International buyers have taken centre stage on the first day of the annual Easter Yearling sale in Sydney.

Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum, the owner of Monday's Group One Sires' Produce winner Pride Of Dubai and runner-up Rageese, paid top price of $1.6 million for a Fastnet Rock filly out of Perfect Persuasion.

British Bloodstock Ireland paid the second highest price of Tuesday's session, $1.3 million for a Fastnet Rock filly out of Mennetou to be raced in Australia by the Niarchos family.

The highest price paid for a colt was $1 million by Hong Kong's George Moore.

The sheikh's agent Tim Stakemire said the top filly was more expensive than they thought but they were determined to buy her.

"She is a lovely filly," Stakemire said.

"She's the full package.

"We did not think she would sell that high but she was the one we wanted."

Perfect Persuasion, a half sister to Alinghi, has a filly foal by Fastnet Rock and went back to the same stallion in 2014.

BBA Ireland's Adrian Nicoll said the Niarchos family had a keen interest in Australian racing.

"She is for a European partnership that is headed by the Niarchos family in France," Nicoll said.

"They've got a couple of broodmares here now. They own part of Estelle Collection, the dam of Lankan Rupee, and Group One winner Pear Tart.

"This filly will actually be their first racehorse here."

Mark Webster, managing director of auctioneering company William Inglis and Son said it had been a good start to the three-day sale.

"One area I would like to see is a greater clearance rate which was at 73 per cent at the end of the day," Webster said.

"But a lot of the ones passed in are sold privately so that will go up."

The average price from the 132 lots sold was $291,667 with a gross of $38.5 million.