Cover image courtesy of Inglis
At A Glance
Clearance for day one of the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale was down to 76% (79% in 2025), while the aggregate increased to $66.08 million, ahead of 2025 ($63 million) and 2024 ($63.3 million). 149 horses sold this year compared to 129 in 2025.
The average dropped to $452,603 ($488,798), while the median dipped in 2026 to $350,000 ($375,000).
The top Lot on day 1 was Lot 26, a colt by Extreme Choice who was sold by Lime Country Thoroughbreds to Tom Magnier for $3 million. Eight yearlings broke the million-dollar barrier on day one, down from 10 on the first day in 2025.
Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ) was the day’s top buyer by gross, spending $5.25 million on 11 yearlings. Go Bloodstock / Michael Freedman / Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) topped the average on day 1, spending an average of $1.08 million each on two yearlings.
I Am Invincible lead the stallions by gross on day 1 with $11.23 million from 16 lots, while Extreme Choice topped the averages (2 or more sold) at $1.9 million across three lots sold.
Arrowfield Stud headed the vendors by aggregate, selling 25 yearlings for $9.38 million on day 1. By average (two or more sold), Lime Country Thoroughbreds finished day 1 with 100% clearance and the top lot to clock a $822,000 average for five yearlings sold.
#1. Widden’s magic million-dollar half hour
Widden Stud’s reigning Champion Sire Zoustar had an electric thirty minutes on Sunday afternoon when two lots, both sold by Widden, leaped into seven figures.
Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock swooped in to purchase Lot 126, a full sister to Schwarz, for $1.8 million, and less than 10 lots later, Lot 135 - a half-brother to Listed Darby Munro Stakes winner Beskar (Snitzel) - sold for $1.35 million to Yulong Investments and Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing.
“When you come here with a beautiful Zoustar colt and a beautiful Zoustar filly, you do have certain expectations, and we were really excited by what we had to offer, but for that 30 minutes to happen, we're pinching ourselves,” said Widden Stud director Antony Thompson.
“That was pretty wild. $1.8 million for the Summer Sham filly is a fantastic result. Jonathan Munz and Dean Hawthorne are wonderful judges.
“For that 30 minutes to happen, we're pinching ourselves.” - Antony Thompson
“She’s a gorgeous filly, being a full sister to Schwarz, and Summer Sham has just been a wonderful mare for us. When we bought her, we thought she would be a great match for Zoustar, and that has certainly been the case. It has been great to have the guys who backed us to get Summer Sham be along for the ride.”
It was Hawthorne and Munz who snapped up Beskar at last year’s sale, and the Darby Munro victory was a timely update ahead of his half-brother’s time in the ring.
“Beskar coming out winning another stakes race for Sword of Light, that was great timing again for this sale,” Thompson said.
Anthony Thompson | Image courtesy of Inglis
The two lots contributed to Zoustar finishing the first day of selling in second spot by average and gross, only beaten on average by Extreme Choice and I Am Invincible, with the latter selling four more lots to achieve a higher gross. Zoustar still posted an average price of just below $700,000 for his 12 lots sold on day one of the sale, including three seven-figure lots.
In fact, he was the sire with the most seven-figure yearlings at the close of bidding on Sunday, having broken the seal early on the day with Lot 9 from the Silverdale Farm draft making $1.1 million to the bid of Yulong Investments.
But it was the home team effort that Thompson was most proud of.
“We came with a super draft and we're certainly being well rewarded for it.” - Antony Thompson
“We came with a super draft and we're certainly being well rewarded for it,” he said. “We are super proud of what our team has achieved so far at this sale. The Inglis team have done a great job, which we are really thankful for, and we are also thankful for everyone who has supported us here this week.”
#2. The competitive edge: securing $3 million in value
By the time the first hour of bidding had elapsed on Sunday morning, the 2026 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale had matched last year’s top price of $3 million, when Lot 26 - an Extreme Choice colt out of impeccably bred dual Group 2 winner Pretty Brazen (Brazen Beau) - sold to the bid of Tom Magnier.
The colt was offered by Lime Country Thoroughbreds on behalf of breeder Linda Huddy, and Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch revealed that it almost didn’t happen at all.
“(Bloodstock Operations Manager) Chris Russell went to see the colt in early September,” he said. “He rang me straight away and said, ‘listen, I've just seen the best yearling I'm going to see all year, like I won't see a better yearling than that, I'm telling you, and I think it's going to an early sale’. And I said, ‘are you going to make a pitch for it?’
