Star Group One winning mare Melito proved the star of the show during Monday's first session of the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale at the Gold Coast.
The last lot in the supplementary catalogue for the first session, Melito attracted bids from no fewer than four different parties before Coolmore Stud's Tom Magnier trumped the others with a $1,650,000 bid.
Offered by Reavill Farm, Melito is a multiple Group One winner and she was presented at the sale in foal to champion sire Encosta de Lago.
Magnier, the biggest buyer on spend on Monday, was delighted to snare the prized mare.
"Obviously she is a serious mare," Magnier said. "She's a lovely looking individual with a great pedigree."
"She had great speed and a great deal of quality and all of the lads were keen to buy her."
"Mares like her don't come up for sale very often and we're delighted to be able to buy her."
"She will be served this spring by So You Think and I can't wait to see the resultant progeny," Magnier added.
The price is the fourth highest paid in the history of the sale and the second most expensive for a mare in foal.
Magnier purchased four of the six top priced lots of the sale - the others being More Valour for $400,000, Sevruga for $360,000 and Graceful Anna for $250,000.
Other top sellers included Miss Keepsake ($400,000 to Ireland's Dermot Farrington) and Born to Rock ($300,000 to Queensland's Bowcock Bloodstock).
All up today over $8 million was traded on 144 lots sold at an average price of $56,102 - up 30 per cent on last year's session one average of $43,259.
"It was a very selective market today," Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox reported.
"Buyers were prepared to pay for the right product."
"The disappointing aspect to the sale was that some vendors haven't come to terms with the reality of the market."
"The 68.3 per cent clearance rate is disappointing but we expect tomorrow to be a better days selling with some extremely high profile mares," Cox added.
Any horses passed in are available via the online make an offer service via the online results.
The second session of the sale commences at 10am (Qld time) on Tuesday before the first session of the National Weanling Sale on Wednesday.
The sale on Tuesday will kick off with the star Doncaster Handicap winner Sacred Choice going under the hammer as the first lot. She will be followed in the ring by the multiple Group One winner Scarlett Lady.
Lot 484, Melito, picture Magic Millions
SESSION ONE STATISTICS
(S1, 2011 in brackets)
Lots Catalogued: 297 (272)
Session Gross: $8,078,750 ($7,397,350)
Average Price: $56,102 ($43,259)
Top Price: $1,650,000 ($1,000,000)
Lots Sold: 144 (171)
Lots Withdrawn: 86 (49)
Lots Passed In: 67 (51)
Sold %: 68.3 (76)
SESSION ONE TOP SELLERS
$1,650,000 - Melito (in foal to Encosta de Lago)
Vendor: Reavill Farm / Buyer: Tom Magnier (Ireland)
$400,000 - More Valour (not in foal)
Tyreel Stud (As Agent for P Fleming Dispersal) / Tom Magnier (Ireland)
$400,000 - Miss Keepsake (has onot been to stud)
Oxford Thoroughbreds / Dermot Farrington (Ireland)
$360,000 - Sevruga (in foal to Starspangledbanner)
Tyreel Stud (As Agent for P Fleming Dispersal) / Tom Magnier (Ireland)
$300,000 - Born to Rock (has not been to stud)
Vinery Stud (As Agent) / Bowcock Bloodstock (Qld)
$250,000 - Graceful Anna (has not been to stud)
Oakwood Farm (As Agent) / Tom Magnier (Ireland)
LEADING BUYERS
(ranked by total spend)
$2,707,500 - Tom Magnier (Ireland) - 5 lots
$720,500 - Belmont Bloodstock Agency (Vic) - 12 lots
$580,000 - Dermot Farrington (Ireland) - 2 lots
$403,000 - Vieira Group Pty Ltd (NSW) - 10 lots