Written by Lydia Symonds
Cover image courtesy of Sportpix
The Group 3-winning mare Estonian Princess (Snitzel) was the prize lot of the Inglis Digital September (Early) Online Sale as Szeto Yuk Ting paid $375,000 for the mare and she was one of 11 lots sold on the platform on Wednesday for $100,000 or more.
The price-tag handed TJS Bloodstock’s Simon Raleigh a quick turn on the investment he made on the mare when he purchased her for $200,000 16 months ago at the Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale.
Group 3 winner Estonian Princess was offered in foal to So You Think (NZ) | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital
When he purchased her in 2021, she was carrying a foal by Coolmore Stud-based sire So You Think (NZ) and Raleigh will offer the filly at one of Inglis’ yearling sales next year.
“It’s pretty amazing really, to get that sort of turnaround in an investment like this, and hopefully the yearling sells really well next year and will bring the buyer of the mare tonight a great deal of joy, it’s just a great result all round,’’ Raleigh said.
“I’m thrilled with the outcome and I hope the buyer is just as thrilled as I am.
“The bidding certainly went on, I was watching on my phone and it just kept going. I’ve both bought and sold with Inglis Digital and I think it’s a fantastic platform and it avoids all the complications and costs involved in a live auction. I’m very happy with the platform.’’
“I’ve both bought and sold with Inglis Digital and I think it’s a fantastic platform and it avoids all the complications and costs involved in a live auction.’’ - Simon Raleigh
The mare will now head to Newgate Farm to foal down her Zoustar foal before a decision is made as to which stallion she will visit next.
“We will discuss those options with the team at Newgate but it will be one of the stallions based there,’’ Orbis representative Yuk Ting Szeto said.
“From what we could see on the page and the foals she’s left so far, we knew we would have to pay quite a bit of money for her, but she is definitely worth it.’’
“From what we could see on the page and the foals she’s (Estonian Princess) left so far, we knew we would have to pay quite a bit of money for her, but she is definitely worth it.’’ - Yuk Tin Szeto
Catalogued as Lot 357, the daughter of Snitzel’s three career wins were headed by a victory in the G3 James HB Carr S. and her only foal to race, Prince Of Tallin (Pride Of Dubai), is a winner.
In 2019, she produced a colt by Flying Artie, who was purchased by Anthony Freedman Racing and Julian Blaxland Bloodstock for $50,000 at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale in 2021. He is now named Kodiak and is unraced.
The mare is one of five winners out of winning US-bred mare Meet My Sis (USA) (Prized {USA}) and she is also the dam of G2 Sandown Guineas winner Schilling (Bianconi {USA}).
Kodiak as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Further afield, this is the same family as Listed-winning duo Astara (NZ) (Dalghar {Fr}) and Brave Angel (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}).
Felicia secured for $330,000
Meanwhile, the second-highest priced lot of the day was Felicia (Unencumbered), a winner of the 2020 G3 How Now S. and she was purchased by Joe Stambe of Spartus Bloodstock for $330,000 and she will be covered by his stallion Signore Fox.
“I thought she would sell for $250,000-$300,000 but when the bug gets into you, sometimes it’s hard to stop. At the end of the day, you have to look at the weanling prices and yearling prices and weigh all of that up and they’re all very high at the moment, so I had to keep going," said Stambe.
Group 3 winner Felicia | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital
“I’ve bought a few horses off Digital before, it’s easy to sit at home and go through everything and buy. It’s great.’’
Felicia was offered by Gerard Ballantyne on behalf of the mare’s ownership group and he was delighted with Wednesday’s result.
“It’s a great result. We’re really, really happy with it. To get that sort of result, it’s just absolutely fantastic,’’ Ballantyne said.
“This was my first experience in selling a horse on Inglis Digital and I must congratulate all of you, it was absolutely seamless, the advice we got and the assistance we got from (Inglis Insurance Manager and Bloodstock Consultant) Sinead (Flannery) over the journey was spot on.
“It’s ($330,000 for Felicia) a great result. We’re really, really happy with it. To get that sort of result, it’s just absolutely fantastic.’’ - Gerard Ballantyne
“For first-timers there was that sense of comfort with the whole process, it was well explained and very simple to implement everything.’’
Out of the unraced Shamardal (USA) mare Los Feliz, who has produced a further three winners. This is the same family as New Zealand Group 2 winner Real Success (Success Express {NZ}), the dam of G1 Queensland Oaks winner Vouvray (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Listed scorer Bolton (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Monegal makes $225,000
Cunningham Thoroughbreds and Clarke Bloodstock snared 10-time winning Lope De Vega (Ire) mare Monegal for $225,000 on Wednesday.
The mare’s decade of career victories includes a triumph in the G3 Epona S. which saw her earn over $686,895 in prizemoney.
Group 3 winner Monegal | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital
Monegal was a shrewd investment for her trainer Theresa Bateup, who paid for $3000 at the Inglis Scone Yearling Sale in 2017 and she is out of placed Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) mare Sublissime (Ire).
Sublissime herself is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Morshdi (GB) (Slip Anchor {GB}) and Group 3 scorer Ilitshe (Fastnet Rock), while this is the same family as multiple Group 1-winning Champion mare Habibti (GB) (Habitat {USA}).
$25,000 for Meredith
The September (Early) Sale also included an eight-lot fundraiser offering for injured jockey Elissa Meredith, who is recovering from a race fall at Gunnedah in July.
Organised by trainer Louise Munce and the NSW Trainers’ Association, the items – which ranged from racing and sporting memorabilia to raceday events and a Inglis Hotel package – grossed a collective $25,000.
Elissa Meredith
Meredith’s family said in a statement: “We are so grateful for the ongoing support from the entire racing industry.
“We watched the auction as a family live on the Inglis Digital website and we are really humbled by the support. There were plenty of tears every time a new bid was placed.
“There are many that we’d like to thank with special mention to the NSWTA who really stepped up and of course Inglis, who allowed the auction to take place and the promotion by them was very kind.
“We watched the auction as a family live on the Inglis Digital website and we are really humbled by the support. There were plenty of tears every time a new bid was placed.’’ - Meredith Family
“Also to those who donated and placed bids, from Elissa we say a huge thanks and we wish we could hug everyone. In so many ways, the $25,000 raised will greatly assist Elissa in her recovery.
“Thanks again to everyone involved – we feel special that Elissa is involved in such a wonderful industry.’’
Entries for the Inglis Digital September (Late) Online Sale are now open and will remain so until next Wednesday, September 21.
The auction will run from September 23-28.
