Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
The R. Listed Inglis Nursery may only have a short history, but the race’s honour roll is hugely impressive, boasting three elite-level winners.
The race, which is open to 2-year-olds that have been offered for sale through the ring or online at any eligible Inglis Select Sales, was introduced in 2015 and carried a total purse of $500,000.
A field of 14 babies faced the start in that year and it was the Mick Price-trained debutant Extreme Choice – a son of Arrowfield Stud’s brilliant stallion Not A Single Doubt - that landed the $290,000 first prize.
Extreme Choice winning the 2015 Inglis Nursery | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Extreme Choice led from barrier to post and bolted clear in the straight to post a 2l margin under Glyn Schofield.
The colt, who was purchased by Price for $100,000 from the Bell River Thoroughbreds draft at the 2015 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, would have a further seven starts before being retired and bowed out with four wins to his credit, including the G1 Blue Diamond S. and the G1 Moir S.
Extreme Choice stands at Newgate Farm for $275,000 (inc GST) - one of the highest disclosed fees in Australian history for the concluding breeding season. The now 9-year-old is deservedly positioned amongst the elite stallions in Australia. As of now, the stallion has sired eight individual stakes winners that have combined for 13 stakes wins, with Golden Slipper hero Stay Inside and Champagne S. and VRC Oaks victress She’s Extreme his two Group 1 winners. One of those stakes winners is Tiger Of Malay, who resides alongside his old man, for $16,500 (inc GST).
Extreme Choice has eight yearlings in the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale catalogue, 18 in the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and one at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 1).
Extreme Choice | Standing at Newgate Farm
Twelve months after Extreme Choice’s brilliant debut victory, a Manhattan Rain filly called She Will Reign came to town after bolting in on debut at Kembla Grange. Sent off at $1.90, the Gary Portelli-trained 2-year-old gave her 11 rivals a galloping lesson, bursting clear at the 200-metre mark under Ben Melham to score by 4l.
After collecting the G2 Silver Slipper S., the filly blotted her copybook when beaten by Frolic (Husson {Arg}) in the G2 Reisling S., but she atoned for that defeat in the G1 Golden Slipper S. at her next start.
She too was victorious in the G1 Moir S. (in 2017) and retired with six wins from 12 starts and in excess of $3 million in prizemoney.
Watch: She Will Reign winning the 2016 Inglis Nursery
She Will Reign, who was bought for just $20,000 by Darby Racing at the 2016 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, was sold to Japan post-career, taking up residence at Northern Farm.
The mare had her first winner this July when colt Danon Tornado (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}), her first foal, took out an 1800-metre Newcomers Race at Niigata. Danon Tornado fetched ¥165 million (AU$1.8 million) at the 2021 JRHA Select Sale.
She Will Reign has since produced a filly by Satono Diamond (Jpn) and a colt by Real Steel (Jpn).
In 2017, the John O’Shea-trained Irish Bet (Smart Missile) – a $55,000 2017 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale (Session 2) graduate - won the Inglis Nursery at his first start. He had four more races in Australia, before being exported to Hong Kong, where, as Hong Kong Bet, he tallied a further two victories prior to his retirement earlier this year.
Irish Bet/Hong Kong Bet as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The Chris Waller-trained Accession (Brazen Beau) was the best in 2018 and the beaten brigade included subsequent Group 2 winner Strasbourg, who stands at Rosemont Stud for $11,000 (inc GST).
Accession was consigned by Widden Stud at the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, where Star Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd/Waller Racing paid $300,000 for him.
He retired with two wins and four minor placings, for earnings of $908,650, and was Group 2 placed.
In 2019, it was the Team Snowden-trained Wild Ruler – a $525,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale buy - that came out on top.
He would go on to add another five wins, including the G1 Moir S. in 2021, and now stands at Newgate Farm for $38,500 (inc GST).
The 2020 edition saw a win to the superbly bred colt Acrobat, who scored by 2.3l under James McDonald
A son of Fastnet Rock and the Group 2-winning, stakes-producing mare Hips Don’t Lie (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), Acrobat was passed in at the 2020 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
The colt was injured in the lead-up to the Inglis Millennium and never raced again, and he now stands at Coolmore Stud at a fee of $13,750 (inc GST).
Maher and Eustace went back to back when Jason Collett guided El Padrino (Street Boss {USA}) getting the job done.
The colt was offered by Three Bridges Thoroughbreds at the 2021 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, with Ciaron Maher Bloodstock going to $210,000 to secure him.
El Padrino as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
El Padrino has since run fourth in the G2 Skyline S. and finished third in the Listed McKenzie S.
This year’s edition
The 2022 Inglis Nursery comprises 13 runners, with the unraced Trapeze Artist filly Facile who is all the rage after two very impressive trial wins.
Bred by Bert Vieira, who raced Trapeze Artist, Facile was offered by Widden Stud at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, with Ryan & Alexiou Racing shelling out $420,000 for her.
The filly is the first foal from I Like It Easy (Pierro), who won the Listed Mona Listed S. when trained by Ryan, and his grandam is the Listed victress Gai’s Choice (General Nediym).
Facile turned heads when winning her first trial (at Warwick Farm on November 22) by 4.41l, before going to Canterbury a week later and notching a 3.88l trial victory.
“She’s trialled up well; she hasn’t been rushed a great deal at home,” Alexiou told TDN AusNZ.
“She’s a nice filly with a bright future and hopefully she can get a win on the board on Saturday.
“If she happened to win on Saturday, you’d look at giving her a bit of time off and getting ready for an autumn campaign, whether that’s a Slipper or Percy Sykes or whatever. It will just be interesting when he lets her off the bit on Saturday and see what’s there at the furlong; that will give us an idea of where she sits in the grand scheme of things.”
“She’s (Facile) a nice filly with a bright future and hopefully she can get a win on the board on Saturday.” - Sterling Alexiou
Blanc De Blanc (I Am Invincible) has race experience, having won at Newcastle on debut when sent out at prohibitive odds.
The Michael Freedman-trained filly is out of the winning mare Another Sunday (Redoute’s Choice), who is a three-quarter sister to three stakes winners, including King’s Legacy and Not A Single Doubt. Blanc De Blanc was purchased by James Harron and her trainer at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $360,000.
Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker has three runners, including last-start winner Disneck – another Trapeze Artist colt. He was consigned by Gooree Park Stud at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, where Bjorn Baker Racing / Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) paid $200,000 for him.
An important part of the 2-year-old puzzle
Alexiou was well-aware of the success of the race and said the timing of the race shouldn’t be understated.
“Where this race sits, it probably gives those 2-years-olds that aren’t ready for the Gimcrack Stakes or the Breeders’ Plate a little bit longer. It gives them a chance to win a good-money race and the opportunity to have a few weeks off and then get them ready for the autumn,” he said.
“Where this race sits, it probably gives those 2-years-olds that aren’t ready for the Gimcrack Stakes or the Breeders’ Plate a little bit longer.” - Sterling Alexiou
“There’s a good carrot with the prizemoney, but it’s probably more the timing that sits well for those horses that have shown ability.”
