Cover image courtesy of Inglis
At A Glance
At the close of trade on Thursday, the auction house reported that 157 weanlings sold for an aggregate of $7,467,000 at an average of $47,561, while the median finished at $25,000.
After the first session last year, 175 youngsters sold for a gross of $6,160,750 and the average finished at $35,204 and the median was recorded at $18,000.
The only weanling by I Am Invincible catalogued at the Sale proved the headline act when Trilogy Racing paid $280,000 to Rushton Park for the filly by the leading sire.
Rushton Park enjoyed a memorable day in the sale ring with David Johnson’s nursery having sold four weanlings for $100,000 or more and they finished the day as the leading vendor by aggregate selling 16 weanlings for a gross of $1,188,500 at an average of $74,281.
Justin Bahen - who signed on behalf of an undisclosed client - finished the day as the leading buyer, purchasing six weanlings for $1,120,000, with a colt by Toronado (Ire), who he purchased for $240,000, the most expensive of his purchases on Day 1.
Shadowbrook Bloodstock were celebrating a good day's trade on Thursday when they sold five weanlings for a total receipts of $566,000 at an average $113,200 and their results were spearheaded by a colt by Swettenham Stud shuttler Toronado (Ire) who was purchased by Justin Bahen for $240,000.
Bevan Smith Bloodstock and Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) purchased two weanlings throughout the day, including a filly by Written Tycoon for $200,000 from the Shadowbrook Bloodstock draft.
Dingwall pushes for Vinnie filly
Trilogy Racing have been a familiar name on the buyer sheet throughout the Sales in 2022 and on Thursday they continued their spending spree when they secured the only weanling by Yarraman Park-based sire I Am Invincible offered at the the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale for $280,000.
Catalogued as Lot 19 and offered by Rushton Park, the daughter of I Am Invincible is the first foal out of Listed winner and Group 3-placed mare Private Dancer (Oratorio) and she is herself a stakes-placed Sweet Serenity (Pearl Of Love {Ire}).
For Trilogy Racing, the decision to go hard on the I Am Invincible filly came largely off advice from Ampulla Lodge’s Steve Jostlear, who has been assisting Trilogy’s Sean Dingwall during inspections this week.
Lot 19 - I Am Invincible x Private Dancer (filly) sold to Trilogy Racing for $280,000 | Image courtesy of Inglis
“Steve was a big fan of (Group 1 winner) I Am A Star as a weanling and felt this filly was a dead ringer for her. That helped me make my mind up that she would be the one we attacked,’’ Dingwall said.
“We’ve tried to buy an I Am Invincible all year and they’ve been very hard to get but we liked this filly so we pushed on.
“This sale is as strong as any of the other sales for the quality animals. The horses that are the nice horses are making great, great money. We’ve managed to buy four but obviously we’ve been underbidder on quite a few too.’’
Great day for Rushton Park
The filly was the headline act of a brilliant afternoon for David Johnson’s Rushton Park, who sold four weanlings for $100,000 or more and they finished the day as the leading vendor by aggregate selling 16 weanlings for a gross of $1,188,500 at an average of $74,281.
Rushton Park’s David Johnson told TDN AusNZ he was pleased with the day's trade and said they were hoping the I Am Invincible would be a stand-out in the catalogue.
“It’s been a good day. She is by one of the best stallions in the country, she is out of a good mare and she is a good physical. Those sorts of good horses are always going to be well found at the Sale,” said Johnson.
Gallery: The three other Rushton Park lots which sold for over $100,000, images courtesy of Inglis
“The market for weanlings has been good, it doesn’t matter where you take them it seems, they are going to make their money. Being the only I Am Invincible catalogue, she was definitely a big fish in a small pond and that was the theory behind putting her in this Sale."
A few lots later, a filly by I Am Invincible’s Darley-based son Brazen Beau from the Rushton Park draft proved popular with the buying bench when she was purchased by James Bester Bloodstock for $210,000.
Johnson said he expected the filly to sell, given that she was strong and athletic, exactly what the Australian market looks for.
A 'keg on legs'
“She is what I call a ‘keg on legs.’ She is a good mover and is just really strong,” he said. “She looked like she was early and fast and those are the sorts of horses everyone wants to buy. She is just what the market in Australia likes.”
Catalogued as Lot 63, the filly is out of Segenhoe Valley (Dane Shadow), making her a half-sister to Listed winner Shelby Cobra (Toronado {Ire}), while further back this is the same family as Listed scorer Roulettes (Flying Spur) - the dam of Group 3 winner Sun City (Zoustar) - who stands at Telemon Thoroughbreds.
