2023 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale: Farnan and Prague set to impress

Cover image courtesy of Kia Ora Stud/ Faras In Focus

On the eve of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale beginning, Inglis have released the catalogues for the 2023 HTBA Yearling Sale and the Australian Weanling Sale.

The action will kick off on Sunday, April 23, with the HTBA Yearling Sale starting proceedings.

The catalogue of 301 features the progeny of 99 different stallions including leading sires, offered by some of the leading nurseries in Australia.

With an average price last year of $25,000, this sale provides buyers with an outstanding opportunity to purchase quality yearlings at an affordable price.

Buyers from the HTBA Yearling Sale will also have the opportunity to become eligible for the Inglis Race Series at a discounted rate of $2250 (inc GST) compared to $5000 (inc GST) at every other Inglis yearling sale. Yearlings purchased from this year’s Inglis sales that have been paid up for the Inglis Race Series will be eligible to race for $12,550,000 prizemoney and bonuses offered.

The race series includes the popular $200,000 Inglis Challenge over 1100 metres on Scone Cup Day.

Attention will quickly turn to the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale where a total of 447 weanlings – the largest edition of the sale in its history – have been catalogued for the auction which will be held at Riverside Stables over the two days of Monday, May 1 and Tuesday, May 2.

Weanlings by leading sires, Frankel (GB), Snitzel, Zoustar and Written Tycoon – as well as siblings to Group 1 winners and progeny of Group 1-winning dams – feature as part of a particularly strong catalogue for the Australian Weanling Sale.

There is a traditionally large draft (31) from Mike and Debbie O’Donnell’s Fairhill Farm which includes weanlings by Farnan, Toronado (Ire), Deep Field, Street Boss (USA) and King’s Legacy to name a few, while Coolmore has entered 34 weanlings including the progeny of Frankel, Camelot (GB), Zoustar and Wootton Bassett (GB), the latter of whom is represented by his first Southern Hemisphere-bred crop.

The sale has been further boosted by a 17-strong dispersal from Ashleigh Thoroughbreds, featuring a brother to Group 1-winning 2-year-old Captivant, as well as weanlings by Ole Kirk, So You Think (NZ), Star Turn, Anders and King’s Legacy.

As always, the Australian Weanling Sale gives buyers a first look at the new progeny of first-season sires and this year’s catalogue includes progeny of exciting young stallions such as Admire Mars (Jpn), Anders, Bivouac, Cool Aza Beel (NZ), Dirty Work, Doubtland, Farnan, Fierce Impact (Jpn), Graff, Hanseatic, King’s Legacy, Lucky Vega (Ire), North Pacific, Ole Kirk, Peltzer, Prague, Russian Camelot (Ire), Tagaloa, Time To Reign, Wootton Bassett.

Gallery: Some of the first-season sires to be represented at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale

Young Kia Ora sires on debut

Some of the most anticipated lots on offer will be those by Kia Ora’s freshman sires Farnan and Prague. Farnan, a son of Not A Single Doubt, was Champion 2-Year-Old and winner of the G1 Golden Slipper. While Prague, a son of the Champion Sire Redoute’s Choice, was a dual Group 3 winner as a juvenile.

TDN AusNZ sat down with Kia Ora’s Bloodstock and Breeding Manager, Shane Wright, to talk about the two promising sires.

“Firstly, it’s a very exciting time for Kia Ora with the relaunch of the stallions' division and this is the first opportunity for us to showcase Farnan and Prague at the upcoming weanling sale.”

Kia Ora will present a draft of five weanlings at the upcoming Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, the draft includes two colts by Prague and one colt by Farnan.

Outside of Kia Ora, Prague will have 10 weanlings on offer and Farnan will have nine.

“We couldn’t be more thankful to all the breeders that have supported us over the last couple of years and also going forward. We strongly believe it’s a big part of a young stallion's success having breeders that produce the best horses in Australia year in and year out supporting your stallions.

“Looking at the first Farnarn and Pragues for sale, they have all come from established breeders that bred the likes of Extreme Choice, Classique Legend, Mossfun and Fiesta to name a few.”

A particularly strong offering from Farnan, befitting a G1 Golden Slipper winner, Wright added:

“Of the nine weanlings on offer by Farnan, three are out of Group winners and placegetters and three are siblings to Group winners which consolidates the level of top-class mares Farnan received.”

In his two seasons to date at stud, Farnan has served Group 1 winners Lighthouse (USA) (Mizzen Mast {USA}), Mizzy (Zoustar) and I Am Excited (Snitzel). In addition to the dams of Wild Ruler and She’s Extreme.

“We have some incredibly exciting yearlings heading to the sales over the next two years, he (Farnan) is a stallion that has been given every chance.

“We have seen most of his foals at this stage and they all throw back to their sire with a strong resemblance to Not A Single Doubt, so it’s safe to say the future is looking very bright.”

Wright is also excited about the prospects of Prague and highlights some of his offerings at the upcoming sale.

“Prague has some very well-bred weanlings entered in the first sales,” Wright says.

“A few eye catchers are a filly from the US-bred mare Shakeyourbody.”

The Lot 295, a bay filly by Prague out of Shakeyourbody (USA) (Giant’s Causeway {USA}) will be offered by Twin Hills Stud. She is a half-sister to the stakes winners Skyward (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) and Siyoushake (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}).

“The colts out of the Se Sauver and National Anthem are standouts.”

The two colts Wright mentioned are part of Kia Ora’s draft.

Lot 155, a bay colt by Prague out of the Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) mare National Anthem, she is a half-sister to Starspangledbanner, while Lot 229 is a bay colt by Prague from the Bel Esprit mare, Se Sauver. Se Sauver was a winner of the G2 Edward Manifold S.

“These are the quality of mares Prague has been supported by in his first and second seasons.

“Really it isn’t that surprising Prague has been well supported, one of the last sons at stud by Redoute’s Choice. He was a Group 3 winner and a Group 1-placed 2-year-old with looks to die for and he has an incredibly strong pedigree that goes back to Virage De Fortune and Emancipation.

“He has all the ingredients to make a top-level stallion,” Wright said.

“Progeny from both horses are inheriting their outstanding physical attributes, good size, correct, abundance of quality and great-moving types.

“We have already heard from a number of trainers that are very excited to have Pragues in their stables as he is that forward type of colonial stallion that just works here in Australia. Overall, it should give great confidence to prospective buyers in the marketplace.”

Pinhooking opportunities aplenty

Hutch reitereated the quality of the consignments and sires on offer.

“The support we have received for this sale has been tremendous and it’s fantastic to be able to showcase a catalogue of this size and strength,’’ Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch said.

“There is tremendous variety amongst the stallions represented and there is a marked increase in the quality in recent years, which is an exciting thing for us and for buyers.

“The recent results for end users out of this sale have been fabulous with graduates such as Redzel, Begood Toya Mother, Spright, Leicester, Houtzen, etc., while it’s also proven a happy hunting ground for pinhookers.

“Out of last year’s sale alone there have already been some outstanding pinhook results at all levels of the market - $80,000 into $400,000, $150,000 into $400,000, $200,000 into $400,000, $50,000 into $240,000, $15,000 into $200,000, etc.

“A sale like this offers opportunities to anyone and everyone at low entry level points, from pinhooks through to traders and established trainers and syndicators,’’ Hutch concluded.