Broodmare sold for $4.8M

Milanova, a full sister to Coolmore runner Holy Roman Emperor and in foal to Coolmore's Encosta de Lago, set a record Australian auction price Sunday when Coolmore Australia purchased her for $4.8 million ($5 million Australian) at the William Inglis Australian breeding stock sale in Sydney.

The price topped the previous Australian auction record of $3.4 million Australian set last year when Darley purchased Virage de Fortune at the Inglis Australian broodmare sale.

Last week, Coolmore Australia paid about $600,000 for Milanova's weanling filly by More Than Ready. That price topped the Inglis auction's select weanling sale.

Tyreel Stud, which has been reducing its stock, sold both Milanova and her More Than Ready filly. Milanova, by Coolmore's great stallion Danehill, is a Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed runner. Now 9, she has produced just two foals to date.

The broodmare sale's select sessions grossed about $20,538,144 for 118 horses, resulting in an average of about $174,052 and a median of approximately $18,240. The auction's open session sold 73 horses for about $293,520, resulting in an average price of about $4,020 and a median of approximately $1,440.