2026 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale: Six stories from Day 2

16 min read
The 2026 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale concluded on Monday with another day of dazzling results, hugely successful pinhooks, and a noticeable dominance by super sire Extreme Choice, who averaged a record-breaking $1.56 million across the sale.

Cover image courtesy of Inglis

At A Glance

Clearance for the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale decreased to 76% (86%), and the aggregate decreased to $145.7 million, below 2025 ($150 million) and 2024 ($151.8 million). 314 horses sold this year compared to 332 in 2025.

The average lifted to a record high of $464,108 ($451,913), while the median dropped slightly in 2026 to $350,000 ($360,000).

18 lots sold for $1 million or more on a strong day of trading, making 26 in total for the sale, compared to 25 in 2025, 18 in 2024 and 26 in 2023. This year’s sale topper was sold on Day 1 for $3 million, while the top lot of Day 2 made $2.2 million, a colt by Too Darn Hot (GB) who was sold by Widden Stud to Watership Down / McKeever Bloodstock / Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing.

Top Buyers: Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ) was the sale’s top buyer by gross, spending $8.775 million on 15 yearlings. T Magnier topped the averages (two or more bought), spending an average of $2 million each on two yearlings.

Top Vendors: Arrowfield Stud headed the vendors by aggregate, selling 46 yearlings for $19.4 million. By average (two or more sold), Newgate Farm ended the sale an average of $867,778 across 18 yearlings sold.

Top Sire: Snitzel lead the stallions by gross across the whole sale with $19.2 million from 32 lots, while Extreme Choice topped the averages (2 or more sold) at $1.56 million across nine lots sold.

#1. Extreme results leave Field speechless

The story this yearling sales season has been pretty straightforward; everyone wants a piece of him. 10 yearlings by Extreme Choice walked through the ring over the two days of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, and at the close of bidding on Monday evening, nine had sold and seven had been sold for seven figures, contributing to an unforgettable average of a tick over $1.56 million.

It’s an incredible result, and even more when put into the perspective that the average for the leading sire at the last five Inglis Easter sales has been around the $700,000 mark, when setting aside the anomaly result of Pierro and Winx’s (Street Cry {Ire}) $10 million daughter in 2024.

Lot 436 - Extreme Choice x Miss Exfactor colt | Image courtesy of Inglis

Reflecting on the results of the sale, Henry Field was full of praise for his roster’s star.

“I’m speechless, it’s unbelievable,” he said. “He’s been really well received by the commercial market, as he should be, to. He’s a phenomenal stallion. The respect he's garnered from the buying bench is very meaningful, and I am delighted in the way that they sold. He’s an amazing stallion and they deserve to sell well.”

“The respect he's (Extreme Choice) garnered from the buying bench is very meaningful, and I am delighted in the way that they sold.” - Henry Field

Amongst Extreme Choice’s lots were a new personal record colt and filly price, when Lot 26 and Lot 117 sold for $3 million and $1.8 million respectively on the first day of selling. His cheapest yearling of the sale - Lot 321 - was still an $800,000 purchase for Chris Waller Racing and Mulcaster Bloodstock on Monday afternoon.

To go a step further, it takes Extreme Choice’s seven-figure yearlings across his whole career to 18, having sold 11 since his first crop hit the sales in 2020. Combining the Easter results with two seven-figure lots sold at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, a whopping 30% of his 2024 foal crop sold through the ring in 2026 have sold for seven figures.

Newgate Farm sold six of the seven million dollar yearlings in the sale, but they were not the only benefactors; the $3 million colt sold on Sunday was bred by Linda and Graham Huddy, with other breeders of his top lots including Gooree Park Stud, Colt Bloodstock, Wexford Farm, Belinda Bateman, Love Racing, and Doyles Breeding & Racing.

“He’s (Extreme Choice) a once in a lifetime type of horse.” - Henry Field

“We're just so privileged and blessed to have him on the farm,” Field said. “He’s a once in a lifetime type of horse. There's a massive number of people benefiting from him and that's what it's all about.”

