AUSTRALIAN RACING: MILLION DOLLAR BABIES
Coolmore snaps up Switzerland's brother for $2.7 million
More story about that $2.7 colt later, but here are more high-price yearlings for the opening day of Australia's most anticipated sale (Sunday April 6, 2025).
These yearlings will turn two-year-olds on August 1st (2025) and thus ready to make their debut soon thereafter with the majority of them hitting the tracks right around the middle of November 2025 to January 2026 as the first major stakes races for 2yos kick in early January 2026.
But the first major prep race for the Golden Slipper is the BLUE DIAMOND STAKES scheduled to take place Saturday February 21, 2026 -- and I'm sure a lot of these 2yos will be in that race.
But one prospect that I'm very excited about is the $3 million colt (LOT 158 - Home Affairs x Shout The Bar colt purchased by Gai Waterhouse.)
Gai Waterhouse is the Bob Baffert and Todd Fletcher (combined) of Australia without the medication baggage issues.
She is the best of the best that Australia has to offer winning countless major races and one of them last year's (2024) Golden Slipper with the filly Lady of Camelot.
Now she has a huge and exciting weapon to work with for next year's Triple Crown races.
I'm very excited about this $3 million colt and I can't wait for Australia's 2yo season to kick in.
BRING IT ON !!!
EXCITING PROSPECTS FOR NEXT YEAR'S TRIPLE CROWN RACES
• $1.7 million: LOT 16 – Snitzel x La Mexicana colt purchased by James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership / Tony Fung Colts / Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing, NSW.
• $1.15 million: LOT 19 – Zoustar x Lady Lupina colt, purchased by Lucky Owners Pty Ltd.
• $1.2 million: LOT 70 – I Am Invincible x Missile Mantra filly, purchased by Chris Waller Racing / Mulcaster Bloodstock.
• $2.7 million: LOT 76 – Snitzel x Ms Bad Behaviour colt, purchased by Tom Magnier (Coolmore).
• $1.15 million: LOT 91 – Extreme Choice x Ocean Jewel, purchased by YLP Racing.
• $1.15 million: LOT 105 – So You Think x Personal, purchased by Glentree Thoroughbreds/Badgers Bloodstock.
• $1.4 million: LOT 108 – I Am Invincible x Pippie purchased by Champions Farm/ Satomi Oka Bloodstock FBAA, Japan.
• $1.7 million: LOT 155 – Extreme Choice x Shadow colt purchased by B2B Thoroughbreds
• $1.4 million: LOT 156 – Maurice x Shoals filly purchased by Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock
• $3 million: LOT 158 – Home Affairs x Shout The Bar colt purchased by Gai Waterhouse
Coolmore couldn't resist snapping up the brother of its Group 1 sprint gun Switzerland for $2.7 million on the opening day of the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
The breeding and racing powerhouse won out in a spirited duel to snare the coveted colt shortly after lunchtime which at the time was the sale topper for the day before Gai Waterhouse parted with $3 million to secure lot 158, the first foal (colt) by former top mare Shout The Bar by Home Affairs.
The colt by Snitzel out of Ms Bad Behaviour was expected to be one of the most sought-after yearlings at this year's sale before being knocked down to Coolmore's Tom Magnier.
Coolmore also purchased Switzerland, a winner of last year's Coolmore Stud Stakes, for $1.5m the same sale two years ago. Both were raised at the renowned Arrowfield Stud.
"They (Coolmore) have the full brother and know what to look for, and he filled all the categories you look for in a nice yearling," Arrowfield's Paul Messara said.
"His full brother sold here and we thought this was the right place for him. It turns out we were right."
The colt was the fourth million dollar yearling to go through the sale ring on the opening day of Australia's most anticipated sale.
Golden Slipper-winning owner James Harron, in partnership with Tony Fung and trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, forked out $1.7 million for a Snitzel colt out of former stakes winner La Mexicana.
A daughter of I Am Invincible out of Missile Mantra was the first seven-figure filly of the sale, with trainer Chris Waller and Mulcaster Bloodstock purchasing the well-bred type for $1.2 million from Yarraman Park Stud.
The brother of Group 1 winning sprinter Ozzmosis was sold for $350,000 to former trainer and owners Bjorn Baker and Darby Racing while the sister of smart colt Growing Empire was secured by Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock for $850,000.
