Cover image courtesy of Inglis
Lot 462 - Harry Angel (Ire) x Sretan (Bernardini {USA}), colt $540,000
The headline act of Day 1 was Lot 462, the Harry Angel (Ire) colt out of Sretan (Bernardini {USA}), who topped proceedings when selling for $540,000 to the Equine Growth Fund from the draft of Kirks Bridge Farm.
It was a standout result for Kirks Bridge Farm, particularly given Sretan has already proven herself as a broodmare, and Stud Manager Brad McCarthy was understandably thrilled with the result.
“I'm speechless. It's amazing. It's been a very long road to get here. From day one, he's been a standout colt. He was the nicest foal on the farm, the nicest weanling, the nicest yearling. He's been an absolute professional and he has been out so much this week, he's been so busy, an absolute professional.”
“From day one, he's (Lot 462) been a standout colt. He was the nicest foal on the farm, the nicest weanling, the nicest yearling.” - Brad McCarthy
Lot 462 - Harry Angel (Ire) x Sretan colt | Image courtesy of Inglis
McCarthy highlighted the work put in behind the scenes by the small Kirks Bridge team.
“We are only a small farm, with a small crew, and we work very hard to get them nice and quiet to parade here. We've had a lot of nice comments on him. It's unbelievable.”
Despite his confidence in the colt, McCarthy admitted the nerves didn’t ease until bidding began.
“I've always had a high opinion of him, but my opinion doesn't count. As soon as he got on the market, I could breathe and let the guys go to work.
“She’s such an unbelievable mare. She's had Stretan Angel and Stretan Ruler, and all to stallions who are starting their careers. She just throws so much quality into her foals. She's a beautiful mare.”
McCarthy explained the decision to target the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale was deliberate.
“Why Classic? I thought he'd be a standout here. Physically he was ready for it, mentally he was ready for it. He just matured so much towards the end of the prep.”
“Why Classic? I thought he'd (Lot 462) be a standout here. Physically he was ready for it, mentally he was ready for it.” - Brad McCarthy
Successful buyer Equine Growth Fund’s Stefan Pardi described the colt as the clear standout of the sale.
“He's the number colt in the sale and I've cross-referenced with a few good judges. Shane McGrath is, I believe, one of the best judges in the game,” Pardi said.
“He’s a stallion prospect and this is what the Equine Growth Fund is trying to do. I believe that if he was in another sale we would probably have to pay two or 300 more. We're trying to buy these horses to make stallions. He was my number one colt over three days.”
While the price stretched expectations, Pardi felt the opportunity was too rare to miss.
“I didn't really want to stretch myself that far at this sale but it only comes around once a year that you try to find horses like this, so I just have to go a little bit stronger. I don't know who the underbidder was but I'm happy with him.”
Stretan Angel | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The colt's dam Sretan has already produced the highly talented Stretan Angel (Harry Angel {Ire}), who has won at Group 2 and Listed level and finished in the top four at Group 1 level on five separate occasions. Stretan Ruler (Wild Ruler) has also performed well, running a placing in the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes and finishing fourth in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G).
The pedigree continues to rise, with additional stakes winners in the extended family including Alegron (Teofilo {Ire}), Pure Joy (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}) and Fravashi.
Sretan has since produced a filly foal by Harry Angel and was served by City Of Troy (USA) last spring.
Lot 285 - Castelvecchio x Panzerfaust (Redoute’s Choice), colt - $390,000
Lot 285, a strong Castelvecchio colt, won’t have far to travel after being secured for $390,000 by Warwick Farm trainer Bryce Heys.
Heys said the colt appealed as a versatile type, capable of showing ability early while also having the scope to improve with age and distance.
Lot 285 - Castelvecchio x Panzerfaust colt | Image courtesy of Inglis
“He's the profile of horse that we're looking for, hopefully sharp enough up to a mile but stay and get better as he gets older.”
“He's (Lot 285) the profile of horse that we're looking for, hopefully sharp enough up to a mile but stay and get better as he gets older.” - Bryce Heys
The trainer noted the team’s approach to targeting quality throughout the sale.