Extreme Choice91$1,561,111$3,000,000$14,050,000
Too Darn Hot (GB)94$751,667$2,200,000$6,765,000
Starspangledbanner20$700,000$950,000$1,400,000
Zoustar266$680,962$1,800,000$17,705,000
I Am Invincible306$613,500$1,700,000$18,405,000
Snitzel327$600,156$2,000,000$19,205,000
Super Seth21$595,000$950,000$1,190,000
Alabama Express62$501,667$675,000$3,010,000
Written Tycoon62$495,000$1,300,000$2,970,000
Siyouni (FR)50$464,000$1,050,000$2,320,000

Table: Top sires by average on day 2 of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale

288ColtToo Darn Hot (GB)EnbihaarWidden Stud, Widden ValleyWatership Down / McKeever Bloodstock / Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing$2,200,000
327ColtExtreme ChoiceGiza Goddess (USA)Newgate Farm, AberdeenYLR / Matt Laurie Racing$2,000,000
451ColtSnitzelMs Bad Behavior (CAN)Arrowfield Stud, SconeJames Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership / Tony Fung Colts / Tom Magnier$2,000,000
383FillySnitzelLaguna Azzurra (JPN)Arrowfield Stud, SconeEquine Holdings$1,800,000
255FillyExtreme ChoiceCicatrix (USA)Newgate Farm, AberdeenDean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ)$1,600,000
436ColtExtreme ChoiceMiss ExfactorNewgate Farm, AberdeenGo Bloodstock / Michael Freedman / Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA)$1,600,000
353FillyI Am InvincibleInvictus SaluteSledmere Stud, SconeEmirates Park / Michael Freedman Racing / Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA)$1,550,000
420ColtZoustarMatryoshkaWidden Stud, Widden ValleyChina Horse Club / Newgate Bloodstock & Partners$1,450,000
468FillyZoustarNimbostratus (FR)Widden Stud, Widden ValleyChris Waller Racing/Mulcaster Bloodstock$1,400,000
293FillyJustify (USA)Ennis HillCoolmore Stud, Jerrys PlainsCiaron Maher Bloodstock / Linda Shanahan$1,300,000
312ColtDundeel (NZ)FiestaWidden Stud, Widden ValleyJamie McCalmont For Tom Magnier$1,300,000
374ColtToo Darn Hot (GB)La MagiqueGrenville Stud, Whitemore, TasEA & WA Huglin / Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA)$1,300,000
439ColtWritten TycoonMiss IanoYulong, Nagambie, VicCiaron Maher Bloodstock \ David Redvers Bloodstock$1,300,000

Table: Top lots on day 2 of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale

#2. High risk, high reward for Grenville at Easter

The Riverside Stables sales complex is a long way from home for Grenville Stud, who travelled up from Tasmania last week with four yearlings for the Inglis Easter sale, and they will walk away with perhaps the highlight pinhooking outcome of the sale as a result.

The stud sold all four yearlings for a cumulative $2.88 million, highlighted by Lot 374, a son of Too Darn Hot (GB) who sold for $1.3 million on Monday afternoon to the bid of EA & WM Huglin in partnership with Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA). It was a dream result for the team who bought the colt as a weanling for $335,000 from Merrivale Farm at the Inglis Great Southern Sale in 2025.

“We purchased him for $335,000 at the Great Southern Sale last year, which was a lot of money for us,” said Grenville’s Bart McCulloch. “We felt we had some lovely horses at home, a couple of those we bought here this week and got some excellent results, and we just wanted to really bolster our draft. We were confident that we had good horses, but never did we imagine we'd get a result like this.

“He was very popular all week. We thought it'd be an amazing result if we could double our money, that would have been a dream result, so to quadruple it is mind-blowing. It makes such a difference to us to be able to continue to invest in mares and weanlings going forward, and continue to invest in quality bloodstock.”

“We thought it'd be an amazing result if we could double our money, that would have been a dream result, so to quadruple it is mind-blowing.” - Bart McCulloch

The team signed off with another superb result, when 20 lots later, Mathland Pty Ltd outlaid $900,000 for Lot 394. The Zoustar colt had been a $220,000 purchase for Grenville at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale, where he was offered by Vinery Stud. The other two lots were homebreds for the operation, and made a combined $680,000.

Bart McCulloch | Image courtesy of Inglis

“It’s been a long yearling preparation season, and the staff at home have done a fantastic job,” said McCulloch. “It can be very stressful, things go wrong, and there's certainly been some sleepless nights through the prep. We were just really excited to get a wonderful draft up here, and it's been a wonderful feeling all week.

“It's been a life-changing result. We’ve been very well-rewarded with the horses we bought, so we couldn't be happier.”

#3. Super Seth supercharges Wentwood’s first Easter

Wentwood Grange’s fantastic year at the sales took another leap on Monday when Lot 229, a Super Seth filly out of unraced Snitzel mare Bella Hudood sold for $950,000 to Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) within the first hour of bidding.

