Cover image courtesy of Inglis
At A Glance
A record day’s selling for this sale, the average price of $63,207 was up substantially from last year’s $49,735 whilst the median rose from $30,000 to $36,000.
The clearance rate of 76 per cent was slightly up on last year’s 74 per cent whilst the aggregate of $11,124,500 (176) sold was up on last year’s $8,156,500 (164 sold).
New Zealand’s Kaha Nui Farm were the biggest spenders, purchasing four yearlings for $1,092,500 and an average of $245,000.
Fairhill Farm had the highest sales aggregate of $1.534 million, selling 13 horses for an average of $118,000.
I Am Invincible led the way by aggregate, his two selling for $935,000 and he had two of the top three.
Over the two days of this sale in 2022 and 2023 five weanlings sold for over $300,000 - and there have already been five on day one this year.
St Mark's Basilica leads the way for first season sires
Fourteen different stallions are represented at this sale by their first progeny through the sales ring with the first six-figure result achieved by Widden Stud’s G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Portland Sky.
Lot 18 was sold by Mullaglass Stud to WS Bloodstock, Victoria - fetching $120,000. Out of the placed Jawhara (Exceed And Excel) who is back in foal to Portland Sky, he is a three-quarter brother to this season’s stakes placed 2-year-old Full Force (Cosmic Force).
Lot 18 - Portland Sky x Jawhara (colt) sold from Mullaglass Stud to WS Bloodstock for $120,000 | Image courtesy of Inglis
“He is a beautiful colt,” Mullaglass’ Dr Richard McClenahan said, “a really athletic, scopey type.”
“We have foaled a lot of Portland Skys and we are really happy with them, he is really stamping them.”
Coolmore Stud’s five-time Group 1-winning shuttler St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) had three go through the ring on day one (with another three to come on day two) and each fetched six figures - Lot 111 a $100,000 son of the imported stakes winner Not Only Florina (Ire) (Makfi {GB}) sold by Bhima Thoroughbreds to Procyon Services Pty Ltd, Lot 193 a half-sister to the G1 VRC Oaks heroine Dear Demi (Dehere {USA}) purchased for $125,000 by Yabby Dam Farms from Fairhill Farm and Lot 234 a daughter of the stakes placed Tender (All American) sold by Tyreel Stud to Bavcon, WA for $200,000.
Gallery: Progeny of first-season sire St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) was popular on Day 1
Coolmore Stud’s Colm Santry was pleased not only with the results but with the feedback he received at the sales - “the chatter around the ring was very positive about St Mark’s Basilica,” he said, describing him as “one of the most exciting stallions we have stood in Australia.”
“He was not just the best horse of his year, but one of the best of the decade,” he said. “He is siring great types which was reflected by today’s sales results.”
The first two sold by Newgate Farm’s G1 Golden Slipper S. hero Stay Inside also sold well; Lot 117 out of a Snitzel daughter of Mimi Lebrock (Show A Heart) sold by the Alma Vale & Kitchwin Hills Partnership to Blackridge Farm, NSW for $170,000 and Lot 180 a son of the imported stakes winner Schwesterherz (Fr) (Areion {Ger}) sold by Sledmere Stud to Silverdale Farm for $120,000.
Gallery: Progeny of first-season sire Stay Inside sold well on Day 1
Fellow Newgate Group 1 sprinter Wild Ruler had a busy day with eight sold, his best result a $75,000 Kingstar Farm colt out of the two-time Group 3-placed multiple city winner Iconic Star (Brazen Beau) - Trilogy Racing the buyer.
Aquis Farm’s G1 Manikato S. winner Jonker had his first daughter fetch $60,000 to the bid of Lime Country Thoroughbreds. Out of half-sister to the Singapore Champion 2-Year-Old & 3-Year-Old Filly Mexican Rose (NZ (Volksraad {GB}), she was sold by Willaroon Thoroughbreds - her breeders choosing Jonker as her first mate, confident that he would “throw strength and size” into the foal.
Big result for a Macquarie favourite family
It did not take long on day one for a very big result to eventuate with Lot 33, a Capitalist colt out of the Randwick winner Knit ‘N’ Purl (More Than Ready {USA}), fetching $370,000 to the bid of Kaha Nui Farm.