“We are doing our best to find the nicest ones in the sale and hopefully try and buy them at whatever level they are at. He rated very highly, we were on our last bid and fortunate enough to get him.”
Bryce Heys | Image courtesy of Inglis
Patience will be key, but Heys believes the colt has the physical scope to reward it.
“I think he'll take time, but he's a big strong individual with the capacity to train on as an older horse. That's the type of horse that we are looking for and fortunately not everyone wants that type of horse.
“I think he'll take time, but he's a big strong individual with the capacity to train on as an older horse.” - Bryce Heys
“There is great prizemoney for those type of horses and everyone says they want one, but they don't want to wait.
“He is quite an imposing individual, he's very well balanced and he's got great length. We've got a couple of horses in the yard that he reminded us of.”
The colt’s dam Panzerfaust (Redoute's Choice) is a full sister to G2 The Roses Stakes winner Kebede (Redoute’s Choice) and Group 3 winner and stallion Panzer Division. The family also includes Champion Chilean 2YO Axel Von Georgy (Chi) (Romiano {USA}), a 15-time winner and the G1 Valparaiso Copa de Plata victor.
Lot 395 - Zoustar x Score (Written Tycoon), colt - $375,000
Lot 395, the Zoustar colt out of Score (Written Tycoon), is heading west after Parnham Racing secured him for $375,000 from the Silverdale Farm draft.
Silverdale Farm Stud Manager Rob Petith was delighted with the result, noting the colt had been specifically aimed at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
“Great result. He was a beautiful colt. We brought him here to the Inglis Classic Sale so he would stand out, and stand out he did.
“He was a beautiful colt (Lot 395). We brought him here to the Inglis Classic Sale so he would stand out, and stand out he did.” - Rob Petith
“He paraded very well over the course of the last week. He’s a very good moving colt, obviously by a champion sire in Zoustar out of a Written Tycoon mare, and we’re very pleased with the result.”
Lot 395 - Zoustar x Score colt | Image courtesy of Inglis
Petith said the colt had attracted steady interest throughout the sale.
“He’s been consistent right the way through the sale for us. We thought he was going to sell well but this is particularly good.”
Physically, the colt ticked plenty of boxes.
“He was a taller sort of horse, plenty of scope to him, a beautiful deep girth, and a lovely head on him and a tremendous athletic action. He glided across the ground and certainly caught the eye of a lot of people.
Rob Petith | Image courtesy of Inglis
“Beautiful head on him. In the ring he was nice and calm. The whole way through he’s been like that.”
Score was a four-time winner up to 1400 metres and placed in the Listed Bendigo Guineas. This is the family of Scales Of Justice (Not A Single Doubt), a 12-time winner including the G1 Memsie Stakes and G1 Railway Stakes.
Score most recently missed to Wootton Bassett (GB) before being served by Tassort last spring.
Lot 490 - Too Darn Hot (GB) x Sworn Evidence (Redoute’s Choice), colt - $350,000
Lot 490 attracted strong buying power when the combination of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing, Kestrel Thoroughbreds, First Light Racing and Matt Houldsworth went to $350,000 to secure the Too Darn Hot (GB) colt from the HP Thoroughbreds draft.
HP Thoroughbreds’ Anthony Evans said the colt was a natural product of a stallion who continues to deliver at the highest level.
“He's just a lovely colt. The stallion can't do anymore. You don't really need to look at them, you can just buy them with your eyes closed, you know, just a lovely colt,” Evans said.
Lot 490 - Too Darn Hot (GB) x Sworn Evidence colt | Image courtesy of Inglis
Evans was particularly pleased to see the colt head to a leading stable.
“I’m very happy that he goes to such a great stable where they'll give him every chance.”
“I’m very happy that he goes to such a great stable (Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott) where they'll give him (Lot 490) every chance.” - Anthony Evans
When asked about expectations heading into the sale, Evans admitted the result exceeded early hopes as interest built throughout the week.
“Well, coming here, we were hoping for sort of $200,000 for him. And as the week went on, he was so popular. I think he didn't spend any time in his box at all. He hardly had a head collar off. He was just parade after parade, but he just handled it like a true champion.”