It was a new record for Super Seth, who joined the Coolmore roster earlier in the year in a deal reported to be worth $70 million, and it was also the farm’s first draft at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

2026 has been a series of highs for the Cambridge nursery, who recorded their best New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale price when selling an Anamoe colt to Bjorn Baker Racing, Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA), and Ridgmont for NZ$600,000. They went on to produce the top lot at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale - and beat their Karaka price - with a son of red-hot shuttle stallion Ghaiyyath (Ire), selling him for $625,000 to McEvoy Racing and Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA).

Lot 229 - Super Seth x Beela Hudood filly | Image courtesy of Inglis

The filly, whose sale beat Super Seth’s previous top price by $250,000, is also a half-sister to G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes victress Intention (NZ) (Bivouac).

Wentwood’s Dean Hawkins was understandably emotional about the result, saying, “it just means so much, it’s just awesome. The team has done a brilliant job, not just here but at the farm.

“It just means so much, it’s just awesome.” - Dean Hawkins

“Brett (Gilding) and Dean (Hawthorne) worked really hard to get her here. They said all the way back in June that she needs to come to the sale. It’s not a sale we have done a draft at before, so it’s fantastic to be here, especially off of the back of fantastic results at Inglis Classic, it’s just incredible results here.

“I had a bit of a joke with my brother, the accountant, that I would put half a million on the sheet and he laughed at me. He said, ‘she makes $2-350,000’, so he kept me in check - but that was back in December.”

Dean Hawkins | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell

“She’s off a very, very good farm in New Zealand,” said Williams. “I’ve had a lot of success off of that farm. The boys know what they are doing and they have produced a very good filly here at Easter. Inglis have done a wonderful job (for) the clients we have bought her for. Sebastian (Hutch) has looked after them the whole way through.

“It was probably an extra bid over what we had in that bracket, but it was worth going one more because of the attention to detail and the effort they put in.”

“It was worth going one more (bid) because of the attention to detail and the effort they (Wentwood Grange) put in.” - Andrew Williams

“It’s the place to be,” said Hawkins. “Inglis do a fantastic job, and we are very lucky to be part of it.”

Wentwood Grange sold all four of their lots brought across the Tasman for a gross of $1.825 million, and a final average of $456,250.

#4. Arrowfield complete yearling sale vendor triple crown

It helps to have big drafts at the sales, but to top the vendor list at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, and Inglis Easter requires having the quality stock that people want to buy. That has always been true of Arrowfield Stud's draft, and it is what has led them to secure the triple crown of leading vendors across all three sales.

At the Gold Coast in January, they led the sale with a gross of $15.345 million, almost $1.5 million clear of the next vendor, and sold the third-priced top lot for $1.6 million. At Inglis Classic, they sold the fifth top-priced lot for $390,000 and achieved a gross of $3.85 million, $700,000 above the second-placed vendor.

Lot 451 - Snitzel x Ms Bad Behavior (Can) colt | Image courtesy of Inglis

At the fall of the hammer on the final lot on Monday evening, they stood almost $3 million clear at the top of the vendor table, with a gross of $19.415 million. They tied for third highest-priced lot when selling Lot 451, the full brother to G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Switzerland, for $2 million to the bid of James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership, Tony Fung Colts, and Tom Magnier.

“We're very pleased and we're fortunate at the moment to stand and have the progeny of some really nice stallions,” said principle John Messara. “Maurice, Dundeel, Castelvecchio, The Autumn Sun, and the progeny of Snitzel. They have all been active on the racetrack every week, which is all very helpful.”

“We're fortunate at the moment to stand and have the progeny of some really nice stallions.” - John Messara

John Messara | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

The draft averaged over $422,000, and also produced the $1.8 million Lot 383, who is a full sister to G1 Coolmore Classic winner Lazzura (Snitzel).

“It’s all there to see (in the draft),” said Messara. “It's another year behind us and we now look forward to next year, and we will see what happens then.”