“He (Chris Russell) rang me straight away and said, ‘listen, I've just seen the best yearling I'm going to see all year, like I won't see a better yearling than that'.” - Sebastian Hutch
“So he drafted an email to Linda and Graham (Huddy) making the case as to why the horse should be best placed at Easter, and very thankfully Linda was receptive to that and this is how it's worked out.”
It was the next step in a very Easter story for the mare, who was a $700,000 graduate of the sale to the bid of McEvoy Mitchell Racing on behalf of the Huddys.
“The sale topper just knits together so many good stories,” Hutch said. “Linda and Graham get the mare here as a yearling for $700,000, they present her third foal here, and the horse comes to the sale and makes $3 million. It's just fantastic.”
Of course, as an Inglis sale graduate himself, Extreme Choice’s story is a large part of the picture. The dual Group 1-winning statistical freak was a $100,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale purchase for Mick Price from Bell River Thoroughbreds.
Lot 26: Extreme Choice x Pretty Brazen colt | Image courtesy of Inglis
“There’s a magnetic allure to Extreme Choice,” Hutch said. “He draws a lot of people to the sale to be part of the Extreme Choice story, and this yearling was one of the focal points of it this year. For him to sell the way he did was great, and particularly great for Chris, it was a good reward for the effort he put in.
“He draws a lot of people to the sale to be part of the Extreme Choice story, and this yearling (Lot 26) was one of the focal points of it this year.” - Sebastian Hutch
“Chris made a number of compelling arguments to bring him here, and it was about where would be best for the horse. You come here to a great facility, the horses are safe, and it’s good timing to present a horse for sale in a special marketplace for special horses. And that's exactly how it's played out.”
| 26 | Colt | Extreme Choice | Pretty Brazen | Lime Country Thoroughbreds, Blandford | T Magnier | $3,000,000 |
| 117 | Filly | Extreme Choice | Speak Fondly | Newgate Farm, Aberdeen | Shane McGrath Bloodstock / Clinton McDonald Racing | $1,800,000 |
| 126 | Filly | Zoustar | Summer Sham | Widden Stud, Widden Valley | Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ) | $1,800,000 |
| 133 | Filly | I Am Invincible | Sweet Sherry | Silverdale Farm, Avoca | Go Bloodstock / Michael Freedman / Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) | $1,700,000 |
| 20 | Colt | I Am Invincible | Pippie | Cressfield, Scone | China Horse Club / Newgate Bloodstock & Partners | $1,350,000 |
| 135 | Colt | Zoustar | Sword of Light | Widden Stud, Widden Valley | Yulong Investments / Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing | $1,350,000 |
| 171 | Colt | Home Affairs | Victoria Quay | Milburn Creek, Wildes Meadow | EA & WA Huglin / Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) | $1,300,000 |
| 9 | Filly | Zoustar | Paredo | Silverdale Farm, Avoca | Yulong Investments | $1,100,000 |
| 71 | Colt | Extreme Choice | Second Time Lucky (NZ) | Newgate Farm, Aberdeen | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott / Kestrel Thoroughbreds | $900,000 |
| 101 | Colt | I Am Invincible | Single Sapphire | Newgate Farm, Aberdeen | MG Price Racing & Breeding Pty Ltd | $900,000 |
| 138 | Colt | Anamoe | Taraayef | Segenhoe Stud, Aberdeen | YLP Racing | $900,000 |
Table: Top lots at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale
#3. Hawthorne on Easter restocking spree
Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ) was the busiest buyer on the first day of the 2026 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale on Sunday, emerging as the top bidder on six lots by the time the catalogue hit triple figures.
By the end of the day, he had signed for 11, including one in partnership with Lindsay Park Racing.
“We're restocking the shelves so to speak,” said Hawthorne. “GSA are going to go in about seven at this stage, but there's partners in one or two of them and the likes. So there's a few there to add to his racing team.
“We're restocking the shelves so to speak.” - Dean Hawthorne
“Our racing team's a little bit light at the moment and when the sale's over tomorrow night, we'll sit down with the trainers who have supported GSA throughout the year, right from the beginning of the season.”
Dean Hawthorne | Image courtesy of Inglis
The Easter sale has been a fertile hunting ground for Hawthorne in recent years, with his 2024 purchases including to date the Group winners Getta Good Feeling (So You Think {NZ}) and Napoleonic (Wootton Bassett {GB}), and last week’s Listed Darby Munro Stakes winner Beskar - equating 20% of the stakes-winning graduates from that edition of the sale. He also purchased the stakes performer Price Tag (Zoustar) and a further five winners.