A half-brother to the Listed Bel Esprit S. winner Brudenell (Russian Revolution), the colt described by Macquarie Stud’s David Baxter as “smart and handsome from the day he was born” is very much a Macquarie product.
“We bred his dam and his grandam and raced his third dam,” Baxter said, justifiably proud of his over five decades of involvement at Inglis sales.
Lot 33 - Capitalist x Knit 'N' Purl (colt) sold from Macquarie Stud to Kaha Nui Farm for $370,000 | Image courtesy of Inglis
Known for usually selling stock as yearlings, Baxter said he had taken advice from people who’d seen the Capitalist colt to sell him younger.
“And it proved to be good advice!” he said.
“We had a reserve of $200,000 on him - to get over reserve is pleasing, to get that much over is amazing.”
“We had a reserve of $200,000 on him (Lot 33) - to get over reserve is pleasing, to get that much over (purchase price of $370,000) is amazing.” - David Baxter
Noting that the colt has had something special about him from day one, Baxter said “he kept improving and he has been an absolute delight.”
Kaha Nui Farm's Nicky White signing for one of her four purchases on Day 1 | Image courtesy of Inglis
In foal to Anamoe, Knit ‘N’ Purl is out of the G3 Birthday S. and Listed P.J Bell H. winner Zingaling (Redoute’s Choice), half-sister to the G3 Naturalism S. winner Rainbow Styling (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Yarraman's boy remains Invincible
The horse who just keeps rising to the occasion both on the track and in the ring, Yarraman Park’s I Am Invincible had the ring on fire as his daughter of the G3 Tesio S. winner Shoko (Sebring) attracted strong bidding - the very active buyers Kaha Nui Farm winning the day with their bid of $575,000.
Lot 195 - I Am Invincible x Shoko (filly) sold from Alma Vale and Kitchwin Hills to Kaha Nui Farm for $575,000 | Image courtesy of Inglis
She is the second foal for her dam, a half-sister to the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic and two-time Group winner Mimi Lebrock (Show A Heart) and the G3 Grand Prix S. winner Heavenly Thought (So You Think {NZ}).
Served last spring by Home Affairs, Shoko has already enjoyed good sales ring success with her son Hakushu - also by I Am Invincible - selling for $520,000 at Inglis Easter last year. A member of the Kris Lees stable, he has run second and fourth at his first two outings in New Zealand.
The third highest priced weanling ever sold at Inglis, she was put through the ring by the Alma Vale and Kitchwin Hills Partnership whose Verna Metcalfe admits to being surprised by the result.
Verna Metcalfe | Image courtesy of Inglis
“We knew that she’d sell very well as she had a lot of inspections - but I thought maybe $300,000 which is what she opened at!”
Describing the bay as “a quality filly,” Metcalfe said that the result “was great for the farm.”
Also popular for I Am Invincible was Lot 170, a Yarraman Park-bred son of the unraced Rose Of Mulan (More Than Ready {USA}), a colt who caught the eye of Boomer Bloodstock’s (FBAA) Craig Rounsefell who put in the winning bid of $360,000.
Lot 170 - I Am Invincible x Rose Of Mulan (colt) sold from Yarraman Park Stud to Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA) for $360,000 | Image courtesy of Inglis
“He is a beautiful, big, strong colt who is very forward,” Rounsefell said.
“He (Lot 170) is a beautiful, big, strong colt who is very forward.” - Craig Rounsefell
“He is out of a young mare who has produced two very good horses and he is from a great farm.”
A half-brother to the G2 Sheraco S. winner Shades Of Rose (Rubick) and the durable Group 3 and five-time Listed winner Scallopini (Snitzel), the grandson of the dual Group winner Lady Mulan (NZ) (Bigstone {Ire}), the colt was purchased with the view of "letting him grow out to race him."
Boomer Bloodstock is amongst I Am Invincible’s many fans who have enjoyed good success with the breed - such as the G3 Southern Cross S. winner Quantico and the dual Listed winner With A Promise.
Craig Rounsefell | Image courtesy of Inglis
Zou stars again
On the back of a great run on the track, Widden Stud’s Zoustar also had a horse in the top five - Tyreel Stud’s colt (Lot 209) out of the G3 Caulfield Sprint winner Snitty Kitty (Snitzel) claimed for $350,000 by Riverstone Lodge, B2B Thoroughbreds and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA).
