Ciaron Maher set a new Victorian record for a yearling when he paid $1.4 million for a colt by I Am Invincible out of Sootena on the second day of the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne on Monday.
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The $1.4 million is the highest-priced paid for any yearling sold in the world in the first two months of 2017.
The yearling, a half-brother to The Quarterback, was first inspected by Maher at Ric Jamieson’s Gilgai Farm Nagambie six months ago.
Maher's Caulfield Cup-winning mare Jameka was bred at Gilgai Farm.
The group one-winning trainer said he was confident the yearling would develop into a stallion.
“I thought he was a cracking colt,” he said.
“It's a great thrill to buy him.The first time I saw him I just loved him.
“He's got a stallion’s pedigree and hopeful that's what he is.
"I just thought he's a real running type, what he's bred to do.
“The I Am Invincibles are flying, and he's a good, tough, clean colt and got a wonderful temperament and hopefully he's a good racehorse.
“I was hoping that I never had to pay this much but I knew he would make over a $1 million.
“I was just about out of pennies so I was glad he was knocked down to me.”
Maher has been busy on the first two days of the four-day sale, buying numerous other yearlings. He paid $250,000 for a filly by Camelot and $165,000 for a colt by Denman.
The four-day sale finishes on Wednesday.
