THE 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale has been confirmed as the best ever with records tumbling across the board during a sensational six days of selling which concluded on Tuesday.

Across all six days of selling some $182,415,888 was grossed on 934 lots sold. The clearance rate was 86 per cent.

The Gold Coast Yearling Sale alone grossed $180.8 million – a new Southern Hemisphere record for a yearling sale – eclipsing last year’s record aggregate.

“This was a great way to finish off what has been an incredibly successful carnival,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said.

Locally Wéhann Smith, CEO of Cape Thoroughbred Sales (CTS), said that he was most encouraged by the vibrant buyers’ spirit that prevailed at Magic Millions, not to mention the fantastic turnover achieved.

Smith is hoping that we can see something similar at next Wednesday’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. He said: “Let’s hope that the Magic Millions, as the first major thoroughbred sale of the year, can set the trend for us in the Southern Hemisphere and elsewhere.

“We’ll be holding thumbs for a ripple effect, for the momentum to carry through. We’d love to see a strong and active strong buyer’s bench showing faith in the industry. The South African thoroughbred still offers incredible value, especially for overseas buyers. We have a high-class catalogue that includes the progeny of several proven overseas stallions, five superb freshman stallions and the usual quality from breeders in between.”

The catalogue can be viewed online at www.capethoroughbredsales.com