Later on in the afternoon, a filly by Arrowfield Stud’s Dundeel (NZ) handed the Victorian nursery another good result when he was purchased by New Zealand-based outfit Suncroft Bloodstock for $220,000.
Dundeel (NZ) | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
The filly was offered as Lot 74 and she is out of Silver Tiara (Ferocity) making her a half-sister to Listed winner Silvera (High Chaparral {Ire}).
Silver Tiara herself is a half-sister to multiple Group 1-winning champion Shoot Out (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Group 3-winning pair I’m A Princess (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Cassandara Shadow (NZ) (Johannesburg {USA}).
Johnson said he was pleased to see the filly realise that price-tag and said that she made well above her reserve.
“We had a $100,000 reserve on her and I thought she would make a fair bit more than that, but I wasn’t expecting what she made,” he explained. “She is a very nice filly that was well-received and to be fair to her she probably deserved to make that sort of money in this market.
“She (Lot 74) is a very nice filly that was well-received and to be fair to her she probably deserved to make that sort of money ($220,000) in this market." - David Johnson
“He is a stallion that is doing good things at stud and everytime we have taken one of his progeny to a Sale we have done exceptionally well with - he is a stallion we like and he will get another mare of ours this year. I think he is a very safe bet to use and the market seems to really like.”
Johnson said after the buyer's inspection process he had high hopes for the Sale and was happy to see everything come together on the day.
“On Wednesday, as far as inspections go, it was the busiest day I have had at a Sale ever. We did 128 inspection cards for 27 horses which is just phenomenal and I did think with our vetting and x-ray hits today, people would be strong on our good horses and they sold exceptionally well,” he said.
“It has been a very good, firm and strong Sale - we are very happy. Over the last couple of years we have targeted this Sale, it is very convenient for us and the Sale has been very good to us.”
Toronado proves popular
Shadowbrook Bloodstock were celebrating a good day's trade on Thursday when they sold five weanlings for a total receipts of $566,000 at an average $113,200 and their results were spearheaded by a colt by Swettenham Stud shuttler Toronado (Ire) who was purchased by Justin Bahen for $240,000.
Catalogued as Lot 89 and offered by Shadowbrook Bloodstock, the colt is out Listed winner Spectrolite (Stratum), who Shadowbrook purchased for $40,000 at the Inglis Sydney Broodmare and Weanling Sale in 2019.
Spectrolite is a half-sister to dual winner She’s Sirius (Galileo {Ire}) - the dam of Group 3 winner Sirileo Miss (Pride Of Dubai). Further back this is the same family Listed winner Hit It Star (Hit It Benny) and she in turn produced stakes scorer Hitapotomoss (Twig Moss {Fr}).
Lot 89 - Toronado (Ire) x Spectrolite (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
The colt was one of six purchases signed down to Bahen, who ended the day leading buyer by both aggregate $1,120,000 and number of lots bought with six.
“My client wanted to make a bee-line for the weanling market on the belief the yearling market will continue to be strong next year and he and I are both rapt with the quality of both colts and fillies we’ve been able to buy today,’’ Bahen said.
“He’s trying to buy the best horses at the Sale and was certainly very active because he liked what he saw there in the catalogue.
Justin Bahen | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“We’re very happy with the results from today, he’s got a nice spread of horses.’’
Shadowbrook’s Carol Hassell was ecstatic with the result and said the colt had been very popular during the inspections leading up to the Sale.
“He’s a lovely horse, he’d been very popular here all week, had lots of x-ray hits and then lots of action in the ring. He’s been out of his box basically all week, all in all we’ve done at least 450 individual parades from our eight horses, it’s been fabulous,’’ Hassell said.
"...we’ve done at least 450 individual parades from our eight horses, it’s been fabulous.’’ - Carol Hassell
“It’s been a fabulous week, there’s been people everywhere, so many people here on the grounds, Inglis has done a wonderful job. The Great Southern Sale is getting stronger and stronger and the future looks bright.’’
Toronado (Ire) enjoyed a brilliant day in the sale ring, with 10 of his weanlings selling for a leading aggregate of $1,130,000 at an average of $113,000 and he was also responsible for the third highest-priced lot of the day, when Bahen paid Gippsland Bloodstock $230,000 for a filly from the family multiple Group 1 winner Samaready (More Than Ready {USA}).
Written Tycoon filly a Classic purchase
Early on in the day, Bevan Smith Bloodstock and Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) provided Shadowbrook Bloodstock another fine result when the bloodstock agents teamed for a filly by Yulong Stud resident Written Tycoon, going to $200,000 to secure the youngster who was catalogued as Lot 11.