Arrowfield Stud, Scone4618$19,415,000$422,065$2,000,000
Widden Stud, Widden Valley224$16,690,000$758,636$2,200,000
Newgate Farm, Aberdeen184$15,620,000$867,778$2,000,000
Coolmore Stud, Jerrys Plains273$10,320,000$382,222$1,300,000
Yulong, Nagambie, Vic218$8,755,000$416,905$1,300,000
Sledmere Stud, Scone201$8,510,000$425,500$1,550,000
Segenhoe Stud, Aberdeen153$7,365,000$491,000$1,050,000
Silverdale Farm, Avoca104$6,270,000$627,000$1,700,000
Yarraman Park Stud, Scone141$5,725,000$408,929$875,000
Lime Country Thoroughbreds, Blandford71$4,760,000$680,000$3,000,000

Table: Top vendors by gross day 2 of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale

#5. Wedding gift delivers Extreme result for O’Connor

Extreme Choice has been enjoying a banner sale at the 2026 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, but the real delight behind Lot 327, a chestnut son of Listed-winning, Grade 1-performed Giza Goddess (USA) (Cairo Prince {USA}), was for breeder Steve O’Connor, who operates under the banner of Colt Bloodstock. Newgate Farm offered the colt on behalf of the Go Bloodstock director, realising $2 million to the bid of Matt Laurie and YLR.

Lot 327 - Extreme Choice x Giza Goddess (USA) colt | Image courtesy of Inglis

“It’s a great story with this horse,” said Henry Field after the sale, whose relationship with O’Connor runs deep. “Steve O'Connor used to manage Newgate Farm when he first came to Australia years ago.

“He eventually left us to go and work for Sir Owen Glenn, who is one of our great clients on the farm who has bred so many great horses on the farm, including Lady Of Camelot and six or seven top class horses. Sir Owen bought this mare for Steve’s wedding present, and he actually bought the mare off of us.”

“He (O'Connor) eventually left us to go and work for Sir Owen Glenn... Sir Owen bought this mare for Steve’s wedding present.” - Henry Field

And it wasn’t a cheap wedding present either; Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) signed the docket for Giza Goddess at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale, for a price of $1.15 million.

Steve O'Connor | Image courtesy of Inglis

The grey mare, who was fourth in the G1 American Oaks, was in foal to I Am Invincible at the time, and produced King Of The Nile, who is in the stable of Bjorn Baker. He was offered at the Gold Coast last January by Newgate as well, where Clarke was involved in securing him.

“The first foal made $800,000, and this colt's now made $2 million,” said Field. “So a wonderful result for Steve O'Connor. He's a phenomenal horseman, a tremendous human being, and this has really set him up for his life.

“I think it's one of the stories of this sale, so quite special.”

#6. New high water mark for globetrotter State Of Rest

The single State Of Rest (Ire) yearling in the catalogue - Lot 352 - made an impression on bidders on Monday afternoon and was knocked down to Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds and Vin Cox Bloodstock for $425,000, smashing his previous top Southern Hemisphere yearling price by $175,000.

Lot 352 - State of Rest (Ire) x Intrinsic colt | Image courtesy of Inglis

“He’s a horse that stood out,” said Cox. “When I was walking around with Denise and looking at our short list, he really piqued her interest. She said at the end of that day that he was one of two horses she desperately wanted to buy. He really sold himself.

“She (Martin) said at the end of that day that he (Lot 352) was one of two horses she desperately wanted to buy.” - Vin Cox

“When you go to a yearling sale, you should always start from the premise of trying to get to the winning post, and he looked like he could get to the races. He is beautiful, a horse that was extremely positive in his walk. Every time I looked at him, he was dragging the handler around.”

Vin Cox | Image courtesy of Inglis

To Cox and Martin, State Of Rest’s G1 Cox Plate victory is a big part of the picture that has them believing that he has a genuine chance of becoming a good sire. Star Thoroughbreds’ Aeliana’s (NZ) (Castelvecchio) back-to-back Group 1s in eight days have the race front of mind. The colt is a half-brother to G2 Skyline Stakes winner Rivellino (Too Darn Hot {GB}), which was another point in his favour.

“Rivellino was one of the best 2-year-old colts of his year, and State Of Rest won the Cox Plate, and we know how good Cox Plate winners are at becoming stallions,” Cox said.

The Northern Hemisphere has certainly agreed, with his top filly selling at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last year for £641,355 (AU$1.24 million).

Record average defines 2026 Easter

Despite a cloud of uncertainty settling over the complex in the sale’s lead-up, the sale surpassed the number of seven-figure lots sold last year, contributing to a new record average for the sale at $464,108 at the time of writing. The gross didn’t quite reach the same heights as last year, with 18 less horses sold.

“I am very proud of the efforts of the whole Inglis team, in not only assembling and promoting a great catalogue, but also executing the sale with incredible professionalism and dedication,” Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch said.

Sebastian Hutch | Image courtesy of Inglis

“Our objective with each sale is to try and achieve the best possible results for each horse offered by each vendor and in the case of this sale, there is an unparalleled level of pressure given the profile of the stock, so I think the team has done an admirable job under the circumstances.

