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Fillies dominated the opening session of Sydney’s Classic Yearling Sale at Warwick Farm on Saturday night.

Six lots sold for $300,000 or more and five were fillies.

The sale average closed at $110,766 with the Gold Riband session averaging $150,581 compared to $160,000 last year.

The overall clearance rate was only 70% and the average was down on the 2018 figure of $130,000 for the first session.

Top lot of the night was a Snitzel x Racing Nadine filly offered by Bhima Stud purchased by Jadeskye Racing and Brad Widdup for $370,000.

Widdup trains the filly’s unraced 2YO sister for Jadeskye’s Damion Flower.

The dam Racing Nadine (Bernardini) is a half-sister to the dual G1 winner He’s No Pie Eater (Canny Lad).

The second top lot was a Dissident x Sonnenblume filly purchased by Blandford Bloodstock in conjunction with Mongolian interests for $340,000.

The filly’s I Am Invincible 2YO half brother Garibaldi has won his only start for Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan. He was the second-top lot at last year’s Classic Sale.

Sonnemblume is a daughter of the G1 winner Shindig (Straight Strike), also the dam of G1 winner Shinzig (Danehill).

Just hours after I Am Invincible’s star filly Fiesta won the $1 million sprint at Warwick Farm, Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds in conjunction with Randwick Bloodstock paid $330,000 for an I Am Invincible x Limbo Down filly.

Martin bought Fiesta from the sale as a yearling in 2017.

On Day 2 the top price rose to $400,000 when Yulong Investments Yuesheng Zhang paid $400,000 for a Star Witness x Defrock colt.

Yulong has been a big investor in the Australian industry in recent years. Their involvement includes three properties, 130 broodmares and racehorses with a stallion complex under development.

Yulong’s Australian manager Sam Fairgray bid for the Star Witness colt out of the Canny Lad mare Defrock, a sister to the G3 winner Blackball.

“We had to pay more than we thought and more than we wanted but sometimes that’s what you need to do to get the right horse,’’ Mr Zhang said.

“We had to have him. He’s top quality and we are always after top quality.’’

The second-top lot on Day was a Stratum x Dayeala colt purchased by Domeland for $280,000.

CLASSIC YEARLING SALE

Lots sold: 251

Clearance Rate: 78%

Average Price: $78,406

Median Price: $58,000

Top Price: $400,000

Gross: $19,680,000

DAY 1 STATISTICS

Lots sold: 77

Clearance rate: 68%

Average Price: $110,766

Median Price: $80,000

Top Price: $370,000

Gross: $8,529,000

GOLD RIBAND

Lots Sold: 43

Clearance Rate: 73%

Average Price: $150,581

Median Price: $130,000

Top Price: $370,000

Gross: $6,475,000