Cover image courtesy of Inglis
At A Glance
The Sale’s gross increased to $8,650,000 from $8,643,000 in 2021, when there was only one session of weanlings, while it also bettered the aggregate of $7,773,000 from the 2020 edition of the Sale.
The median swelled to $30,000 up from $24,000 12 months ago, while in 2020 the median was recorded as $21,000.
At the close of trade on Wednesday, Inglis had reported that 170 weanlings had sold at a clearance rate of 74 per cent, which is expected to climb over the next few days.
A filly by Coolmore Stud-based sire Pierro was the headline act of the day’s trade when she was knocked down to Trilogy Racing for $400,000 and they finished the day as the leading buyers, having purchased nine foals for total receipts of $821,000.
With the first and second top prices, Fairhill Farm finished the day as the leading vendors by aggregate having sold 20 weanlings for $1,768,500.
Bell River Thoroughbreds head into Day 2 as the leading vendors by average (with three or more lots sold) having parted with four weanlings for a gross of $415,000 and a high price of $300,000.
Hutch hails ‘extraordinary’ day's trade
At the close of trade on Day 1, Inglis reported the aggregate as $8,650,000, which edges the $8,643,000 recorded on the only day of trade last year, while the average has risen 17 per cent to $50,882 and the median has increased 25 per cent, sitting at $30,000.
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch described the day’s action as ‘extraordinary’ and said the thirst for top-quality bloodstock is becoming hard to satisfy.
“It was a pretty extraordinary day's trade,” Hutch told TDN AusNZ. “The demand for stock that met the criteria was insatiable, the volume of buyers was really incredible and it bodes well for the balance of the Sale.”
“The demand for stock that met the criteria was insatiable, the volume of buyers was really incredible and it bodes well for the balance of the Sale.” - Sebastian Hutch
At the end of the day the clearance rate sat at 74 per cent, which is expected to climb in the coming days and Hutch said that perhaps some of the vendors had been lured into a false sense of security given the huge strength of the yearling market.
“If your horse didn’t quite meet the necessary veterinary criteria or pedigree was short of the mark it was a little bit more difficult and I think a few of the vendors got sucked into the strength of the market and were probably too aggressive with their reserves, but I think there has been good trade on passed in lots through the Sale and I expect that to continue to be the case.
“We found the strength of the yearling market through the year has been underpinned by people letting the market value their stock and those people who chose to do that today were generally very well rewarded and I think those people who tried to guess the last bid probably found it a little bit more difficult. But all-in-all it was a really positive day's trade and I am really looking forward to tomorrow (Thursday).”
New high for O'Donnell
A filly by Coolmore Stud resident Pierro was the headline act on Day 1, purchased by Trilogy Racing for $400,000, providing vendor Fairhill Farm with the icing on the cake of what had been a busy few days for Fairhill’s Mike O’Donnell.
Lot 273 - Pierro x Now Now (filly) | Image courtesy of Inglis
O'Donnell brought 31 weanlings to the Sale this year, but he was well-rewarded, finishing the day as the leading vendor by aggregate, selling 20 weanlings for $1,768,500.
“It’s been organised chaos,’’ O’Donnell said at the close of trade on Wednesday.
“We did 70 cards today which is phenomenal alone for a sale day but prior to that, we’ve done 2205 individual parades. It was almost embarrassing because we couldn’t cope with the numbers that wanted parades, the demand was just overwhelming. It was as busy as humanly possible, busier actually.’’
“...we’ve done 2205 individual parades. It was almost embarrassing because we couldn’t cope with the numbers that wanted parades, the demand was just overwhelming." - Mike O'Donnell
The daughter of Pierro looked to be one of the standout lots among Fairhill's draft and, while O’Donnell was aware she was a lovely individual, the price-tag did take the vendor slightly by surprise.
“This is our highest-selling weanling. We were shocked with that price, to be honest. It was quite extraordinary,’’ he said. “I didn’t think she’d land there. No way.’’
Catalogued as Lot 273, the filly is out of five time-winning mare Now Now (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who was herself purchased by O’Donnell for $80,000 at the Inglis Broodmare Sale in 2006.
Mike O'Donnell | Image courtesy of Inglis
Now Now’s four winners are headed by Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed mare Fiesta (I Am Invincible), who O’Donnell sold to owner Star Thoroughbreds and trainer Chris Waller for $150,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in 2017.
Further back the filly’s third dam is Listed winner Vowed (Without Fear {Fr}) - the dam of Group 3-winning pair Stick Around (Twig Moss {Fr}) and Charm Scene Land (Brocco {USA}), while she also produced Listed winner Kingsgate (Danzero).
The top-priced lot was the best result on the day for Mike and Debbie O’Donnell’s Fairhill Farm and they were also responsible for the second-highest priced foal in the shape of a Too Darn Hot (GB) colt who was purchased by Peter O’Brien’s POB Bloodstock for $320,000.
Lot 242 - Too Darn Hot (GB) x Majesty (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
The colt is the fifth foal out of Majesty (Fastnet Rock), making him a half-brother to Listed winner Lady Of Honour (No Nay Never {USA}).
