Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
The four-time Group 1 winner Montefilia, a David Payne-trained daughter of Kermadec (NZ), is the latest star to join the 2023 Inglis Chairman’s Sale, announced for the catalogue on Thursday evening.
The 5-year-old joins Nimalee (So You Think {NZ}), Swats That (Shamus Award) and Icebath (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) as catalogue additions, along with the Bob Peters pair of Graceful Girl (Nicconi) and Celebrity Miss (More Than Ready {USA}).
In a week where all eyes are on Oaklands Junction, the announcement of Montefilia on Thursday was a welcome headline for Inglis. The mare’s Group 1 haul of the Flight S., Metropolitan H., Ranvet S. and Spring Champion S. makes her far and away the top graduate of Australia’s 2017 foal crop.
Montefilia (white cap) winning the G1 Ranvet S. | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“She is certainly the most accomplished racehorse of her crop,” said Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch, speaking to TDN AusNZ. “In terms of Group 1s, it’s more than any other Australian horse born in that year, and she showed ability from very early on.
“She looked like a really smart 2-year-old from the get-go, then won a Flight S. in the spring and backed up into a Spring Champion S. That effort, in itself, was extraordinary, and she continued to improve as time went by. Arguably, she’s racing as well now as she ever has.”
“She (Montefilia) is certainly the most accomplished racehorse of her crop. In terms of Group 1s, it’s more than any other Australian horse born in that year...” - Sebastian Hutch
Montefilia has raced for David Payne through 24 career starts. She has produced six wins and six placings, and a prizemoney haul of close to $2.8 million. Behind Winx (Street Cry {Ire}) and Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}), she is the most winning filly or mare of Group 1 prizes in Australia, which is an extraordinary fact.
Montefilia was a last-start fifth to Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) in the G1 Chipping Norton S. and, in the spring, she was fourth in the Caulfield Cup. She’s still only five years old and, in that respect, Hutch said she’s a unique addition to the Chairman’s catalogue.
Sebastian Hutch | Image courtesy of Inglis
“It’s very sporting of her owners to offer her with the potential for her purchaser to race her on,” he said. “Normally, it’s commonplace for these mares, and certainly one of her quality, to be offered at the end of their careers, not with any potential to improve on what they've already done.
“In that context, she’s relatively unusual, and the market at that time of year, with Magic Millions having a fantastic broodmare sale for a long time and us having a very strong sale now, it gets excited about seeing these good mares go to sale. I think it’s something that people look forward to.”
Third time’s a charm
The 2023 Inglis Chairman’s Sale on May 4 will be the third time Montefilia has strolled around an auction ring.
Her public life began back in 2018 at the Inglis Great Southern Weanling and Bloodstock Sale, in which she was offered as Lot 18 by Tyreel Stud and sold to Baystone Farm for $62,000. Her breeder was the late Geoff Russell, and she was reared by Linda Monds and the team at Tyreel.
Montefilia as a weanling | Image courtesy of Inglis
In 2019, Montefilia was once again consigned by Monds to the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and she was a tidy pinhook result this time, selling to David Payne for $130,000. Her prizemoney returns have so far been over 21 times her price-tag.
...she (Montefilia) was a tidy pinhook result, selling to David Payne for $130,000. Her prizemoney returns have so far been over 21 times her price-tag.
Throughout her career, the mare has been raced by Caroline Vincent, Kathlyn Docherty and Leanne Paligorov, each of whom have been carried right to the top with her victories.
On pedigree, Montefilia was one of 11 yearlings by Kermadec in her yearling class on the Gold Coast. She wasn’t the highest-selling, that honour going to a filly from Previous (Commands) for $240,000.
Montefilia as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Montefilia was the fourth foal from the Shirocco (Ger) mare Bana Wu (GB), who was stakes-placed in England before her importation to Australia in 2014.
Bana Wu is owned by Victorian breeder Sean Duke and, along with Montefilia, she has produced the Shalaa (Ire) filly Nice For What, who was second to Dosh (Rich Enuff) on debut in the G3 Ottawa S. and is currently in foal to Toronado (Ire) in her first season at stud.
“Montefilia has outstanding credentials as a broodmare,” Hutch said, “with the second generation of her pedigree bringing together Galileo, Sunday Silence, Monsun and Last Tycoon.
“The term ‘world-class’ is one that we get to use infrequently, but I think this mare deserves to be categorised as a world-class racehorse and world-class breeding prospect.”
“The term ‘world-class’ is one that we get to use infrequently, but I think this mare deserves to be categorised as a world-class racehorse and world-class breeding prospect.” - Sebastian Hutch
The best Chairman’s yet?
For Hutch, Montefilia joining the Chairman’s catalogue is pudding proof that the sale will be vintage this year. Entries will close next Friday, March 10, and Hutch is pretty pleased with how it’s looking.
“It’s a sale that we work on year-round,” he said. “It’s the inevitable consequence of dealing with owners, breeders and industry participants throughout the year, and discussions on quality bloodstock, potential stock coming up for sale and breeding stock sales, those are discussions that come up.
“So these are matters that we’ve been discussing with people for an awfully long time, and ultimately with sales like the Chairman’s, we’re putting forward a proposal to certain clients that we can offer them the optimum outcome.
“At this juncture, there are a number of people agreeing with us and it’s going to be the best Chairman’s Sale catalogue we’ve ever put together.”
The Inglis Chairman’s Sale was topped last year by the $2.7 million-selling Shout The Bar (Not A Single Doubt). In 2021, it was the $2.5 million spent on Celebrity Queen (Redoute’s Choice), and other recent graduates have included In Her Time (Time Thief) at $2 million and the dam of Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible) at $2.25 million, Maastricht (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}).
Gallery: Previous years top-sellers at the Inglis Chairman's Sales
This is a sale that provides great theatre. The auctioneers and bid spotters are dressed in black tie, and the catalogue has traditionally targeted the best of the best.
“Our intention is to keep it boutique, for want of a better word,” Hutch said. “We feel like we’ve got a format that works really well, and we’ll have, at this stage, an appropriate number of mares for it. We don’t want the catalogue to swell over a certain number because we feel that will take away from the format.
“It works as a particular occasion, scheduled a particular way, and we’re going to maintain that in 2023. Plus it’s a pretty fantastic spectacle.”
“It (the Chairman's Sale) works as a particular occasion, scheduled a particular way, and we’re going to maintain that in 2023. Plus it’s a pretty fantastic spectacle.” - Sebastian Hutch
The exclusivity of the Chairman’s Sale has been its selling-point since its inception in 2017. The very first catalogue featured heavy support from the likes of Newgate Farm and, among the 93 lots back then, the Oaks winner Provocative (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) topped the night at $1.2 million.
In subsequent editions, the sale has proved one of the livelier nights of trade in the whole year’s calendar, with entertainment before and after proceedings, and Hutch even recalls one prominent buyer (who remains nameless) misreading the dress code.
Provocative (NZ) | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“Two years ago, a good friend of ours turned up in full black-tie, and he was a bit embarrassed but he had a great time,” Hutch said. “He felt a little overdressed but he proved the most popular person in the auditorium that night.
“At this point, we've stopped short of introducing a black-tie dress code, but we might have to think about that.”
With the brilliant theatre of the 2023 Inglis Chairman's Sale in its sights, the company has a number of other high-class catalogue additions in the wings to be announced. With entries closing in just over a week’s time, the company is calling on any interested parties to reach out for possible inclusion in this year's event.
