Zoustar Filly Tops Magic Millions Perth Day 1 at $525,000 as Market Rises

A striking Zoustar filly, Lot 25, topped Day 1 of the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale at Swan Valley when Sheamus Mills Bloodstock paid AU$525,000 for the Ridgeport offering, a result that converts to US$370,193 at AU$1 = US$0.71 and will send the filly to the east coast for breaking and training. The result not only crowned the session’s top price but handed Ridgeport a quick return on its AU$400,000 purchase of dam Lubiton at the 2024 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale while in foal.

The filly is by Australia’s reigning champion sire Zoustar out of Lubiton, a Group 3-winning Snitzel mare who is a granddaughter of Group 1 heroine Camino Rose. The filly is Lubiton’s fifth foal, with Lubiton’s first three progeny already winners and her fourth foal the I Am Invincible filly Chayan. Ridgeport is credited as breeder and the filly was foaled and raised at Yarraman Park.

That direct family link put added commercial and racing interest on the lot because Chayan is an acceptor for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on Feb. 21, 2026. Chayan, trained by Annabel and Rob Archibald, finished second on debut in the Group II MRC Blue Diamond Prelude and retains Lachlan Neindorf as jockey from barrier 15, a performance Mills acknowledged could produce a timely pedigree update and lift the Zoustar filly’s value.

Mills, who inspected yearlings at the Swan Valley complex before bidding online from Victoria, outlasted bids from Johnny McKeever and trainer Annabel Archibald to secure Lot 25. Mills said, “Her number one attribute I liked was her personality. I thought she's a lovely, tough filly, very settled... I could see how tired she was, but when she was asked to walk, you wouldn't have known the day that she'd had. She's obviously held up very well, and that little glimpse into her temperament sealed the deal.” The Straight reported Mills bought for a Heath Newton led fillies syndicate.

Beyond the individual sale, Day 1 showed clear market uplift. Magic Millions reported an official aggregate of AU$14.74 million, with 136 horses sold and a clearance rate of 82 percent compared with 150 sold and an 85 percent clearance in 2025. The average rose to AU$106,793 and the median to AU$80,000, with Magic Millions noting 20 lots (11) sold for AU$200,000 or more. Buyer-location figures show Western Australian purchasers dominated, accounting for 117 buys worth AU$11,782,500.

Ridgeport Farm was the leading vendor on Day 1, selling nine yearlings for nearly AU$1.8 million including the AU$525,000 filly, while Trevor Andrews topped buyer spend at AU$925,000 across seven lots. Mills’ AU$525,000 purchase is the second-highest price paid for a filly at the Perth sale, behind Mills’ own AU$625,000 filly in 2024, a colt named Fight For Life who tragically died before racing.

With only Lot 25 set to be sent east while the next six highest-priced Book 1 yearlings remain in Western Australia, the sale underlines a split strategy between WA retention and east coast preparation. If Chayan fires in the Blue Diamond on Feb. 21 and provides the pedigree update Mills wants, the commercial ripple will be immediate. Tell us, do you think Chayan’s Blue Diamond run will push the Zoustar filly above AU$625,000 in future valuations? Share or comment below.