Fellow Darley first-season sire Blue Point (Ire) also kicked off his Australian weanling sales with a strong result, when Jim Carey purchased Sledmere Stud's colt for $290,000 as Lot 214.
Strong haul for Trilogy
On the other side of the coin, Sean Dingwall of Trilogy Racing was also very busy at the Sale in a purchaser capacity and the Pierro filly was the highlight of nine purchases for a total spend of $821,000 on the first day of trade.
Like O’Donnell, Dingwell was not expecting to have to dig that deep to secure the filly, but willing to do so having admired her during the inspections.
Pierro | Standing at Coolmore
“We had to go a bit further than we hoped but at the end of the day she was the one we wanted,’’ said Dingwall, who was yet to decide whether the filly would be retained to race or re-offered as a yearling next year.
“For us, being the number one draft pick, we were happy to pay for her.
“She’s the dearest weanling I’ve bought but I loved her. From a Pierro perspective, I think she’s the best Pierro I’ve seen, she had more strength than a lot of what I see from a Pierro perspective and that gave me a lot of confidence."
"From a Pierro perspective, I think she’s (Lot 273) the best Pierro I’ve seen, she had more strength than a lot of what I see from a Pierro perspective and that gave me a lot of confidence." - Sean Dingwall
Bell River Thoroughbreds were also handed a stunning result during the first session of the Sale when they sold a Toronado (Ire) colt to Peter O’Brien’s POB Bloodstock for $300,000 as Lot 10, they now lead the vendors by average.
Fairhill rewarded for quality
Hutch heaped praise on the efforts of Mike O’Donnell from Fairhill Farm and said he was well-rewarded, not just for his best foals but across the board.
“The Pierro filly was a great result for Fairhill,” Hutch continued. “They (Mike and Debbie) put their heart and soul into the farm and I appreciate it is a stressful experience bringing a whole foal crop here, but I think people respect the work they do on the farm and they have had a number of good horses come off the farm.
“I think people enjoy the transparency of the fact that he brings what he breeds and he is also very reasonable with his reserves. I think people have responded positively to that. He has had an excellent sale and his foals have dramatically outsold his expectations, it was quite ridiculous. It wasn’t just the better foals, just right across the board they have all sold really well.”
“I think people enjoy the transparency of the fact that he (Mike O'Donnell) brings what he breeds and he is also very reasonable with his reserves.” - Sebastian Hutch
The diversity of the buying bench during Wednesday’s Sale was impressive and Hutch said there were plenty of differing buyers with differing objectives trying to get their hands on quality stock, which ultimately led to strong trade throughout the day.
“A lot of vendors go home happy having achieved fantastic results and buyers are delighted to be able to get their hands on quality stock whatever their objective was, whether it was to go back to the yearling sale next year or go to the races in a couple of years' time.
“Access to stock has been a real challenge for people through the yearling sale series and I think buyers were conscious of that through the yearling sale series and I think as a result they have been bullish and bid strongly on the horses they like and hopefully those horses are lucky.
Sebastian Hutch | Image courtesy of Inglis
“There are a lot of nice horses here and I would be surprised if we weren’t talking about some of those horses in years to come.”
Young sires popular
While there were some household names in terms of stallions missing in the catalogue, Hutch was pleased to see the buying bench respond positively to the younger stallions stock that was offered at the Sale.
“I could see a source of frustration in advance of the Sale that we weren’t able to attract the offspring of some of the highest-profile stallions in the country, but by the same token we were delighted to be able to offer a diverse offering of progeny of the progressive young stallions and first-season stallions and they have found themselves primarily at the head of the market,” Hutch explained.
"...we were delighted to be able to offer a diverse offering of progeny of the progressive young stallions and first-season stallions and they have found themselves primarily at the head of the market.” - Sebastian Hutch
“This is consistent with the yearling sale series and the market has responded very positively to those progressive young stallions and the first-season stallions.
“I think we have consistently shown at this Sale we are capable of putting together a really vibrant market, the feel today was really brilliant and it just had a buzz about it, which was great to see. I think the market is in really rude health and I think the market today reflected that brilliantly.”
Day 2 commences on Thursday at 10am AEST.
