Cover image courtesy of Western Racepix
Wednesday evening, it was business as usual for the Inglis Digital February (Late) Sale with Yulong, buying under the auspices of Chatsworth Farm, securing three of the top four lots at the close of trade.
Initially, it was Lot 316 that topped proceedings, the 4-year-old broodmare prospect Morioka (Maurice {Jpn}), who was bought by Yulong for $230,000. However, after passing in earlier in the day and then selling for $275,000 to Gall Bloodstock later on, it was the Adam Durrant-offered Constant Dreaming (Blackfriars) who topped the session.
The 4-year-old mare was consigned as a racing prospect from Durrant’s Karnup stables in Western Australia.
Lot 136 - Constant Dreaming | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital
Constant Dreaming is a winner of three races from 16 starts, and additionally placed in a further four. She was a winner last year of the Listed WATC 1000 Guineas, as well as the Listed Natasha S. over 2200 metres. She is a full sister to the Blackfriars gelding Tena Koutou, who won the Listed Aquanita S. in Perth.
Constant Dreaming is certain to head to New South Wales in the wake of her sale, albeit new owner Brett Gall, of Gall Bloodstock, said there were few immediate plans for his new purchase.
“We’ll get her here first and she’ll probably race on for a bit, maybe with someone like Ron Quinton,” he said. “But she’s been bought to go to I Am Invincible, which will happen later this year.”
“...she’s (Constant Dreaming) been bought to go to I Am Invincible, which will happen later this year.” - Brett Gall
From Durrant’s perspective, the sale of Constant Dreaming was a resounding success and he’s confident the mare will acquit herself on the east coast.
“She’s got lots of ability,” the trainer said. “She’s got black type on the track and I’m sure she’ll make a nice mum now. West Australian families probably aren’t as popular as the eastern state ones, so we thought somewhere between $200,000 and $300,000 would be a great result, and she made the upper end of that, so it’s super.”
Durrant also admitted that, from his perspective in Perth, the simplicity of selling on the Digital platform is extraordinary, even from as far away as the west coast.
Adam Durrant | Image courtesy of Racing and Wagering Western Australia
“You can put horses online on Wednesday and they’re sold the following week,” he said. “It’s very easy, but we only sell horses there that we believe are going to win races or have residual value, and I think buyers respect that.”
Yulong splash continues
With Constant Dreaming topping Wednesday’s sale, it left Yulong, buying once again as Chatsworth Farm, the purchaser of the second, third and fourth top lots, and the purchaser of five of the top 12 lots overall.
Morioka, the 4-year-old Lot 316, reached $230,000, while Night Call (O’Reilly {NZ}) went for $205,000 in foal to Yes Yes Yes, and Taurasi, a daughter of Flying Artie, sold for $200,000 in foal to Extreme Choice.
The stakes-placed Morioka was offered by Glenesk Thoroughbreds on behalf of Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds, and she was raced for three seasons with Chris Waller. She was a two-time winner on the track and consistently placed to horses like Xtremetime (Extreme Choice) and Four Moves Ahead (Snitzel) in her early career.
Lot 316 - Morioka | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital
Morioka was a good get for Yulong on Wednesday night.
She is a daughter of the Dubleo (USA) mare Koonoomoo, who was a Group 3 winner and multiple times Group-placed. This is the family of the G3 SAJC Sires’ Produce S. winner Bantry Bay (Tale Of The Cat {USA}) and, as a yearling, Morioka was sold by Segenhoe Stud at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
She was bought by Star Thoroughbreds and Brett Howard’s Randwick Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) for $190,000, earning them a tick under $140,000 on the track.
Night Call, meanwhile, was part of a stock reduction plan and was presented unreserved by Coolmore Stud for breeders Emmaroo Bloodstock. She was a $700,000 Inglis Australian Easter yearling in 2017 and, after a brief, winless eight-start career on the track, she was retired to a very good raft of Coolmore stallions.
Lot 320 - Night Call | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital
Night Call’s first foal was the Justify (USA) colt Cicada, who was bought by Annabel Neasham at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $250,000. She had a Pierro filly thereafter, and another by So You Think (NZ) in the spring. She was offered on Wednesday in foal to Yes Yes Yes.
As far as pedigree goes, she has all the goods for her new owner.
Night Call is a half-sister to the Champion stayer Preferment (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and the G3 SAJC Fillies Classic winner Rezoned (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}). Rezoned, herself, is the dam of Southbank (Fastnet Rock), who was second in the G2 Thousand Guineas Prelude and Group 1-placed.
Lot 330 - Taurasi | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital
That left just Taurasi for Yulong, who was the fourth of four horses to sell on Wednesday for $200,000 or more. She was a good catch on the fact of her being in foal to Extreme Choice, and while winless in seven career starts, her dam is a full sister to both Foxwedge and the Listed winner She’s A Fox (Fastnet Rock).
“We’ll keep looking at mares that are available,” said Yulong’s Sam Fairgray on Wednesday night. “Mr Zhang has a target number that he wants to get to, so we’ll keep looking at finding the right mares for the stallions. It’s about trying to get a good mix of bloodlines to support our stallions.”
“Mr Zhang has a target number (of mares) that he wants to get to, so we’ll keep looking at finding the right mares for the stallions. It’s about trying to get a good mix of bloodlines to support our stallions.” - Sam Fairgray
Fairgray confirmed that Morioka will likely head to Tagaloa this season, Night Call to Alabama Express and Taurasi, who is on a late cover to Extreme Choice, is a chance for a Northern Hemisphere-time cover.
Godolphin draft well-sought
The February (Late) Sale had plenty of action outside the four top broodmares.
The first 16 lots in the catalogue were all offered as a Godolphin draft and all were sold, and they included racing prospects by Epaulette, Teofilo (Ire), Kermadec (NZ), Medaglia D’Oro (USA) and Lonhro, to name a few.
The 16-horse draft grossed $892,500, which was a pleasing return for Godolphin, according to its Racing and Bloodstock Manager, Jason Walsh.
“It’s a very, very pleasing result,” he said. “It speaks to the strength of the Inglis Digital platform, which is a wonderful avenue to disperse horses. We were very pleased to see some very loyal clients hit the buyer sheet again, and I wish all the new owners the best of luck with the horses moving forward.”
“We were very pleased to see some very loyal clients hit the buyer sheet again, and I wish all the new owners the best of luck with the horses moving forward.” - Jason Walsh
Among the buyers of the Godolphin horses were Cameron Crockett, Diamond Park, Richard Litt and Cody Morgan. However, it was Ladbrokes Racing Club that went in for the most expensive, coughing up $160,000 for the 4-year-old gelding Kanazawa (Lonhro), a winner of three races in 13 starts.
Kanazawa had proved very consistent, placing or winning nine times in his 13 starts. He is a full brother to the dual Group 3 winner Ranier (Lonhro), and a half-brother to the Group-placed Katalin (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}).
Entries are now open for the Inglis Digital March (Early) Online Sale, which will occur from March 3-8. Entries close next Wednesday at midnight (AEDT).