Purchased at last year’s Magic Millions for $560,000 in foal, Snitty Kitty - who sadly lost her Justify (USA) pregnancy - is already a Tyreel favourite with the stud’s Linda Monds saying “I absolutely love the mare - she is here to stay!”
Lot 209 - Zoustar x Snitty Kitty (colt) sold from Tyreel Stud to Riverstone Lodge, B2B Thoroughbreds and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) for $350,000 | Image courtesy of Inglis
And she was very happy with her son who she described as “a very strong, lovely individual - a real racehorse.”
Monds hopes the colt’s buyers fare well with their pin-hooking prospect - “they are good judges and I am really pleased it was them who bought him. I hope they make double on him as a yearling!”
Linda Monds | Image courtesy of Inglis
Monds did consider keeping the colt for next year but “he looks perfect right now and the heat is on Zoustar - and we paid good money for the mare so it is good to recoup some of that quickly.”
Tyreel horses have been in the headlines of late, highlighted by last weekend’s G1 South Australian Derby win by Coco Sun (The Autumn Sun).
“Our babies keep flying the flag for us!” Monds enthused.
The one and only Deep Field
Being one of just half a dozen foals from the final crop of Newgate Farm’s retired high-achiever Deep Field it was little wonder that Lot 47, the sole representation of her sire at the sale, was subject to plenty of attention.
Sold by Bhima Thoroughbreds to M Patel for $260,000, she is out of a half-sister to the Listed winner Jester’s Girl (Commands) - dam of the Listed Canberra Guineas winner Assimilate (Sebring).
A granddaughter of the Listed Tommy Smith Slipper winner How Funny (Rory’s Jester) - the speedy filly who ran second to Polar Success (Success Express {USA}) in the G1 Golden Slipper S. - the flashy bay was a terrific result for Bhima who paid $90,000 for the mare in foal with her.
Lot 47 - Deep Field x Laughen Hard (filly) sold from Bhima Thoroughbreds to M Patel for $260,000 | Image courtesy of Inglis
“We ummed and aahed about whether to take her to the weanling market or take her through to yearling stage but we’ve got a policy of buying mares in foal and selling the weanlings and it certainly paid off for us today.
“She is a lovely filly and we have the mare in foal to Zousain and with the year he is having it is looking good for us.”
“We had actually hoped for a colt but the Deep Field fillies have been going well. And the mare is doing a good job so she may be one who we roll with for a few seasons.”
Another one and only - Written Tycoon
The sale’s only entry by Yulong’s Champion Sire Written Tycoon proved popular, Lot 129 sold by Victorian breeders Willaroon Thoroughbreds to Lyndhurst Farm’s Mark Treweek and Nicky & Nick White’s Kaha Nui Farm for $350,000.
Willaroon’s Sally Watkins was delighted with the result, looking back at the day she purchased the filly’s unraced dam Passarelle (Not A Single Doubt) for $120,000 at the 2015 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sire.
“I was just starting out and Bruce Slade - who was working for Gai Waterhouse at the time - grabbed me and said ‘come over and look at this filly, she is gorgeous!’”
Lot 129 - Written Tycoon x Passarelle (filly) sold from Willaroon Thoroughbreds to Lyndhurst Farm and Kaha Nui Farm for $350,000 | Image courtesy of Inglis
And Watkins agreed - “I fell in love with her straight away,” she recalled, adding that Slade told her that the daughter of the Listed Gimcrack S. winner Speedy Bell (Brocco {USA}) had gone amiss after showing “a stack of ability.”
Watkins admits that she did at first suffer from a degree of buyer’s remorse after securing Passarelle - “I remember getting home and thinking ‘what have I done?! $120,000 is too much for an unraced horse and she is only two!”
Fast forward nine years and Passarelle has, said Watkins “repaid me in spades.”
Lot 129 with the team from Willaroon Thoroughbreds | Image courtesy of Inglis
The dam of two stakes placed winners amongst her first four foals to race - the G1 Champagne S. runner-up Bases Loaded (Deep Field) and the G3 Chairman’s S. runner-up Shebringzit (Sebring), Passarelle has proven to be a sales ring gold mine with Bases Loaded sold for $400,000 whilst her Capitalist filly fetching $460,000 at last year’s Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale.