“The records might not reflect it, but I will always remember the extraordinary effort of our group to conduct an Easter Yearling Sale to the standard that they have against the backdrop of a major international conflict and the ensuing economic crisis.”

“The records might not reflect it, but I will always remember the extraordinary effort of our group to conduct an Easter Yearling Sale to the standard that they have.” - Sebastian Hutch

Hutch pointed to a number of positives to come from the sale, such as the investment of American racing entity Flying Dutchmen, who made their first Australian yearling purchase on the first day of the sale, and French breeding farm Sumbe.

“The Day 1 clearance is now up to 82% and there are a number of other sales in the process of being finalised, while we will continue to work with vendors and buyers over the coming days to generate further sales and bring the clearance rate up further,” Hutch added.

“We are hugely grateful to the vendors and breeders for their support of the sale with a group of fantastic yearlings, and to the buyers for their patronage of the sale, I have no doubt that this sale will be particularly significant as a source of top-class racehorses of the future and look forward to following their exploits on the racecourse.”

Top Buyers by gross

Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ)15$8,775,000$585,000$1,800,000
China Horse Club / Newgate Bloodstock & Partners7$5,700,000$814,286$1,450,000
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott / Kestrel Thoroughbreds12$5,340,000$445,000$900,000
Go Bloodstock / Michael Freedman / Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA)4$4,560,000$1,140,000$1,700,000
T Magnier2$4,000,000$2,000,000$3,000,000
EA & WA Huglin / Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA)4$3,950,000$987,500$1,300,000
Chris Waller Racing / Mulcaster Bloodstock7$3,940,000$562,857$800,000
KPW Bloodstock8$3,920,000$490,000$850,000
MG Price Racing & Breeding Pty Ltd7$3,470,000$495,714$1,250,000
Emirates Park / Michael Freedman Racing / Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA)2$2,650,000$1,325,000$1,550,000

Top Buyers by average

T Magnier2$2,000,000$3,000,000$4,000,000
Emirates Park / Michael Freedman Racing / Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA)2$1,325,000$1,550,000$2,650,000
Equine Holdings2$1,162,500$1,800,000$2,325,000
Go Bloodstock / Michael Freedman / Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA)4$1,140,000$1,700,000$4,560,000
Chris Waller Racing/Mulcaster Bloodstock2$1,050,000$1,400,000$2,100,000
EA & WA Huglin / Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA)4$987,500$1,300,000$3,950,000
China Horse Club / Newgate Bloodstock & Partners7$814,286$1,450,000$5,700,000
Ridgmont Fillies Partnership / Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA)2$725,000$800,000$1,450,000
Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA)3$610,000$950,000$1,830,000
Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ)15$585,000$1,800,000$8,775,000

Top Vendors by average

Newgate Farm, Aberdeen184$867,778$2,000,000$15,620,000
Widden Stud, Widden Valley224$758,636$2,200,000$16,690,000
Grenville Stud, Whitemore, Tas40$720,000$1,300,000$2,880,000
Lime Country Thoroughbreds, Blandford71$680,000$3,000,000$4,760,000
Silverdale Farm, Avoca104$627,000$1,700,000$6,270,000
Cressfield, Scone41$532,500$1,350,000$2,130,000
Kia Ora Stud, Scone92$515,000$850,000$4,635,000
Milburn Creek, Wildes Meadow90$505,000$1,300,000$4,545,000
Goodwood Farm, Murrurundi21$505,000$650,000$1,010,000
Segenhoe Stud, Aberdeen153$491,000$1,050,000$7,365,000

Top Sires by gross

Snitzel327$19,205,000$600,156$2,000,000
I Am Invincible306$18,405,000$613,500$1,700,000
Zoustar266$17,705,000$680,962$1,800,000
Extreme Choice91$14,050,000$1,561,111$3,000,000
Too Darn Hot (GB)94$6,765,000$751,667$2,200,000
Dundeel (NZ)1410$5,540,000$395,714$1,300,000
Anamoe134$5,295,000$407,308$900,000
Justify (USA)125$4,990,000$415,833$1,300,000
Home Affairs113$4,195,000$381,364$1,300,000
Ole Kirk121$3,810,000$317,500$525,000
Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale
Henry Field
Extreme Choice
Steve O'Connor
Sir Owen Glenn
Grenville Stud
Too Darn Hot
Bart McCulloch
Wentwood Grange
Dean Hawkins
Andrew Williams
Arrowfield Stud
John Messara
State Of Rest
Vin Cox