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Simon Miller pays $325,000 for a colt by the Newgate Farm-based sire at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale

A colt from the first crop of Newgate Farm’s Russian Revolution (Snitzel) was the headline act of Book 1 of the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale on Thursday as Western Australian-based trainer Simon Miller secured the yearling from the Western Breeders Alliance (Darling View Stud) draft for $325,000. 

Catalogued as Lot 21, the colt is out of four time-winning Blackfriars (Danehill) mare Magical Belle, who has already produced four winners, headed by Listed winner Enchanted Dream (Patronize) and stakes-placed Mystic Maid (Patronize). 

Magical Belle herself is a daughter of Magic Zem (Zemindar), the dam of Listed winner Superscenic (Scenic), while further back this is the same pedigree Group 2 winner and Grade 1-placed Magic Filly (Bletchley Park). 

The colt was the headline act of a lucrative day for the Western Breeders Alliance consignment, who finished off day one having sold 17 yearlings for an average of $89,765, while their aggregate was $1,526,000 - the only vendor to break the seven figure barrier and Brent Atwell of Darling View said he was confident the Russian Revolution colt was going to be one of the stars of the day. 

“I’m super happy that he stays here and goes to a great stable,” said Atwell. “I always thought he would be the star of the sale and he would be right at the top. I thought I would get that amount of money and it was a great thrill. 

“He is out of a super mare who has produced some nice horses and also his sire is the new horse on the block, so he is bred to be a nice horse. 

“Russian Revolution was a very fast horse and he is at a good home in Newgate who produce good stallions and so he had every chance. I knew the right people were on him and I had confidence in the horse, but there is always a bit of apprehension heading into a sale and I definitely didn’t sleep great last night.”

Meanwhile, Miller said he didn’t expect he would have to pay that much for the colt, despite his popularity during the inspections. 

“I didn’t think I would have to go to that much to be honest,” said Miller. “But Andy Williams was on him and Peter O’Brien is here for Upper Bloodstock and it was basically the three of us having a little gun fight. I knew at some stage I would have to step up. 

“He has an unbelievable temperament, being so popular he has been out nearly all day every day and his mannerisms never deviated. He is from a good family, who are throwing stakes winners and stakes performers already. 

“There is a good group of owners who have been with me for a long time. I am not sure what percentage they will take because I threw a few more bids in, but when we all sit down and have a chat we will come up with a plan.”

Miller was quick to praise Atwell for choosing to bring the colt to the Perth sale and believed he would have not been out of place at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. 

“Good on Brent (Atwell) because he could have put this colt through at the Coast, but he backed himself and brought it here and it is nice to reward him here.”

Miller purchased four lots for an aggregate of $640,000 during day one of the sale, a gross that was bettered only by Neville Parnham, who purchased nine lots for a total spend of $785,000.

The most expensive of Parnham’s yearlings was a colt by Widden Stud-based sire Zoustar (Northern Meteor) who he purchased for $170,000. 

Catalogued as Lot 61 and another from the Western Breeders Alliance draft, the colt was the sole offering by Zoustar in the sale and he yearling is out of dual-winning Scenic (Sadler’s Wells) mare Scenes. 

Scenes has produced four foals to race with all of them winners, headed by stakes-placed Lake Jackson (Sebring). 

The colt’s second dam is Group 3 winner Princess Plume (Military Plume) and she also produced Listed-winner Visual Displays (Scenic) and the dam of Listed scorer Fursa (Hard Spun). 

Atwell said it was a pleasant surprise to see the yearling realise that sort of figure. 

“We were really happy with that and I’m glad he’s gone to a super home in Neville Parnham,” said Atwell. 

“This guy was born and raised in New South Wales at Attunga Stud and I am happy he sold as well as he did. We didn’t have our sights set on that sort of money, but nice horses sell well. All in all it’s been a very good day.”