Close relatives to Island State racing legends Mystic Journey, Still A Star, Geegees Blackflash, and Durazzo are among the choice lots inspiring confidence in a resurgent Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale Feb. 23.
With the auction firm's managing director, Barry Bowditch, enthusiastic over a "much deeper" catalog than in 2025, the consensus is that more high-quality lots have been kept at home for sale by Tasmanian breeders this year, rather than being offered on the mainland.
This is expected to spark an increase in interstate interest, while it's also tipped that the sale will reflect a rise in industry confidence among locals.
Tasmania's largest breeder, Armidale Stud, will offer not one, but two three-quarter sisters to the outstanding Mystic Journey, who was bought at the sale for AU$11,000 before winning AU$4.1 million in prize-money, including the inaugural All-Star Mile, en route to a multi-million dollar sale as a broodmare to Japan.
Boutique breeders Alva Stud will offer only three lots, but one is a half brother by Rubick to Still A Star, in Lot 11. Bought at the Launceston auction for AU$13,000, that mare won seven stakes races, including two in Melbourne, and almost AU$900,000 in prize-money, before fetching AU$700,000 as a broodmare.
Geegees Blackflash became the first horse to earn seven figures (AU$1.19 million) in prize-money racing purely in Tasmania, where he won 22 races until 2016, including six at stakes level. Armidale will offer his half brother by Needs Further as Lot 108.
And Durazzo has become a modern-day hero for some strong Tasmanian connections, being raced by Star Thoroughbreds' ex-Launcestonian boss Denise Martin after she purchased him at the sale in 2022 for AU$97,500. The 5-year-old has won 11 of 16, claiming three of his four stakes victories on the bounce late last year, and has earned over AU$600,000 in prize-money.
Armidale will offer Durazzo's half sister by Newgate Farm sire Brutal as Lot 70.
Tasmania's sale hit the doldrums last year, amid some concerns in the market following a sketchy start to Australasia's sale season. While the clearance rate ultimately came in at 75% compared to 72.87% in 2024, the average dropped from almost AU$30,000 to AU$23,500 as the median fell from AU$24,000 to AU$19,000.
The gross plummeted from AU$2.82 million to AU$1.97 million—dropping by a third, while the number of lots sold (84) fell by only 10.6%. The top lot fetched AU$80,000, down from AU$145,000 the year before.
A degree of guarded optimism appears to have returned among Tasmanian vendors that this year's sale will bring a recovery. That's based partly on satisfactory to strong results through the first four auctions of the Australasian season—Magic Millions Gold Coast and Perth, Karaka and Inglis Classic—but also because of the feel of the sale ground over the past couple of days of inspections.
"There's more people from the mainland here this year than last year," said Armidale's managing director, David Whishaw.
"Magic Millions has worked hard to get diversity into the buying bench, and hopefully, we see that reflected in the sale ring come Monday.
A total of 125 lots have been cataloged—one fewer than last year—for the one-day sale, which kicks off at 11 a.m.
Whishaw said he was "certain the good horses will find their mark", while acknowledging a range of problems exist for the industry in Tasmania, including the battered reputation of its racing integrity body, and fears surrounding the fact that a 20-year government funding deal will expire in 2029.
"I think the sale continues to do a great job producing graduates," Whishaw said. "Our farm alone has produced eight stakes winners in the past 12 months."
Whishaw's optimism was outstripped by Bowditch's confidence that the sale would bounce back this year, driven by the all-important mainland interest and the higher number of topline lots being kept in Tasmania for sale this year rather than being sent north of Bass Strait.
"We're coming off a disappointing sale in 2025, but I'm certain we've got a better line-up of horses this year," said Bowditch, tipping an average "upwards of AU$30,000."
"The pedigrees on offer and the quality of horse on offer this year at the top end exceeds what we had last year, and that should attract good mainland interest."
Armidale's 27-lot draft is headed by their two three-quarter sisters to Mystic Journey by her dam Needs Further, who stands at the farm for AU$5,500, and out of daughters of the super mare's mother, White Gold.
Lot 26 is a beautifully rich colored brown filly out of the unraced Oh So Gold, who's had four winners from as many runners, including this filly's sister Mystical Pursuit, who took two Tasmanian listed events and placed in two others.
"This filly is a standout—a ripping, big and strong type," Whishaw said. "The mare is four from four, and this is the best type she's thrown, so I expect she'll find strong interest."
And Lot 112—from Mystic Journey's co-breeders Ralph and Peter Zito—is another muscular filly out of Gold Phoenix, a Launceston winner over 1220 meters. Her brother Orovero has won twice at the Victorian provincials for Mick Kent and ran a 0.02 length second in a Caulfield Heath Benchmark 74 Feb. 18.
"She's very typical of the family, and is a nice and athletic type," Whishaw said.
Tasmania's other major farm, Grenville Stud, has a 21-lot draft whose highlights include Lot 85, a filly who's the only yearling at the sale by Coolmore's hot first-season sire Home Affairs. The chestnut is out of a half sister to New Zealand group 1 winner Signify.
Northeast Tasmania's Motree Thoroughbreds offers 25 yearlings by a vast range of stallions, including Lot 125, a filly by Darley's debutant sire Paulele, whose three-time winning dam is a sister to dual stakes winner Deroche.
