Cover image courtesy of Inglis
The 2024 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale is set to commence on Monday, featuring a catalogue of 456 weanlings to be offered across two days, from May 6 to May 7.
Among the offerings are progeny by first-season sires such as Coolmore Stud’s dual Group 1 winner, Home Affairs, Darley’s shuttlers Pinatubo (Ire), and Palace Pier (GB), along with Coolmore’s Champion 3-Year-Old, St Mark’s Basilica (Fr), Newgate’s G1 Golden Slipper victor, Stay Inside, and fellow Group 1 victor, Wild Ruler, among others.
Complementing the excitement of the first-season stallions are the proven options such as I Am Invincible, Dundeel (NZ), Shamus Award, Capitalist, and Pierro.
Inspections are underway at the 2024 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale | Image courtesy of Inglis
Young sires impress
The Thoroughbred Report reached out to some respected agents and judges currently traversing Riverside Stables in search of the next racetrack star or pinhook dream.
Suman Hedge of Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) shared his impressions among the new stallions he has encountered, stating, “I have seen some nice Home Affairs and Stay Inside weanlings. I have also seen some impressive Pinatubos.”
Suman Hedge | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Commenting on the second-season sires, Hedge added, “I was quite impressed by the Farnan and King’s Legacy yearlings this year. As for the third-season sires, Too Darn Hot and Tassort have started very well, as have Pierata and Alabama Express.”
“I was quite impressed by the Farnan and King’s Legacy yearlings this year. As for the third-season sires, Too Darn Hot and Tassort have started very well, as have Pierata and Alabama Express.” - Suman Hedge
Jim Clarke, who operates Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA), has been particularly impressed by Coolmore’s Acrobat. “There are quite a few Acrobat weanlings in the sale, and overall, they have impressed me. Acrobat was very precocious and could have been anything as a racehorse. With his pedigree, he is a great chance off a low service fee.”
Clarke added, “I’m also a fan of Ole Kirk. There was a lot of depth to his first crop of yearlings this year, and although he won his flagship races as a 3-year-old, he performed well at two, and many of his horses appear to be forward types. In my opinion, he is a nice prospect to take a chance on this year.”
Similar to Hedge, William Johnson of William Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA) has been impressed by Coolmore Stud’s dual Group 1 winner Home Affairs. “The Home Affairs weanlings have stamped themselves in the mold of their father with plenty of sire and scope. Given he was a classy 2-year-old that trained on at three, they will be well sought after.”
William Johnson | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Commenting on the second and third-season sire prospects, Johnson said, “It has been an extraordinary year with juvenile Group 1s taken out by first-season sires Royal Meeting, Tassort, and Too Darn Hot alongside the likes of Zousain, Pierata, Super Seth, and Alabama Express, who have really put their hands up. Plenty of choice!”
Hutch hopeful
Inglis CEO - Bloodstock and Sales Sebastian Hutch is confident that there are opportunities abound for pinhookers and end-users alike, “There’s no disputing the fact this sale lost its way a little bit but over the past several years it’s really started to regenerate itself. Now in terms of volume it is a major weanling sale in Australasia and as a consequence it presents a huge number of opportunities for people to invest in young stock.
“There’s going to be elements of the market that’ll be difficult. The horses identified as fitting most criteria are expecting to sell well but it’ll be more challenging beyond that. However, I think buyers recognise that you have to be in it to win it and this is traditionally seen as a value entry point for any number of people. Hopefully there are plenty of people who are prepared to speculate across Monday and Tuesday."
Sebastian Hutch | Image courtesy of Inglis
Adding on the economic conditions facing prospective buyers and vendors currently Hutch said, “I don’t think anybody pinhooks with the aspiration of ending up in the bottom half of the market and while the bottom part of the market and the middle part has been more challenging than in past years, there’s still no shortage of money in the market.
“People are being more discerning with how they’ve been inclined to want to spend it. I think that’ll probably be reflected in the choices of pinhooks. You’ve got to remember that a sale like this from a pinhooking perspective is serving a very broad cross section of markets.
“Obviously, there’s the traditional mainstream sales. Inglis Classic, Premier and Easter, Magic Millions but then you’ve got New Zealand, Perth, Adelaide and Tasmania.