In 2025, Hawthorne signed for 12 across the two days of the sale, a number he is en route to solidly eclipse in 2026, with a day one spend of over $5 million. He went back to the well with lots by stallions such as Wootton Bassett (GB), Zoustar, and Snitzel, while also securing the only Street Boss (USA) in the catalogue, as well as lots by Maurice (Jpn), So You Think (NZ), and Blue Point (Ire).
“You get the best pedigrees, vendors want to bring the best here... so this is where we come.” - Dean Hawthorne
“You get the best pedigrees, vendors want to bring the best here, and we want to buy the best here,” said Hawthorne. “So this is where we come.”
| Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ) | 11 | $5,250,000 | $477,273 | $1,800,000 |
| T Magnier | 1 | $3,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $3,000,000 |
| China Horse Club / Newgate Bloodstock & Partners | 3 | $2,700,000 | $900,000 | $1,350,000 |
| EA & WA Huglin / Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) | 3 | $2,650,000 | $883,333 | $1,300,000 |
| Go Bloodstock / Michael Freedman / Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) | 2 | $2,160,000 | $1,080,000 | $1,700,000 |
| Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott / Kestrel Thoroughbreds | 4 | $2,100,000 | $525,000 | $900,000 |
| Chris Waller Racing / Mulcaster Bloodstock | 3 | $2,070,000 | $690,000 | $750,000 |
| Shane McGrath Bloodstock / Clinton McDonald Racing | 1 | $1,800,000 | $1,800,000 | $1,800,000 |
| Yarradale Stud | 3 | $1,700,000 | $566,667 | $800,000 |
| MG Price Racing & Breeding Pty Ltd | 4 | $1,615,000 | $403,750 | $900,000 |
Table: Top buyers by gross at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale
#4. Elite stallions dominate top lots
It’s the expectation at a sale of Inglis Easter’s calibre for the proven sires to dominate, and it was of little surprise to see the top lots on day one full of Australia’s most elite. Fresh from siring a new juvenile Group 1 winner on Saturday with G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Seize The Day, I Am Invincible topped the sale with a gross of $11.23 million.
Extreme Choice utterly dominated by average, with two of his three lots selling for seven figures, leading to an average of $1.9 million.
Michael Freedman shelled out the top price for the top filly by Yarraman Park Stud’s resident champion, outlaying $1.7 million for Lot 133 out of Group 2 winner Sweet Sherry (Bel Esprit), while China Horse Club and Newgate Bloodstock and partners secured his colt out of multiple Group 1 winner Pippie (Written Tycoon), Lot 20, for $1.35 million. The same connections shelled out $875,000 to take home Lot 33 out of American speedster Quality Response (USA) (Quality Road {USA}).
Hot off the back of training a G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner sired by a son of I Am Invincible, Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr nabbed Lot 101, a half-brother to juvenile Group performers Quietly Arrogant (Capitalist) and Customized (Capitalist), for $900,000.
“He’s been in the top two on the sires’ list for the last 10 years, and at the top three times, so he doesn’t need me to wrap him up,” said Yarraman Park Stud’s Harry Mitchell.
“He does his own talking. I’m sure he’ll have a good sale tomorrow as well. He’s had quite a good season so far, and getting the Group 1 yesterday (on Saturday) always helps.
“He (I Am Invincible) doesn’t need me to wrap him up, he does his own talking.” - Harry Mitchell
“I have looked at most of them myself and heard a lot of comments about the yearlings on the complex, and it seems to me to be a very good crop of his this year, which should translate to the racetrack next year.”
Lot 133 - I Am Invincible x Sweet Sherry filly | Image courtesy of Inglis
Of the eight seven-figure lots at the close of bidding, Zoustar had three, while I Am Invincible and Extreme Choice had two each.
The final seven-figure lot belonged to Home Affairs, the lone sire outside of the proven elite, but his statistics suggest he is well on his way to joining their group in the future. He has five winners from his first crop to date, including three stakes winners between Australia and New Zealand, and the Slipper victory has catapulted his prizemoney to the top of the former’s first season sire table.
In fact, it also sets him atop the 2-year-old sires’ table at present, with G1 Blue Diamond Stakes sire Magnus and Snitzel on his heels.
