Cover image courtesy of Inglis
Weanlings by elite stallions such as I Am Invincible, Zoustar, Wootton Bassett (GB) and Justify (USA) headline a strong catalogue for the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale, which begins on Friday. A total of 327 lots before withdrawals have been finalised for the one-day sale, including supplementary entries.
Among the highlights are 15 weanlings by the ever-popular Toronado (Ire), along with five each by outstanding shuttling stallion Too Darn Hot (GB) and Alabama Express. The catalogue also features progeny by a broad array of proven and emerging stallions including Ole Kirk, Street Boss (USA), Home Affairs, Stay Inside, Dundeel (NZ), Capitalist, Savabeel, Bivouac, Farnan, Super Seth, Castelvecchio, Hellbent and Lucky Vega (Ire).
Adding further depth is a strong representation from an exciting crop of first season sires. These include nine-time Group 1 winner Anamoe, as well as Artorius, Bruckner, Daumier, Diatonic (Jpn), Hitotsu, In The Congo, Jacquinot, Paulele, Sejardan and State Of Rest (Ire).
Sebastian Hutch | Image courtesy of Inglis
Inglis CEO Sebastian Hutch was pleased with the feel around the Oaklands complex and was cautiously optimistic about tomorrow. “It’s been a surprisingly pleasant three days in terms of the weather that contributes to the positive feeling around the complex, footfall, as has been the case at all of our sales this year has been strong, we have managed to generate good footfall at each of the sales.
“Obviously the catalogue is down year on year, it feels like we have an increased number of people that want to participate in the sale, great interstate participation, strong international participation, or certainly in attendance.
“We are going to get to the end of the sale again and be frustrated at the fact that there has been a surplus for demand of quality stock and insufficient supply, and that is something for us to continue to work on.”
The new boys make their mark with strong sales representation
There’s always excitement when the new boys hit the block, and naturally, they hold strong appeal for pinhookers ahead of their progeny’s first yearling sales next season. A key question heading into this year’s Inglis Great Southern Sale is: how have these first-season sires performed at the earlier Gold Coast and Inglis Australian weanling sales?
Nine-time Group 1 winner and Champion Anamoe has made headlines in his career and that was always going to be the case at stud. His results so far have met expectations. Off a debut service fee of $121,000 (inc GST), he has had eight weanlings sell this year at an average of $247,500, with a top price of $360,000. He has two catalogued to go through the Oaklands ring on Friday.
Gallery: Two of the first-season sires represented at the Inglis Great Southern Sale 2025
Blue Gum Farm’s Sejardan has proven a consistent, quiet achiever throughout the weanling sale series. The precocious 2-year-old by Sebring stood at $13,750 in 2023, and his stock has been well-received; 10 have sold to date for an average of $64,900, with a top price of $130,000. With 11 of his progeny set to go through the ring at Oaklands, he’s expected to attract strong interest from buyers looking for sharp, early-running types, a trait Sejardan was renowned for.
Other first-season sires that have made a strong impression with results include Artorius, whose top-priced weanling sold for $200,000; Jacquinot and Hitotsu, both reaching $140,000; and State Of Rest (Ire), whose top lot fetched $120,000. Each will be represented again at the Great Southern Sale, offering buyers further opportunities to tap into this exciting young group of stallions.
| Anamoe | $121,000 | $247,500 | $360,000 | 8 | 2 |
| Sejardan | $13,750 | $64,900 | $130,000 | 10 | 11 |
| Artorius | $27,500 | $54,829 | $200,000 | 14 | 7 |
| Jacquinot | $33,000 | $45,943 | $140,000 | 14 | 5 |
| State Of Rest (Ire) | $44,000 | $27,429 | $120,000 | 14 | 3 |
Table: First season sires by weanling average
The big guns: How are they performing at the weanling sales?
It’s always a major feature of any weanling sale when progeny by high-profile commercial stallions are on offer, and this year’s Great Southern Sale includes a handful of some of the most expensive and sought-after sires in the world.
Wootton Bassett (GB), who now commands a fee of $375,000 (inc GST), headlines the list, joined by Zoustar and Too Darn Hot (GB), both standing for $275,000 (inc GST), and Justify (USA), who now stands permanently in the America at a fee of US$250,000 (AUS $384,000). All have had progeny sell well throughout this year’s weanling sales, and they’ll again be among the most anticipated lots on Friday.
Wootton Bassett (GB) | Standing at Coolmore Australia
“There are some nice horses here, we are disappointed there aren't more, there is a market here for more nice horses that are on offer and that’s the advantage for people that do have nice horses here, horses of real commercial appeal will put themselves in a good spot to sell well,” Hutch said
| Zoustar | $330,000 | $500,000 | 3 | 4 |
| Snitzel | $328,333 | $550,000 | 3 | 0 |
| Wootton Bassett (GB) | $320,000 | $420,000 | 2 | 1 |
| Too Darn Hot (GB) | $265,625 | $775,000 | 8 | 5 |
| Anamoe | $247,500 | $360,000 | 8 | 2 |
Table: Sires by weanling average
With stallion fees at the top end only continuing to rise, purchasing progeny at the weanling stage offers buyers a more accessible entry point to bloodlines that would otherwise be difficult to source. Whether the goal is pin hooking or racing, these types offer flexibility, either as short-term resale prospects or as longer-term racing and breeding investments.
