The GALILEO colt out of PENANG PEARL set a new benchmark for the highest priced yearling in the world this year when surpassing last night’s sale-topperwhen knocked down to MV Magnier for 2.6m guineas.

Catalogued as lot 442, the half-brother to the Group 1 King George winner HARBINGER saw a battle between John Magnier and John Warren, despite the slow start that saw auctioneer Simon Kerins begin with the minimum bid of 5,000 guineas.The colt, easily the world's most expensive yearling of this year, was bred by Mr Nick Ooi, a Malaysian businessman who has been based in Britain for 30 years.

He bought PenangPearl as two-year-old breeze-up and raced her himself, keeping her as a broodmare after she retired.

In 2005, Ooi made the decision to send her to Dansili, a mating that produced the Group 1 winner and stallion Harbinger, which as Ooi explains "made it possible for me to send her to Galileo”.

The mare has another Galileo foal at foot and was covered by the champion sire again this spring.