In the other corner, Extreme Choice had an extreme start to the sale, landing his most expensive colt and filly ever at sale, as well as equalling the price for the top lot sold at last year’s sale when his colt out of Pretty Brazen (Brazen Beau), Lot 26, was snapped up by Tom Magnier for $3 million.
| I Am Invincible | 16 | 3 | $11,230,000 | $701,875 | $1,700,000 |
| Zoustar | 12 | 3 | $8,370,000 | $697,500 | $1,800,000 |
| Snitzel | 15 | 4 | $7,725,000 | $515,000 | $850,000 |
| Extreme Choice | 3 | 0 | $5,700,000 | $1,900,000 | $3,000,000 |
| Dundeel (NZ) | 9 | 4 | $3,170,000 | $352,222 | $650,000 |
| Home Affairs | 6 | 2 | $3,090,000 | $515,000 | $1,300,000 |
| Anamoe | 6 | 1 | $2,235,000 | $372,500 | $900,000 |
| Too Darn Hot (GB) | 5 | 1 | $2,190,000 | $438,000 | $750,000 |
| The Autumn Sun | 6 | 1 | $2,015,000 | $335,833 | $550,000 |
| Stay Inside | 5 | 0 | $1,810,000 | $362,000 | $850,000 |
Table: Top sires by gross at the Inglis Australian Eastern Yearling Sale
| Extreme Choice | 3 | 0 | $1,900,000 | $3,000,000 | $5,700,000 |
| I Am Invincible | 16 | 3 | $701,875 | $1,700,000 | $11,230,000 |
| Zoustar | 12 | 3 | $697,500 | $1,800,000 | $8,370,000 |
| Justify (USA) | 3 | 2 | $550,000 | $800,000 | $1,650,000 |
| Snitzel | 15 | 4 | $515,000 | $850,000 | $7,725,000 |
| Home Affairs | 6 | 2 | $515,000 | $1,300,000 | $3,090,000 |
| Proisir | 2 | 0 | $450,000 | $700,000 | $900,000 |
| Too Darn Hot (GB) | 5 | 1 | $438,000 | $750,000 | $2,190,000 |
| Anamoe | 6 | 1 | $372,500 | $900,000 | $2,235,000 |
| Stay Inside | 5 | 0 | $362,000 | $850,000 | $1,810,000 |
Table: Top sires by average at the Inglis Australian Eastern Yearling Sale
#5. Bittersweet conclusion to legacy of Cressfield’s late stars
Tragedy struck Cressfield’s broodmare band in late 2024, when the farm lost dual Group 1 winner Pippie and G1 Ubet Classic winner Secret Agenda (Not A Single Doubt) within the span of three weeks, leaving two foals orphaned. The story of those two foals took the next step in an uplifting manner on Sunday at the Riverside Stables sales complex when the pair walked through the ring for a combined $1.75 million.
Wayne Bedggood | Image courtesy of Inglis
“It was horrendous,” said Cressfield’s Wayne Bedggood of the loss of both mares. “It was very hard to take. They were both multiple Group 1 winners, so it was a huge loss for both pedigree and performance, but also they were very popular on farm. It leaves a huge hole.”
“They (Pippie and Secret Agenda) were very popular on farm. It leaves a huge hole.” - Wayne Bedggood
Pippie’s I Am Invincible colt, selling as Lot 20, was first, making $1.35 million to the bid of China Horse Club and Newgate Bloodstock and partners, and Secret Agenda’s Zoustar filly followed suit as Lot 72, selling to Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) for $400,000 two hours later.
“It was bittersweet today (Sunday) selling the two last progeny out of those two great mares,” said Bedggood. “It was nice to get the results for the mares and for the farm, but sad to be the last two. We do have a daughter of Secret Agenda still that we will hopefully breed from in the future, and we will try to get back into the Pippie family.”
The former received a timely pedigree update ahead of the sale with his juvenile full sister Empress K (I Am Invincible) scoring in Japan in late January. She had been a $1.4 million graduate of this same sale 12 months ago to Champions Farm and Satomi Oka Bloodstock (FBAA), and the year before, Pippie’s first foal Samudra (Snitzel) - also a winner - was a $775,000 purchase for David Ellis CNZM.
Secret Agenda produced her first stakes winner in the spring with Hidden Motive (Capitalist), who captured the G2 Roman Consul Stakes and resumed this autumn with a third in the Listed Fireball Stakes.
Bedggood extended his gratitude to Tasman Bloodstock’s Kieran Moore, who secured Pippie for the farm at the 2021 Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
“We are always trying to build and upgrade our mares’ pedigrees, and that process starts at the yearling sales.” - Wayne Bedggood
“She was one of the last bloodstock dealings he did before he retired, so we are really appreciative that he helped us to purchase her,” he said.
