Written by Jessica Owers
Cover image courtesy of Inglis
Chris Jory isn’t new to bloodstock, but as a bloodstock agent under his own sail, he’s a newish name on the yearling circuit. He kicked off the Sydney-based Jory Bloodstock only last year, but he made a decent splash this week at the 2022 Inglis Classic Sale.
Jory bought all three horses by Time Test (GB) in the catalogue, each of them fillies, and he was buying on behalf of an unnamed Australian client.
Chris and Sarah Jory | Image courtesy Jory & Co Bloodstock
“I was buying for a client of mine, a good friend, and he is quite keen on the sire,” Jory said, speaking to TDN AusNZ. “Obviously Time Test has had good results over in Europe at the end of last season and, being by a son of Dubawi, we just thought at the price, these fillies were too good to refuse.”
The three yearlings were Lot 96, Lot 214 and Lot 356. They sold for $180,000, $50,000 and $100,000 respectively.
“They were really nice types on the ground,” Jory said. “Their pedigree pages were good as well, and they were all out of mares with good-type runners on the ground, so we took advantage maybe of a sire that wasn’t as well-known here in Australia. If we were buying at Karaka, I think these types would have gone for quite a bit more.”
Time Test
Four-time Group winner Time Test is shuttling to Little Avondale Stud in New Zealand from The National Stud in Newmarket. In both hemispheres he stood his debut books in 2018.
Time Test got off the blocks in New Zealand with 116 mares and the same number in his return season in 2019. In 2020 he covered 135 mares, and he logged his first Group winner in September last year with Rocchigiani (GB) at Baden Baden.
Time Test (GB) | Standing at Little Avondale Stud
He’s the only son of Dubawi (Ire) currently at stud in New Zealand and, while his sales returns in Australia are more moderate than those in New Zealand, he had a $165,000 filly sell to Ciaron Maher and Thompson Creek Thoroughbreds at the 2021 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale (from the draft of Noorilim Park).
His highest-selling yearling to date in this part of the world is the NZ$220,000 paid by Paul Perry Bloodstock last year at New Zealand Bloodstock's Karaka Sale for a colt from the draft of Mapperley Stud.
A Classic horse
Jory’s three new fillies will stay in Australia.
Lot 96, who sold from Lime Country Thoroughbreds, will go to Matt Cumani at Ballarat, and she’s a daughter of the Elusive Quality (USA) mare Moravany, who is a half-sister to the G2 Sandown Guineas winner Tatra (Hussonet {USA}).
Lot 96 - Time Test (GB) x Moravany (filly) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Lots 214 and 356 will go to Matthew Smith at Warwick Farm, whom Jory spent some time working with and for whom he still sources horses on the international scene.
“The first of the fillies, Lot 96, we probably paid a bit more for than we thought we would,” Jory said. “There were quite a few people on her from Victoria. The competition on the second and third fillies was only so-so. There were a couple of others on them but I think we ended up getting them fairly cheap.”
“The first of the fillies, Lot 96, we probably paid a bit more for than we thought we would. There were quite a few people on her from Victoria.” - Chris Jory
Lot 214 and Lot 356 both came from the Sledmere Stud consignment.
The former is a Kiwi-bred filly from the Exceed And Excel mare Royal Excess, who is a daughter of the Group 1-winning, Group 1-placed performer Royal Tiara (NZ) (Blanco {USA}). Lot 356, meanwhile, is also Kiwi-bred and from the stakes-winning broodmare A Chance To Dream (Volksraad {GB}).
Jory said the promise around Time Test gave him plenty of enthusiasm for his three new yearlings this week.
Gallery: Time Test (GB) yearlings purchased by Jory Bloodstock at the Inglis Classic Sale, images courtesy of Inglis
“I think the stallion had two runners in the Karaka Million, and he’s probably a sire that, in my opinion and in the opinion of a few others, will get good 3-year-olds on the ground,” he said. “To already have 2-year-olds running was quite impressive then, I thought.
“We feel that these three fillies we bought should be able to get over a bit of distance, and they’re from dams that have been able to get up to over a mile-plus, and that’s what we’re looking for, that classic-style horse, so hopefully between them we’ve got one.”
Pinhook return
While Jory spent much of the week’s Classic Sale on the buyers' list, he was also a very satisfied vendor on Sunday evening.
Late on the first day of trade he sold Lot 240, an Extreme Choice filly from the draft of Riversdale, for $150,000 to Malua Bloodstock and China Horse Club.
Lot 240 - Extreme Choice x Shippo (NZ) (filly) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Lot 240 is the fourth foal from the Zizou mare Shippo (NZ), and this is the family of the old 1974 New Zealand Broodmare of the Year Wuthering Heights (NZ) (Avocat General {Ire}). From it has come New Zealand Horse of the Year Battle Heights (NZ) (Battle-Waggon {GB}) and, more recently, the ultra-consistent Magistra Delecta (NZ) (Al Akbar) and her son, Australian Group 3 winner Mecir (Lonhro).
“This filly (Lot 240) only cost me $30,000 as a foal, so to get $150,000 was a good result,” Jory said. “I’ve bought a few mares this year for clients, mostly off Inglis, so it's been all about building a base and trying to get a bit more business this year.”
“This filly (Lot 240) only cost me $30,000 as a foal, so to get $150,000 was a good result.” - Chris Jory
Jory said this week’s Classic Sale has been particularly strong throughout.
“It’s a cliche to say it, but the right types get good money,” he said. “It’s that type of Sale. You can obviously find some value in sires that might not be as popular, but overall it’s been very competitive.”