Established and younger sires
One of the defining strengths of the Great Southern Sale is its balance between proven, established sires and younger stallions still writing their story. This year’s catalogue is no exception.
Swettenham Stud’s Toronado (Ire) continues to enjoy a breakout season in the sales ring. He was responsible for his first million-dollar yearling at this year’s Inglis Premier Sale, when a colt out of Hardly Surprising (All Too Hard), offered by Gilgai Farm, sold for $1 million to Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) and Hong Kong Bloodstock. He has 15 weanlings catalogued on Friday, providing ample opportunity to find the next standout prospect.
Toronado (Ire) | Standing at Swettenham Stud
Shamus Award, a proven source of class and toughness, has firmly established himself as a leading sire since entering stud in 2014. The Rosemont Stud resident has now sired 28 stakes winners, including six at Group 1 level. He has eight weanlings catalogued to sell at Oaklands, and his track record will no doubt attract plenty of attention.
Among the emerging sires, Dirty Work has made an encouraging start with his first crop of two-year-olds. Already responsible for four winners, including Group winner Do I Feel Lucky and multiple city winner Mrs Iglesia, he has 11 weanlings catalogued. Sejardan, who has already proven popular with buyers this season, also has 11 set to go through the ring, consolidating a strong early showing.
| Toronado (Ire) | 15 | 8YOs |
| Dirty Work | 11 | 2YOs |
| Sejardan | 11 | Weanlings |
| Daumier | 8 | Weanlings |
| Shamus Award | 8 | 9YOs |
Table: Sire representation
Have weanling sale averages held up?
Despite fluctuations in the broader bloodstock market, the 2025 weanling sales have shown consistent strength across key indicators.
At the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale, this year's average was $78,164, up from $74,511 in 2024, though slightly down from $81,842 in 2023. The Inglis Australian Weanling Sale averaged $52,905, just below last year’s figure of $53,553 but ahead of the $51,264 recorded in 2023.
Meanwhile, the Inglis Great Southern Sale has shown remarkable year-on-year consistency, with averages of $44,799 in 2024, $44,525 in 2023, and $44,306 in 2022.
| Inglis Great Southern | - | $44,799 | $44,692 | $45,331 | $40,442 | $19,818 |
| Magic Millions GC National Weanling | $78,164 | $74,551 | $81,842 | $88,484 | $101,638 | $40,830 |
| Inglis Australian Weanling | $52,905 | $53,553 | $51,264 | $48,750 | $43,873 | $34,394 |
Table: Sale averages
All indications suggest that the 2025 edition will again track in that mid-$40,000 range, a testament to the sale’s reliable buying and selling environment. The key area for improvement remains the clearance rate, which has dipped to 71 per cent in both of the past two years after reaching over 80 per cent in 2022.
| Aggregate | $12,140,600 | $9,975,273 | $12,121,500 | $11,336,750 | $1,565,650 |
| Average | $44,799 | $44,692 | $45,331 | $40,442 | $19,818 |
| Top Lot | $575,000 | $825,000 | $280,000 | $360,000 | $170,000 |
| Catalogued | 436 | 383 | 392 | 436 | 296 |
| Withdrawn | 57 | 68 | 55 | 81 | 164 |
| Passed In | 108 | 90 | 65 | 71 | 53 |
| Sold | 271 | 225 | 272 | 283 | 79 |
| Clearance Rate | 71.5 | 71.4 | 80.7 | 79.7 | 59.8 |
Table: Great Southern Sale averages
“We want to generate good clearance, good turnover, whatever that means the average ends up being, and the median ends up being, so be it,” Hutch said
“We want to facilitate the best market we can, and certainly on the evidence of footfall, vendors across the board at all levels are going to have a good opportunity to sell their horse tomorrow.”
“We want to generate good clearance, good turnover, whatever that means the average ends up being, and the median ends up being, so be it.” - Sebastian Hutch
“It will be up to vendors to decide which level they are going to be inclined to sell at but those who have got favourable results through the year as yearlings, weanlings or mares, those that have more often than not got favourable results are those people that have been prepared to meet the market and I think it will very much be the same case tomorrow.”
While strength at the top end has helped maintain averages, the market would benefit from broader depth at the middle and lower tiers to lift that overall clearance figure.
A pinhooking paradise
The Great Southern Sale has long been regarded as a hotspot for pinhookers, and once again, the results from last year’s sale reinforce why.
Among the standout returns, a filly by Wootton Bassett (GB) out of Oohood (I Am Invincible) was purchased for $70,000 and later sold for $380,000. A colt by Too Darn Hot (GB) out of Farlingaye (Red Ransom) turned a $100,000 purchase into a $320,000 sale. A Lucky Vega (Ire) filly out of Outlook (Fastnet Rock) was picked up for $30,000 and sold for $240,000, while a colt by Bivouac out of Promenades (Lonhro) went from $52,500 to $220,000.
This sale has also proven a launchpad for elite racetrack performers. Montefilia (Kermadec {NZ}) was purchased here for $62,000, Behemoth (All Too Hard) for $120,000, Sopressa (So You Think {NZ}) for $70,000, Extra Brut (Domesday) for $52,000, Gytrash (Lope de Vega) for $70,000 and On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau) for $60,000 - all of whom went on to Group 1 success.
With those results in mind, pinhookers will again be out in force at Oaklands, seeking the next star to present at the major yearling sales in 2026.
