Written by Jessica Owers
Cover image courtesy of Sportpix
It’s been a week since Inglis Digital hosted a standalone sale for Sierra Sue (NZ), the Darci Brahma (NZ) mare selling for $1.55 million, and now the online platform has announced a similar bespoke sale next month, with a trio of Australian Bloodstock mares to be offered unreserved on August 16 and 17.
The three broodmares are Wandabaa (Wandjina), Enchanted Heart (Shamus Award) and Lunakorn (Puissance De Lune {Ire}), and between them they represent a sizeable book of stakes performances.
Nick Melmeth, Inglis Digital’s business manager, said it was a rare time of year to find mares of this quality.
Nick Melmeth
“The new breeding season is only weeks away and it’s rare that breeding prospects of this quality appear on the open market, so they’re a fantastic opportunity,” he said. “We’re thrilled to be offering these mares on behalf of Jamie, Luke and the Australian Bloodstock team, and they will no doubt appeal to a wide range of breeders and investors.”
The bespoke event has been named the Inglis Digital August Boutique Sale, and the three mares will be available for inspection at the stables of their Newcastle trainer, Kris Lees.
Bidding opens at 9am AEST on Tuesday, August 16, and closes the following day at 4pm AEST.
Group-winning highlight
The obvious pick of the mares is the Wandjina 5-year-old Wandabaa, whose eight-win career to date has included a smart victory in the G3 Newmarket H. at Newcastle.
That win was in March this year, while Wandabaa has also placed in such races as the G3 Birthday Card S., G2 Sapphire S. and the million-dollar The Hunter when she was second to Lost And Running (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}).
Wandabaa | Image courtesy of Sportpix
The mare, who will be six years old when she is offered next month, is just shy of $1 million in earnings and she’s consistently run against the likes of Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}), Baller (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Espiona (Extreme Choice).
She was last seen in the G1 Tattersall’s Tiara in Brisbane, but trialled as recently as last week with her expected swansong in the G2 Missile S. at Randwick on August 6.
“Wandabaa has been nothing but brave her whole career,” said Australian Bloodstock’s Jamie Lovett. “She’s a winner, she has an abundance of speed with a front-running racing style and she was very unlucky not to win some really big races.”
“Wandabaa has been nothing but brave her whole career. She’s a winner, she has an abundance of speed with a front-running racing style and she was very unlucky not to win some really big races.” – Jamie Lovett
In 2018, Lovett and his team picked up Wandabaa from the draft of Bob Hannon’s Ascot Park at the Inglis Classic Sale. They paid just $36,000 for her, a figure she has returned 36 times over.
Wandabaa was the fifth foal from the Anabaa (USA) mare Mabkhara and, as such, a half-sister to this year's Listed Bob Hoysted H. winner Malkovich.
She’s also a half-sister to the Sebring filly Seewhatshebrings, who fetched $800,000 at this year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale when offered by Twin Hills Stud and sold to Fernrigg Farm and Avesta Bloodstock.
Jamie Lovett | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“There’s so much upside in this family,” Lovett said. “Wandabaa is out of a terrific mare in Mabkhara, she’s a half-sister to multiple stakes-performers, and Mabkhara will go to I Am Invincible this season. It’s just such a current family that somebody, or some people, will be getting into with her.”
Potential abounds
In the wings, the eight-time winner Enchanted Heart is by Shamus Award from the Kiwi-bred mare Shattered Heart (NZ) (Show A Heart).
The 5-year-old has $400,000 in prizemoney across 26 starts and, like Wandabaa, she was last seen in the G1 Tattersall’s Tiara last month.
Enchanted Heart | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Enchanted Heart first stepped up to stakes company when winning the Listed Takeover Target S. at Gosford last year, and she’s been a consistent galloper for her owners. She’s been on the podium in 12 of her 26 races.
As a yearling, the mare was bought by Australian Bloodstock at the same 2018 Inglis Classic Sale as Wandabaa. She cost $80,000 from the draft of Golden Grove, and she comes from the family of She Will Be Loved (Strategic), a G2 Edward Manifold S. winner.
“Not many horses can win eight races, but Enchanted Heart has managed that from not a huge amount of starts,” Lovett said. “She’s a stakes winner by a stallion that can do no wrong, so she’s really appealing. She’s also really sound, has a lovely profile and is going really well in the stables. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if she adds to her already impressive record before she sells.”
“She’s (Enchanted Heart) a stakes winner by a stallion that can do no wrong, so she’s really appealing.... It wouldn’t surprise me at all if she adds to her already impressive record before she sells.” – Jamie Lovett
Enchanted Heart is nominated to run at Rosehill on Saturday, along with the Missile S. on August 6, while the last of the trio, Lunakorn, will be offered without a race-date upcoming.
The dual city-winner, a rising 6-year-old who was third in the G3 Mannerism S., was bought by Australian Bloodstock and Darren Weir for $67,500 from the draft of Armidale Stud at the 2018 at the Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale.
Her dam, the Flying Spur mare Kandy Korn, is from the G3 Matriarch S. winner Sweet Corn (Scenic), in turn the dam of the Listed winner Baby Corn (Exceed And Excel).
Lunakorn when racing
“For any breeder looking for an outcross, Lunakorn would be a lovely mare to breed to,” Lovett said. “She’s a Shamardal-line mare by Puissance De Lune from a lovely family, she’s very correct and presents lots of options to breeders.”
To organise an inspection of Wandabaa, Enchanted Heart or Lunakorn, contact Sebastian Hutch at Inglis on +61 423 770 854.