Top lots
| 273 | Pierro | Now Now | F | Fairhill Farm, Mulbring | Trilogy Racing Pty Ltd NSW | $400,000 |
| 242 | Too Darn Hot | Majesty | C | Fairhill Farm, Mulbring | POB Bloodstock Pty Limited NSW | $320,000 |
| 10 | Toronado | Ain't She Smart | C | Bell River Thoroughbreds, Glen William | POB Bloodstock Pty Limited NSW | $300,000 |
| 214 | Blue Point | Lady Loire | C | Sledmere Stud, Scone | Jim Carey NSW | $290,000 |
| 89 | Russian Revolution | Crimson And Clover | C | Sledmere Stud, Scone | Arrow Park Bloodstock NSW | $240,000 |
| 72 | So You Think | Choux Diva | C | Tyreel Stud, Agnes Banks | Kulani Park VIC | $225,000 |
| 172 | Russian Revolution | Imaginative | C | Ballygrove Stud, Blandford | Musk Creek Farm VIC | $220,000 |
| 277 | Capitalist | One More Tequila | F | Fairhill Farm, Mulbring | Yolo Bloodstock NSW | $210,000 |
| 134 | Dubious | Flash Of Innocence | C | Rathmore Lodge, Rockleigh, SA | HK Asia Investments NSW | $200,000 |
| 39 | Too Darn Hot | Birdy O'Reilly | C | Cannon Hayes Stud, Scone | STAS Bloodstock NEW ZEALAND | $170,000 |
Top buyers
| Trilogy Racing Pty Ltd | 9 | $821,000 | $91,222 | $400,000 |
| POB Bloodstock Pty Limited | 2 | $620,000 | $310,000 | $320,000 |
| Jim Carey | 2 | $340,000 | $170,000 | $290,000 |
| Yolo Bloodstock | 3 | $330,000 | $110,000 | $210,000 |
| Kulani Park | 2 | $310,000 | $155,000 | $225,000 |
| Arrow Park Bloodstock | 1 | $240,000 | $240,000 | $240,000 |
| Musk Creek Farm | 1 | $220,000 | $220,000 | $220,000 |
| HK Asia Investments | 1 | $200,000 | $200,000 | $200,000 |
| James Bester Bloodstock / Ridgmont Farm | 3 | $195,000 | $65,000 | $75,000 |
| Heritage Thoroughbreds | 1 | $170,000 | $170,000 | $170,000 |
Vendors by aggregate
| Fairhill Farm, Mulbring | 20 | $1,768,500 | $88,425 | $400,000 |
| Sledmere Stud, Scone | 10 | $1,034,000 | $103,400 | $290,000 |
| Rathmore Lodge, Rockleigh, SA | 6 | $464,500 | $77,417 | $200,000 |
| Bell River Thoroughbreds, Glen William | 4 | $415,000 | $103,750 | $300,000 |
| Cannon Hayes Stud, Scone | 4 | $340,000 | $85,000 | $170,000 |
| Newgate Consignment, Aberdeen | 9 | $339,500 | $37,722 | $110,000 |
| Twin Hills Stud, Cootamundra | 6 | $316,000 | $52,667 | $160,000 |
| Coolmore Stud, Jerrys Plains | 9 | $290,000 | $32,222 | $50,000 |
| Stonehouse Thoroughbreds, Eddington, Vic | 9 | $261,000 | $29,000 | $130,000 |
| Gilgai Farm, Nagambie, Vic | 5 | $249,000 | $49,800 | $85,000 |
Vendors by average (3 or more sold)
| Bell River Thoroughbreds, Glen William | 4 | $103,750 | $415,000 | $300,000 |
| Sledmere Stud, Scone | 10 | $103,400 | $1,034,000 | $290,000 |
| Fairhill Farm, Mulbring | 20 | $88,425 | $1,768,500 | $400,000 |
| Cannon Hayes Stud, Scone | 4 | $85,000 | $340,000 | $170,000 |
| Tyreel Stud, Agnes Banks | 3 | $82,333 | $247,000 | $225,000 |
| Rathmore Lodge, Rockleigh, SA | 6 | $77,417 | $464,500 | $200,000 |
| Davali Thoroughbreds, Luskintyre | 3 | $52,667 | $158,000 | $130,000 |
| Twin Hills Stud, Cootamundra | 6 | $52,667 | $316,000 | $160,000 |
| Gilgai Farm, Nagambie, Vic | 5 | $49,800 | $249,000 | $85,000 |
| Rheinwood Pastoral Co, Mittagong | 3 | $47,000 | $141,000 | $80,000 |
Sires by aggregate
| Russian Revolution | 9 | $981,500 | $109,056 | $240,000 |
| Toronado | 4 | $520,000 | $130,000 | $300,000 |
| Too Darn Hot | 2 | $490,000 | $245,000 | $320,000 |
| Pierro | 2 | $480,000 | $240,000 | $400,000 |
| Written By | 6 | $411,000 | $68,500 | $160,000 |
| Capitalist | 4 | $353,000 | $88,250 | $210,000 |
| Hellbent | 6 | $335,000 | $55,833 | $110,000 |
| Yes Yes Yes | 6 | $325,000 | $54,167 | $110,000 |
| So You Think | 2 | $315,000 | $157,500 | $225,000 |
| Blue Point | 1 | $290,000 | $290,000 | $290,000 |
Sires by average (3 or more sold)
| Toronado | 4 | $130,000 | $520,000 | $300,000 |
| Russian Revolution | 9 | $109,056 | $981,500 | $240,000 |
| Capitalist | 4 | $88,250 | $353,000 | $210,000 |
| Exceedance | 4 | $68,750 | $275,000 | $105,000 |
| Written By | 6 | $68,500 | $411,000 | $160,000 |
| All Too Hard | 5 | $56,600 | $283,000 | $85,000 |
| Hellbent | 6 | $55,833 | $335,000 | $110,000 |
| Yes Yes Yes | 6 | $54,167 | $325,000 | $110,000 |
| Nicconi | 3 | $49,667 | $149,000 | $110,000 |
| Zousain | 5 | $48,400 | $242,000 | $130,000 |