A product of the stallion’s only crop conceived at Arrowfield Stud, the filly is out of winning Snitzel mare Paris Lights, who was recently bought by Sheamus Mills for $105,000 at the Inglis Australian Mare Sale.
Lot 11 - Written Tycoon x Paris Lights (filly) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Paris Lights herself is out of Listed winner City Of Song (Bel Esprit), while further back this is the same family as stakes winner Songs Of Vienna (Umatilla {NZ}) and Group 2 winner Lavish Girl (Xtravagant {NZ}).
Smith said he would be happy to race the filly himself and is hoping when she is offered at the yearling Sales next year, people will have the same confidence in her.
“We think that the Classic Sale is the Sale we will target with her and we have done that previously with our pinhooks and have had good success. We will hopefully really stand-out at that Sale next year with this filly,” said Smith.
Bevan Smith (pictured) teamed up with Andrew Williams to buy Lot 11 | Image courtesy of Inglis
“She is a really lovely loose-walking filly and she had all the attributes that we like from an athletic racehorse point of view. We are sending her back through a ring next year,” said Smith.
“She is a filly that we would like to race ourselves and we are hoping that there are buyers at the yearling Sales who are thinking the same way that we do.
“She is the first foal out of a Snitzel mare and she looks like a sharp early going 2-year-old and the market likes these sorts of horses.
“The second dam was a very good racemare and an early type as well. I think she has all the attributes that the market will like when it comes to reoffering her next year. We were expecting $200,000 and that was about the mark we valued her at and we were pleased with the price we paid.”
Price happy with 'strong' trade
At the close of trade on Thursday, the auction house reported that 157 weanlings sold for an aggregate of $7,467,000 at an average of $47,561, while the median finished at $25,000. After the first session last year, 175 youngsters sold for a gross of $6,160,750 and the average finished at $35,204 and the median was recorded at $18,000.
Inglis’ Victorian Bloodstock Manager James Price told TDN AusNZ he was satisfied with the ‘solid’ day of trade at Oaklands Junction.
James Price was happy after the first day's trade | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“It was a strong and solid trade. As predicted, those weanlings that had select yearling Sale credentials that could be offered next year, those horses sold exceptionally well and those vendors were very well-rewarded. We are really happy with today and looking forward to tomorrow (Friday).
"We sold seven horses for $200,000 or more which equals last year’s number of $200,000 or more and every one of those was by a proven stallion, it showed the appetite for proven stallions was very good and again they were all the weanlings that had that select yearling Sale credentials."
"...the appetite for proven stallions was very good and again they were all the weanlings that had that select yearling Sale credentials." - James Price
Looking ahead to the broodmare section of the catalogue, Price said: “The inspections have been good. It is obviously a number that is smaller than previous years, because of the success of Inglis Digital.
“But a number of people wanted to present mares at this Sale and what they have presented is a nice select group of mares that are commercial off the track prospects who are in foal to stallions we have seen sell very well today (Friday).”
Day 2 of the Inglis Great Southern Sale commences at 10am AEST.
Top lots
| 19 | I Am Invincible | Private Dancer | Filly | Rushton Park, Tatura | Trilogy Racing Pty Ltd NSW | $280,000 |
| 89 | Toronado | Spectrolite | Colt | Shadowbrook Bloodstock, Drouin West | Bahen Bloodstock Ltd VIC | $240,000 |
| 168 | Toronado | Artielicious | Filly | Gippsland Bloodstock, Garfield | Bahen Bloodstock Ltd VIC | $230,000 |
