The syndicate behind Lucky Six, the outstanding graduate of last year's Piaget International Sale, collected a $500,000 bonus from the sponsors before last night's proceedings got under way - and immediately reinvested it in another horse.
The bonus is given to the owners of the horse which earns the most prizemoney in the year between its sale and the next. With so many outstanding young horses coming out of last year's auction, competition for the bonus was fierce but Lucky Six, a $1.65 million purchase, took the honours with earnings of $2,056,710.
The Six Fans Syndicate splashed out even more this time as they bought lot 24, a colt by English Group One-winning sprinter Zieten, for $2.8 million, the sixth-highest price of the night to give themselves another crack at the bonus.
Millennium Supreme, last year's $2.05 million top lot, is the second-top earner from that sale, having taken his earnings to $1,888,135 with victory at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. That success may have come too late to take the bonus but, along with another Wednesday scorer in Successful Spirit, his latest win was the perfect pre-sale boost.
Not that last night's extravaganza needed any more hype.