Written by Jessica Owers
Amid a busy day of racing on Wednesday, Inglis Digital hosted the conclusion of its October (Early) Online Sale, which saw two mares top proceedings at $150,000 apiece.
The first was Lot 218, a Frankel (GB) mare called Romantic Road (GB) that was consigned by Waratah Thoroughbreds and sold to buyer Emma Smith on behalf of Valencia Park, New Zealand, while the second, Lot 225, was Seagrove (Exceed And Excel), who was sold to Orbis Bloodstock by Swettenham Stud.
Both were topical results for the pair of horses.
Frankel stock has commanded so many headlines in the last few months, both on the track and in sale rings around the world, while Exceed And Excel’s broodmare-sire results have made headlines of their own.
Frankel (GB) | Standing at Juddmonte Farms
On Wednesday evening, as Inglis Digital drew to a close, a daughter of the Darley supersire had the winner of the G1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield. Madame Pommery, by No Nay Never (USA), is from the Exceed And Excel mare Cancel.
Romantic Road might race
Romantic Road was the first of the mares to reach her sale price of $150,000 on Wednesday afternoon. The 4-year-old daughter of Frankel was unraced, and imported into Australia in August 2019 as a daughter of the Group 1-winning Montjeu (Ire) mare, Miss Keller (Ire).
In Canada, Miss Keller was a very sharp performer, winning the G1 EP Taylor S. and the G2 Canadian S., and she was Group-placed on a number of occasions.
Lot 218 - Romantic Road (GB) | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital
On the second line of this pedigree, Romantic Road is a granddaughter of Ingozi (GB) (Warning {GB}), and there is a lot of black type attached to this mare.
Some of the fruits of the page include Harbour Law (GB) (Lawman {Fr}), a Champion 3-year-old stayer in 2016, and European Group winners Hatta Fort (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), Spirit Of Appin (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) and War Story (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}).
A full brother to Romantic Road, bred by Waratah Thoroughbreds, was sold recently at the Goffs Orby Sale in Ireland last month. The Frankel colt was Lot 77 and he attracted a winning bid of €360,000 (AU$557,700) from Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock.
Waratah Thoroughbreds has sent four of Miss Keller’s foals to Australia, of which three have returned winners. For buyer Emma Smith, who signed for Romantic Road, on behalf of Valencia Park, the purchase is promising.
“We bought her basically due to her pedigree,” she said. “She’s a really valuable broodmare prospect, especially considering her brother sold for €360,000 (AU$557,700) at Goffs last week. She may well race yet, and she only trialled in September so while it’s unlikely, it’s still be to be confirmed.”
Romantic Road will go to Brian Smith’s Queensland property while her new owners decide on her immediate future. For Olly Koolman, spokesman for Waratah Thoroughbreds, the sale was a resounding success.
“We bought her (Romantic Road) basically due to her pedigree. She’s a really valuable broodmare prospect, especially considering her brother sold for €360,000 (AU$557,700) at Goffs last week.” - Emma Smith
“The price exceeded our expectation quite remarkably, to be honest,” he said. “She’s so well-bred but we wanted to take advantage of the strong market that Inglis Digital is providing at the moment, and it’s paid dividends, as usual.”
Seagrove for Orbis
The 10-year-old former Godolphin mare Seagrove was next to make the $150,000 mark. By Exceed And Excel, she had five starts in her career for three seconds, promising plenty before she was retired.
Seagrove was sold by Godolphin at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in 2016, going to Edinburgh Park Stud who in turn sold her in 2019 at the Inglis Sydney Broodmare Sale. On that occasion, she was bought for $130,000 by Swettenham Stud, her vendor on Wednesday.
Lot 225 - Seagrove | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital
This mare has already produced the promising 3-year-old Deekay, a first-crop Hellbent that is in training with Anthony Chibnall at Kilmore and was third on debut in late July.
Seagrove was sold in foal to Toronado (Ire), with her latest Toronado yearling selling for $145,000 at this year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale when bought by Lockyer Thoroughbreds.
Orbis Bloodstock is likely to send her to Widden Victoria to deliver her Toronado foal. Sam Matthews, the general manager at Swettenham, confirmed that the mare’s current Toronado yearling will be heading to Inglis’ Premier Yearling Sale next March.
“We bought the mare as a trade mare, got some beautiful foals out of her, put her back in foal to Toronado and we’re thrilled with today’s (Wednesday's) price,” he said. “Inglis Digital does it again. We were happy to keep her if she didn’t sell, but that result is absolutely huge.”
“We bought the mare (Seagrove) as a trade mare, got some beautiful foals out of her, put her back in foal to Toronado and we’re thrilled with today’s (Wednesday's) price ($150,000).” - Sam Matthews
It’s probable that Seagrove will visit an Orbis-invested stallion later in the spring.
The figures
The Inglis Digital October (Early) Online Sale featured 256 horses on Wednesday, with a total gross of $2,202,400.
It was the 38th consecutive Inglis Digital auction to gross $2 million or more, with both Romantic Road and Seagrove part of the 303 total horses to realise $100,000 or more in the history of the platform itself.
It was the 38th consecutive Inglis Digital auction to gross $2 million or more, with both Romantic Road and Seagrove part of the 303 total horses to realise $100,000 or more in the history of the platform itself.
On Wednesday, 205 horses were sold for a clearance rate of 82.33 per cent, while the average was $10,743.
Some of the remaining top lots were the Snitzel mare Regazze, who was bought by QQ Thoroughbreds for $85,000, and Miss Tenacious (Redoute’s Choice), sold by Vinery Stud to D. Mann for $80,000.
