($129,571) is up 5.8% while the median of $120,000 ($107,892) rose 14.3%.
The clearance rate stands at 87%, compared with 83% for Book 1 at the 2013 sale.
"Vendors presented an outstanding draft of yearlings that sold well above expectations," Cox said.
The Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale continues the Book 2 catalog Jan. 12.