Sunlight sells for record A$4.2 million

Zoustar's champion daughter Sunlight broke the record for the highest-priced horse sold at auction by Magic Millions when selling to Coolmore Stud's Tom Magnier for A$4.2 million on Monday.

Sunlight's glittering CV includes three Gr.1 wins - the 2018 Coolmore Stud Stakes, 2019 Newmarket Handicap and 2019 William Reid Stakes - and over A$6.5 million in prize money for her owners, who included Qatar Bloodstock. She was also crowned Champion 3YO filly in Australia and finished third in the 2018 Gr.1 Golden Slipper Stakes.

Bidding for Sunlight started at A$1 million but quickly increased in A$200,000 lots before slowing to A$100,000 bids as the price moved beyond A$2.5 million. She has been bought to visit Justify in 2020.

Sunlight won 11 of her 24 starts for trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy, and was mostly ridden by Luke Currie, with Barend Vorster and Tim Clark also winning on her.

Qatar Racing's David Redvers bought Sunlight's dam Solar Charged at the Magic Millions breeding stock sale in partnership with Antony Thompson of Widden Stud as she was exactly the type of mare that they felt would help get Zoustar up and running. When it came to sell Sunlight as a yearling, they liked her so much that they retained a leg with Tony McEvoy.

What a mare she's proven to be - and we wish her new connections the best of luck. We cannot wait to see her offspring on track.

As for Zoustar, after a second successful season covering Northern Hemisphere mares at Tweenhills, he recently left to return to Widden in Australia.