With a big trip to Europe - including a visit to Frankel (GB) at Juddmonte - Watkins decided to sell in Sydney this time around - “it is our first time selling here and we will be back!” she happily declared.
“It is our first time selling here (Inglis Australian Weanling Sale) and we will be back!” - Sally Watkins
Whilst optimistic that her filly would sell well, Watkins was cautious - “you just never know what is going to happen,” she said, though the chestnut had plenty of x-ray hits “from all the big players.”
Passarelle is not currently in foal with Watkins yet to decide where she goes this year - “it will be something good, she deserves it!”
Sebastian Hutch happy
Inglis CEO Sebastian Hutch was in good spirits at the end of the day, noting “our best foal selling day ever” was a great turnaround for a sale “which really lost its way for a while.”
“We have put a very significant amount of work into re-establishing it as a premier weanling sale and I think that today is a culmination of that hard work.”
“We had a strong vendor group who brought along horses who the buying bench clearly found appealing.”
“We had a strong vendor group who brought along horses who the buying bench clearly found appealing.” - Sebastian Hutch
Hutch was pleased by the variety of buyers - pin-hooking buyers joined by those buying for the longer term.
“In a challenging year we worked hard at getting a cross section of people involved with the sale which culminated in a very positive set of results.”
Sebastian Hutch | Image courtesy of Inglis
“In the past we had the buyers but not the stock and it was very pleasing to have the right sort of horses for the good judges to buy.”
Hutch was encouraged by the money being spent on young, up-and-coming stallions who buyers may think will be harder to source next year.
“People are already chasing the better quality stock and not waiting for the yearling sales And we actually had disappointed people who couldn’t even land a blow - which bodes well for tomorrow.”
Top lots
| 195 | Filly | I Am Invincible | Shoko | Alma Vale/Kitchwin Hills Partnership | Kaha Nui Farm, NEW ZEALAND | $575,000 |
| 33 | Colt | Capitalist | Knit 'n' Purl | Macquarie Stud | Kaha Nui Farm, NEW ZEALAND | $370,000 |
| 170 | Colt | I Am Invincible | Rose of Mulan | Yarraman Park Stud | Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA), QLD | $360,000 |
| 129 | Filly | Written Tycoon | Passarelle | Willaroon Thoroughbreds, Lurg, Vic | Lyndhurst Farm / Kaha Nui Farm, NEW ZEALAND | $350,000 |
| 209 | Colt | Zoustar | Snitty Kitty | Tyreel Stud | Riverstone Lodge / B2B Thoroughbreds/ Suman Hedge Bloddstock (FBAA), NSW | $350,000 |
| 70 | Filly | So You Think | Majesty | Fairhill Farm | Byerley Bloodstock, WA | $280,000 |
| 173 | Colt | Frankel | Russian Camilla (IRE) | Coolmore Stud | Woburn Farm, NEW ZEALAND | $270,000 |
| 24 | Colt | Toronado | Justice Glory | Stonehouse Thoroughbreds | Byerley Bloodstock, WA | $260,000 |
| 47 | Filly | Deep Field | Laughen Hard | Bhima Thoroughbreds | M Patel, NSW | $260,000 |
| 63 | Colt | Pinatubo | Luminous Eyes (IRE) | Fairhill Farm | S McGrath, NSW | $210,000 |
Top buyers
| Kaha Nui Farm | 4 | $1,092,500 | $273,125 | $575,000 |