Anthony Evans | Image courtesy of HP Thoroughbreds
For Evans, securing a top stable was as important as the final figure.
“Going to Gai and Adrian, that's where we want our horses going to, these best stables. It gives them every chance for our clients and the mares, and you couldn't be happier with that.”
The colt is the third living foal out of Sworn Evidence (Redoute’s Choice), a dual winner who ran fourth in the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes. The extended family includes the exciting 3-year-old filly Alpha Sofie (Capitalist), winner of four of her five starts, including victories at Listed and Group 3 level.
Lot 302 - Justify (USA) x Phylicia (Redoute’s Choice), colt - $350,000
Lot 302, the Justify (USA) colt out of Phylicia (Redoute’s Choice), found a strong home after Darby Racing, alongside Bjorn Baker and Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA), secured him for $350,000 from the Lime Country Thoroughbreds draft.
The mare has already proven herself as a producer, having left this colt’s full brother, Just Feelin’ Lucky (Justify {USA}), a winner of the G3 Gunsynd Classic and the Listed Mona Lisa Stakes for trainer Michael Freedman.
Lot 302 - Justify (USA) x Phylicia colt | Image courtesy of Inglis
Lime Country Thoroughbreds’ Jo Griffin said the colt had been one of the busiest on the grounds all week.
“He’s obviously been slammed. He had over 28 x-ray (checks), and a phenomenal amount of parades, so yeah, I think he got what he deserved. He’s a lovely colt, Darby Racing purchased. He's going to a home that gives every chance to their owners.”
“I know Bjorn Baker is taking a good chunk of it with Darby Racing, so he goes to a great trainer. Georgia, obviously our daughter, she said to me they thought it was the colt of the sale for them.”
“He’s a lovely colt (Lot 302), Darby Racing purchased. He's going to a home that gives every chance to their owners.” - Jo Griffin
Griffin explained the decision to bring the colt to Classic rather than Easter.
“I think as far as Justify’s go, he was a lovely, neat, quick-moving Justify. He made Easter as well but we thought we'd bring him here and give him a chance to shine here.”
Jo Griffin | Image courtesy of Inglis
When asked about expectations, Griffin said interest throughout the inspections gave a clear guide.
“Based off inspections, he was going to be popular. You never want to overvalue and we always put them on the market early, but I would have been very disappointed if he hadn't cracked $300,000.”
Phylicia was placed on the track and is a half-sister to seven-time Group 1 winner Cosmic Endeavour (Northern Meteor), successful in the G1 Canterbury Stakes and G1 Tattersall's Tiara. The colt’s third dam is Group 2 winner Twiglet (Twig Moss {Fr}), famously the dam of Hong Kong Horse of the Year Fairy King Prawn (Danehill {USA}) and the Group 1 winner and sire Easy Rocking.
Phylicia has most recently been served by Ozzmosis, the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner by Zoustar.
Lot 337 - Pierro x Real Desire (Wanted), colt - $325,000
Real Desire (Wanted) continued her outstanding record for HP Thoroughbreds when her Pierro colt sold for $325,000 to Lees Racing and Bahen Bloodstock.
The mare is already the dam of G1 Lightning Stakes winner Skybird (Exosphere), herself an Inglis Classic graduate, and this latest result delighted HP Thoroughbreds’ Kristen Evans.
“We are super rapt we've bought him down here. He is a cracking colt, and had a fantastic walk. He's held himself together all week, and to continue to get the results each year is fantastic,” Evans said.
Lot 337 - Pierro x Real Desire colt | Image courtesy of Inglis
She noted the colt had been popular from the outset.
“He was on everyone's list, everyone had a look at him. We were really lucky, he held himself together fantastically for the week, so it was really good.”
“He (Lot 337) was on everyone's list, everyone had a look at him. We were really lucky, he held himself together fantastically for the week, so it was really good.” - Kristen Evans
Real Desire is a half-sister to 10-time winner and Listed performer Flying Along (Belong To Me {USA}), and the extended family includes champion sire Snitzel and his three-quarter-brother Hinchinbrook, a proven Group 1-producing sire.
Real Desire has since produced a filly foal by Home Affairs and was subsequently served by I Am Invincible.