| 74 | Dundeel | Silver Tiara | Filly | Rushton Park, Tatura | Suncroft Bloodstock Limited NEW ZEALAND | $220,000 |
| 63 | Brazen Beau | Segenhoe Valley | Filly | Rushton Park, Tatura | James Bester Bloodstock NSW | $210,000 |
| 11 | Written Tycoon | Paris Lights | Filly | Shadowbrook Bloodstock, Drouin West | Bevan Smith Bloodstock / Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) NSW | $200,000 |
| 26 | Snitzel | Queen of the Air | Colt | Noorilim Park, Arcadia | Bahen Bloodstock Ltd VIC | $200,000 |
| 55 | Tivaci | Sapphira | Filly | Blue Gum Farm, Euroa | Bahen Bloodstock Ltd VIC | $190,000 |
| 174 | Dundeel | Babel | Colt | Burnewang North Pastoral, Rochester | Trilogy Racing Pty Ltd NSW | $190,000 |
| 204 | Starspangledbanner | Chickadee | Colt | Rosemont Stud, Gnarwarre | James Bester Bloodstock NSW | $165,000 |
Top buyers
| Bahen Bloodstock Ltd | 6 | $1,120,000 | $186,667 | $240,000 |
| James Bester Bloodstock | 5 | $660,000 | $132,000 | $210,000 |
| Trilogy Racing Pty Ltd | 4 | $650,000 | $162,500 | $280,000 |
| Bevan Smith Bloodstock / Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) | 2 | $310,000 | $155,000 | $200,000 |
| Intel Bloodstock | 2 | $290,000 | $145,000 | $150,000 |
| Suncroft Bloodstock Limited | 1 | $220,000 | $220,000 | $220,000 |
| Hidden Valley Thoroughbreds | 3 | $210,000 | $70,000 | $80,000 |
| Robert Roulston Bloodstock Pty Ltd | 3 | $183,000 | $61,000 | $100,000 |
| Rothwell Park Thoroughbreds | 1 | $160,000 | $160,000 | $160,000 |
| Cape Schank Stud | 1 | $140,000 | $140,000 | $140,000 |
Vendors by aggregate
| Rushton Park, Tatura | 16 | $1,188,500 | $74,281 | $280,000 |
| Shadowbrook Bloodstock, Drouin West | 5 | $566,000 | $113,200 | $240,000 |
| Noorilim Park, Arcadia | 7 | $513,000 | $73,286 | $200,000 |
| Blue Gum Farm, Euroa | 7 | $451,500 | $64,500 | $190,000 |
| Widden Stud, Riddells Creek | 9 | $437,000 | $48,556 | $140,000 |
| Two Bays Farm, Flinders | 7 | $418,000 | $59,714 | $130,000 |
| Three Bridges Thoroughbreds, Eddington | 4 | $380,000 | $95,000 | $145,000 |
| Burnewang North Pastoral, Rochester | 3 | $360,000 | $120,000 | $190,000 |
| Rosemont Stud, Gnarwarre | 7 | $354,000 | $50,571 | $165,000 |
| Yulong, Nagambie | 11 | $320,000 | $29,091 | $80,000 |
Vendors by average (2 or more sold)
| Burnewang North Pastoral, Rochester | 3 | $120,000 | $190,000 | $360,000 |
| Shadowbrook Bloodstock, Drouin West | 5 | $113,200 | $240,000 | $566,000 |
| Three Bridges Thoroughbreds, Eddington | 4 | $95,000 | $145,000 | $380,000 |
| Rushton Park, Tatura | 16 | $74,281 | $280,000 | $1,188,500 |
| Noorilim Park, Arcadia | 7 | $73,286 | $200,000 | $513,000 |
| Blue Gum Farm, Euroa | 7 | $64,500 | $190,000 | $451,500 |
| Two Bays Farm, Flinders | 7 | $59,714 | $130,000 | $418,000 |
| Glastonbury Farms, Scone, NSW | 3 | $54,667 | $140,000 | $164,000 |
| Merricks Station, Merricks | 5 | $54,200 | $85,000 | $271,000 |
| Morningside, Wahring | 5 | $53,600 | $160,000 | $268,000 |
Sires by aggregate
| Toronado | 10 | $1,130,000 | $527,222 | $240,000 |
| Dundeel | 3 | $450,000 | $1,600,000 | $220,000 |
| Written Tycoon | 3 | $372,000 | $758,333 | $200,000 |
| Blue Point | 4 | $287,500 | $503,333 | $95,000 |
| I Am Invincible | 1 | $280,000 | $1,450,000 | $280,000 |
| Castelvecchio | 3 | $263,000 | $453,333 | $150,000 |
| Dubious | 2 | $260,000 | $1,200,000 | $145,000 |
| Brazen Beau | 2 | $250,000 | $560,000 | $210,000 |
| Fiorente | 3 | $248,000 | $1,100,000 | $160,000 |
| So You Think | 2 | $225,000 | $875,000 | $140,000 |
Sires by average (2 or more sold)
| Dundeel | 3 | $150,000 | $450,000 | $190,000 |
| Dubious | 2 | $130,000 | $260,000 | $130,000 |
| Brazen Beau | 2 | $125,000 | $250,000 | $125,000 |
| Written Tycoon | 3 | $124,000 | $372,000 | $160,000 |
| Toronado | 10 | $113,000 | $1,130,000 | $110,000 |
| So You Think | 2 | $112,500 | $225,000 | $112,500 |
| Castelvecchio | 3 | $87,667 | $263,000 | $75,000 |
| Trapeze Artist | 2 | $87,500 | $175,000 | $87,500 |
| Fiorente | 3 | $82,667 | $248,000 | $80,000 |
| Shamus Award | 2 | $80,000 | $160,000 | $80,000 |