| Byerley Bloodstock | 3 | $610,000 | $203,333 | $280,000 |
| Woburn Farm | 3 | $510,000 | $170,000 | $270,000 |
| Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA) | 1 | $360,000 | $360,000 | $360,000 |
| Lyndhurst Farm / Kaha Nui Farm | 1 | $350,000 | $350,000 | $350,000 |
| Riverstone Lodge / B2B Thoroughbreds/ Suman Hedge Bloddstock (FBAA) | 1 | $350,000 | $350,000 | $350,000 |
| Sledmere / Cangon | 10 | $334,500 | $33,450 | $70,000 |
| J Carey | 2 | $295,000 | $147,500 | $190,000 |
| M Patel | 1 | $260,000 | $260,000 | $260,000 |
| S McGrath | 3 | $260,000 | $86,667 | $210,000 |
Vendors by aggregate
| Fairhill Farm, Mulbring | 13 | $1,534,000 | $118,000 | $280,000 |
| Alma Vale/Kitchwin Hills Partnership, Scone | 12 | $968,000 | $80,667 | $575,000 |
| Tyreel Stud, Agnes Banks | 4 | $623,000 | $155,750 | $350,000 |
| Yarraman Park Stud, Scone | 5 | $610,000 | $122,000 | $360,000 |
| Willaroon Thoroughbreds, Lurg, Vic | 4 | $498,000 | $124,500 | $350,000 |
| Mullaglass Stud, Scone | 8 | $415,000 | $51,875 | $120,000 |
| Yulong, Nagambie, Vic | 7 | $414,000 | $59,143 | $140,000 |
| Bhima Thoroughbreds, Scone | 4 | $412,000 | $103,000 | $260,000 |
| Sledmere Stud, Scone | 6 | $409,000 | $68,167 | $150,000 |
| Macquarie Stud, Wellington | 1 | $370,000 | $370,000 | $370,000 |
Vendors by average (3 or more sold)
| Tyreel Stud, Agnes Banks | 9 | $623,000 | $155,750 | $350,000 |
| Willaroon Thoroughbreds, Lurg, Vic | 9 | $498,000 | $124,500 | $350,000 |
| Yarraman Park Stud, Scone | 13 | $610,000 | $122,000 | $360,000 |
| Fairhill Farm, Mulbring | 30 | $1,534,000 | $118,000 | $280,000 |
| Bhima Thoroughbreds, Scone | 10 | $412,000 | $103,000 | $260,000 |
| Alma Vale/Kitchwin Hills Partnership, Scone | 29 | $968,000 | $80,667 | $575,000 |
| Sledmere Stud, Scone | 21 | $409,000 | $68,167 | $150,000 |
| Merricks Station, Merricks, Vic | 5 | $190,000 | $63,333 | $110,000 |
| Yulong, Nagambie, Vic | 13 | $414,000 | $59,143 | $140,000 |
| Lime Country Thoroughbreds, Blandford | 6 | $170,000 | $56,667 | $110,000 |
Sires by aggregate
| I Am Invincible | 3 | 2 | $935,000 | $467,500 | $575,000 |
| Capitalist | 17 | 9 | $776,000 | $86,222 | $370,000 |
| Zoustar | 4 | 3 | $630,000 | $210,000 | $350,000 |
| Farnan | 8 | 4 | $570,000 | $142,500 | $190,000 |
| So You Think | 15 | 4 | $450,000 | $112,500 | $280,000 |
| Too Darn Hot | 6 | 3 | $430,000 | $143,333 | $150,000 |
| St Mark's Basilica | 7 | 3 | $425,000 | $141,667 | $200,000 |
| Written Tycoon | 1 | 1 | $350,000 | $350,000 | $350,000 |
| Stay Inside | 9 | 2 | $290,000 | $145,000 | $170,000 |
| Wootton Bassett | 13 | 3 | $280,000 | $93,333 | $150,000 |
Sires by average (3 or more sold)
| Zoustar | 4 | 3 | $630,000 | $210,000 | $350,000 |
| Too Darn Hot | 6 | 3 | $430,000 | $143,333 | $150,000 |
| Farnan | 8 | 4 | $570,000 | $142,500 | $190,000 |
| St Mark's Basilica | 7 | 3 | $425,000 | $141,667 | $200,000 |
| So You Think | 15 | 4 | $450,000 | $112,500 | $280,000 |
| Wootton Bassett | 13 | 3 | $280,000 | $93,333 | $150,000 |
| Capitalist | 17 | 9 | $776,000 | $86,222 | $370,000 |
| The Autumn Sun | 4 | 3 | $227,500 | $75,833 | $110,000 |
| Pierata | 4 | 3 | $205,000 | $68,333 | $80,000 |
| Russian Revolution | 13 | 4 | $244,000 | $61,000 | $120,000 |
