$3.2million Home Affairs Filly Sold to Japan
She was always going to be the showstopper at the 2025 Magic Millions Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast and the glorious bay by first season sire Home Affairs from Champion 3YO Filly Sunlight did not disappoint.
Bred and consigned by Coolmore, the glamour filly is the third foal of Zoustar’s triple Group I winning $6.5million earner Sunlight, whose first foal Dawn Service (3c Justify) is a stakes-winner and her second, a filly by Wootton Bassett topped this sale last year when selling for $2.1million.
She paraded like a true professional all week and in the final hour of the sale delivered the goods in the sale ring with a great bidding duel between multiple parties before Japanese trainer Mitsu Nakauchida prevailed with a final bid of $3.2million.
The price is a record for the Magic Millions Yearling Sale and also the highest price recorded for a yearling by a first season sire in Australia.
“Mainly I came here for this filly and I just arrived yesterday. I was just lucky to secure the filly,” said Mitsu Nakauchida, who has had good success with the progeny of Australian mares as the trainer of Champion Filly Liberty Island, who is from Aussie G1 winner Yankee Rose.
“Physically she is good and you cannot fault the pedigree. I’m very happy.
“I expected to pay a high price and it is a little bit more than the budget but I hope the filly it worth it.
“She will go back to Japan and trained with me. Hopefully she will make a nice racehorse.
“I’ve been lucky to have had success with Australian mares. I have Liberty Island out of Yankee Rose. I have another very good three-year-old called Eri King out of Youngstar.
“So Australian mares do quite well in Japan at the moment. They go well with Japanese stallions.
“We will give her all the time she wants and hopefully she has the chance to mature herself in time.”
Sunlight was bred and sold by Widden Stud fetching $300,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions when purchased by Aquis/McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Blue Sky Bstock. She returned the following January to win the Magic Millions 2YO Classic before going on the become the Champion 3YO Filly and then came back to the Gold Coast to be sold as a broodmare prospect in 2020.
Sunlight set a record price for a broodmare sold at that sale when bought by Tom Magnier for $4.2million and her first three foals have now been sold for a combined total of $6million.
She has done all that has been asked of her and more.
“Very much so. That is what you dream of,” said Tom Magnier.
“Home Affairs, it is great for him, but we can’t do this without our partners. We’re so excited.
“When you have a mare like her and a filly like that, she has been the talking point of the sales all week, really you can’t pinpoint the exact figure you’d get but Mitsu is one of the great trainers around the world.
“He’s a great judge and I really wish him all the best with her. She’s fantastic.
“I think that is the best foal that the mare has had. It has been a cracker since day one. She is a lovely mare and we are delighted. It is a great thrill for all the team at the farm.”
Sunlight produced a filly by Justify last year and had a late cover to Snitzel after missing to Wootton Bassett.
Home Affairs finished as the leading first season sire by average with 45 yearlings averaging $396,333.