“Over the past several years it’s really started to regenerate itself. Now in terms of volume it is a major weanling sale in Australasia and as a consequence it presents a huge number of opportunities for people to invest in young stock.” - Sebastian Hutch
“There are people who have more of an inclination to go buy foals because they think they represent better value than yearlings and hope to trade the horses at the trials or the 2-year-old sales in 18 months.
“On the evidence of inspections there’s still plenty of people looking to identify horses with the criteria to go and do that; I just think we’ll find that there’ll be more discerning in terms of particular stallions, pedigrees or horses with particular conformation or veterinary issues.”
Graduate success
The recent run of success enjoyed by recent graduates of the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale has provided prospective buyers with the confidence to get involved in the market.
At the forefront of this success stands the G1 Blue Diamond-winning 2-year-old, Hayasugi (Royal Meeting {Ire}), who was secured for $47,500 by James Bester Bloodstock, Rathosheen Bloodstock, and C. Mok from the draft of Fairhill Farm at the 2022 edition of the sale.
Hayasugi | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Following closely is the brilliant Kimochi (Brave Smash {Jpn}), one of the most talented 3-year-olds of her generation. Winning the G2 Light Fingers S. and placing in multiple Group 1s, Kimochi was a $21,000 purchase by Hall of Fame Bloodstock from Valiant Stud in 2021. Kimochi is set to be offered at the 2024 Inglis Chairman’s Sale as Lot 4 by Twin Hills Stud.
Other success stories from the sale include the talented 2-year-old Straight Charge (Written By), Master Fay (Deep Field), Brudenell (Russian Revolution), and Strait Acer (Headwater).
“In many instances, they were good looking horses that the market felt didn’t quite have the pedigree to fit the bill for what they were looking for and as it transpired, because they were good models by progressive young stallions, they have ended up making their own pedigrees. Hutch said.
Lot 4 - Kimochi | Image courtesy of Inglis
“I remember talking to someone specifically about the horse that went on to become Straight Charge and there was some concern over his pedigree not being strong enough for what they wanted to do with the horse, and somebody passed a comment, Well, if he’s a good horse, he’ll make his own pedigree,” and that’s almost exactly how it’s worked out.
“I think the success of those horses like Kimochi, Hayasugi and Straight Charge are the reflection of the better that we’ve had at the sale and the growing confidence investors and vendors have had in the sale.”
Pinhook success stories
Among the successful pinhooks through Inglis Sales’ this season include a filly by Zoustar from Donelle (Not A Single Doubt). A $280,000 purchase by Blackridge Farm at the Inglis Great Southern Sale when offered by Grenville Stud, the filly was presented by Alma Vale/Kitchwin Hills Partnership at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale where she made $500,000 to the bid of Trilogy Racing and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA).
A Farnan colt from the Fastnet Rock mare Waterloo Sunset was purchased by Black Ridge Farm at the 2023 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale and was sold for $400,000 at the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Some of the highlight lots
The 2024 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale catalogue is brimming with well-related lots. Vinery Stud will present Lot 94, a filly by the exciting young sire Zousain out of the Wanted mare Money Wanted. This filly is a half-sister to the talented Strait Acer, who boasts five victories and a Group 1 placing. Intriguingly, Strait Acer was a $20,000 purchase from the 2020 edition of this sale by Rathden Bloodstock Services and WBF Thoroughbreds.
Other notable lots include Lot 12, a filly by Acclaim (Ire) offered by Rathmore Lodge. Her dam, Invabelle, a daughter of I Am Invincible, is an unraced half-sister to the Group 1-placed pair Bases Loaded (Deep Field) and Shebringzit (Sebring).
Yulong will present Lot 217, a colt by Cambridge Stud’s Almanzor (Fr). This colt is out of the Tavistock (NZ) mare Spring Delight (NZ), a Group 3-placed runner from the family of the Champion Sprinter Lankan Rupee (Redoute’s Choice).
Gallery: Some of the highlight lots, images courtesy of Inglis
Lot 376, presented by the Newgate Consignment, is a colt by the G1 Golden Slipper winner Capitalist and the second foal from the talented mare Danish Twist (Dane Shadow), who won eight races, including a Group 3.
Meanwhile, Lot 340, a colt by another Golden Slipper winner, Kia Ora’s Farnan, is out of Bulle De Champagne (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}), a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner and Group 1-producing sire Contributer (Ire).
These are just a selection of the well-related individuals on offer.