“Nowadays, it’s very hard to buy these sorts of mares off the track once they perform at that level. We are always trying to build and upgrade our mares’ pedigrees, and that process starts at the yearling sales.”
Metrics down but Hutch buoyant after day one
Metrics for the first day of the 2026 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale were down across the board, with the exception of the gross, which was up almost $3 million compared to day one in 2025. Nevertheless, Sunday's selling left Hutch feeling confident ahead of Monday.
Sebastian Hutch | Image courtesy of Inglis
“We felt we had prepared well for the sale but it was very difficult to speculate as to the mindset of buyers given all that is going on in the world,’’ he said. “So all things considered, I think it was a very good start to the sale, with a strong gross and solid clearance.
“All things considered, I think it was a very good start to the sale.’’ - Sebastian Hutch
“There is a hell of a lot to look forward to tomorrow, with a big day of selling and lots of nice horses, so we are excited.’’
Selling on Monday kicks off at 10am, with over 260 lots catalogued (before withdrawals) to go through the ring.
“I think it is important to note that there were over 50 yearlings offered today that could have been bought for $200,000 or less, so there’s plenty of value to be found and I expect that to continue to be the case through much of the day tomorrow,” Hutch said.
| Go Bloodstock / Michael Freedman / Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) | 2 | $1,080,000 | $2,160,000 |
| China Horse Club / Newgate Bloodstock & Partners | 3 | $900,000 | $2,700,000 |
| EA & WA Huglin / Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) | 3 | $883,333 | $2,650,000 |
| Ridgmont Fillies Partnership / Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) | 2 | $725,000 | $1,450,000 |
| Chris Waller Racing / Mulcaster Bloodstock | 3 | $690,000 | $2,070,000 |
| Yarradale Stud | 3 | $566,667 | $1,700,000 |
| Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott / Kestrel Thoroughbreds | 4 | $525,000 | $2,100,000 |
| Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ) | 11 | $477,273 | $5,250,000 |
| Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) | 2 | $440,000 | $880,000 |
| Mulberry Racing | 3 | $420,000 | $1,260,000 |
Table: Top buyers by average at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale
| Arrowfield Stud, Scone | 25 | 9 | $9,380,000 | $375,200 | $850,000 |
| Newgate Farm, Aberdeen | 7 | 0 | $5,440,000 | $777,143 | $1,800,000 |
| Widden Stud, Widden Valley | 7 | 2 | $5,330,000 | $761,429 | $1,800,000 |
| Silverdale Farm, Avoca | 6 | 3 | $4,880,000 | $813,333 | $1,700,000 |
| Coolmore Stud, Jerrys Plains | 12 | 1 | $4,375,000 | $364,583 | $800,000 |
| Lime Country Thoroughbreds, Blandford | 5 | 0 | $4,110,000 | $822,000 | $3,000,000 |
| Sledmere Stud, Scone | 10 | 1 | $3,265,000 | $326,500 | $850,000 |
| Segenhoe Stud, Aberdeen | 7 | 2 | $3,240,000 | $462,857 | $900,000 |
| Yulong, Nagambie, Vic | 7 | 3 | $3,080,000 | $440,000 | $625,000 |
| Yarraman Park Stud, Scone | 5 | 2 | $2,675,000 | $535,000 | $875,000 |
Table: Top vendors by gross at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale
| Lime Country Thoroughbreds, Blandford | 5 | 0 | $822,000 | $3,000,000 | $4,110,000 |
| Silverdale Farm, Avoca | 6 | 3 | $813,333 | $1,700,000 | $4,880,000 |
| Newgate Farm, Aberdeen | 7 | 0 | $777,143 | $1,800,000 | $5,440,000 |
| Widden Stud, Widden Valley | 7 | 2 | $761,429 | $1,800,000 | $5,330,000 |
| Milburn Creek, Wildes Meadow | 4 | 0 | $650,000 | $1,300,000 | $2,600,000 |
| Cressfield, Scone | 3 | 0 | $643,333 | $1,350,000 | $1,930,000 |
| Yarraman Park Stud, Scone | 5 | 2 | $535,000 | $875,000 | $2,675,000 |
| Kia Ora Stud, Scone | 4 | 0 | $531,250 | $750,000 | $2,125,000 |
| Amarina Farm, Denman | 2 | 1 | $500,000 | $560,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Glenlogan Park, Innisplain, Qld | 3 | 1 | $486,667 | $700,000 | $1,460,000 |
Table: Top vendors by average at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale
