Cover image courtesy of Inglis
Lot 288 - Too Darn Hot (GB) x Enbihaar (Magnus) (colt) - $2,200,000
The strong sale for Widden Stud kept on building as they topped the day when Lot 288, a powerful Too Darn Hot (GB) colt, was purchased for $2.2 million by Watership Down, McKeever Bloodstock and Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing.
No stranger to the Riverside Stables ring, the colt was secured for $775,000 by the Equine Growth Fund at last year’s Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, making this return, just under 12 months later - an extremely lucrative figure of $1,425,000 profit.
The colt is the fourth foal out of the smart juvenile Enbihaar (Magnus), a two-time winner at two, including the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (f), and also placed in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes.
Lot 288 - Too Darn Hot (GB) x Enbihaar colt | Image courtesy of Inglis
Enbihaar has since developed into a high-class broodmare, producing Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Too Darn Lizzie (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who sold for $2.4 million to Ciaron Maher Bloodstock at last year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale. Enbihaar is also a full sister to the talented Miss Celine (Magnus), the winner of the Listed Debutant Stakes on debut.
Adding further depth to the page, Enbihaar herself sold for $1.6 million at last year’s Chairman’s Sale and is now in the hands of Yulong.
“I just didn't want to lose him, because our whole sale centred around him. But having said that, I knew it was asking Simon and Madeleine (on the phone) a lot and I knew it was a big ask,” Johnny McKeever said.
“But, you know, when we bought Too Darn Lizzie, we had one more bid… I was on my own that day, so I didn't have Simon (Marsh) to even ask, so in that respect, maybe it's a good omen that the market pushed us to make it a little uncomfortable.
“At the end of the day, there's nothing to worry about with the horse, he is simply the best yearling on the grounds, I thought.”
Johnny McKeever | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott who were part of the buying team will train the colt.
“Yes they're going to train him, and I know that Adrian and Gai loved him as well. We're absolutely delighted.
“We’ve had so much success with Watership Down in Australia. All I've got to do is be so grateful that Simon (Marsh) has asked me to help work a Watership Down in Australia.
“Because it's given me a completely different stratosphere to live in. Before, I was coming down here, as a bloodstock agent, getting a few little horses to buy here and there. Now here I am now, thanks to Watership Down, Madeline and Simon. I'm playing with the big boys and it's, yeah, I'm a bit overwhelmed.”
Enbihaar also has a Zoustar weanling filly and was served by Alabama Express last season.
Lot 451 – Snitzel x Ms Bad Behavior (Can) (Blame {USA}) (colt) – on account of Arrowfield Stud - $2,000,000
There was little doubt Lot 451, Arrowfield Stud's Snitzel colt out of the star-producing mare Ms Bad Behavior (Can) (Blame {USA}), would attract significant attention, and it duly delivered, selling for $2,000,000 to the James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership, Tony Fung Colts and Tom Magnier.
A colt of the highest calibre on pedigree, he is a full brother to G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner and Coolmore Stud stallion Switzerland, and hails from a deep, internationally performed family.
The page continues to strengthen. 3-year-old Decorum (Snitzel) has shown encouraging signs having won three races in quick succession, while the 2-year-old full brother St Gotthard (Snitzel) - a $2.7 million purchase by Coolmore from this same draft at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale - has been impressing at the trials for trainer Chris Waller and shapes as one to follow.
Lot 451 - Snitzel x Ms Bad Behavior (Can) colt | Image courtesy of Inglis
“Pedigree aside, we just thought he was an awesome horse, a real beautiful horse,” James Harron said.
“Obviously the mare’s done a fantastic job and we're just delighted to be able to get a horse of that calibre, and it’s great to team up with Coolmore and go to Chris Waller and try and do it all again.”
Speaking on the partnership Harron said, “You know, we're obviously great friends and we've got a great relationship and I just thought it'd be cool to have a chat with the guys and sort of said, why don't we get together, instead of taking each other on on this particular horse?
“It made a lot of sense and it's really good to do it. I used to work there and we've got a great relationship, so hopefully we'll have good luck with this horse.”
James Harron | Image courtesy of Inglis
On comparisons to his full brother Switzerland Harron commented, “They (Coolmore) did a great job buying him and I think this has been the nicest one, in my opinion, since Switzerland. Just a beautiful animal and she seems to be doing the job every year.”
Ms Bad Behavior has been strongly supported at stud. She has a Snitzel weanling colt, and following Snitzel’s passing last year, her regular spring mating came to an end. She was subsequently served by Arrowfield Stud’s in-form stallion The Autumn Sun.
Lot 327 - Extreme Choice x Giza Goddess (USA) (Cairo Prince {USA}) (colt) - $2,000,000
Yulong and Matt Laurie Racing combined to secure Lot 327, a standout Extreme Choice colt, for $2,000,000 from the Newgate Farm draft.
Out of American Listed winner Giza Goddess (USA) (Cairo Prince {USA}), the colt appealed strongly on both pedigree and physique, with Yulong hoping to replicate their previous success with the sire.
Lot 327 - Extreme Choice x Giza Goddess (USA) colt | Image courtesy of Inglis
That success was headlined by Devil Night (Extreme Choice), a $1.4 million purchase from the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, who has since gone on to claim the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes and place in the G1 William Reid Stakes at his last start. A valuable future stallion prospect, he sets a high benchmark - one Yulong will be hoping this colt can match.
“He ticked every stallion box when we saw him, he moves well and he's got a very strong body and we believe he could be a very good race horse in the future,” Jun Zhang General Manager of Yulong commented.
Jun Zhang | Image courtesy of Inglis
“Also another part is that he is by Extreme Choice and he's a very good sire so he's the one we definitely had to buy.
“He’s an outstanding colt, we have seen a lot of Extreme Choice colts, and they are not like this one. So he's outstanding.
“We are going to work with Matt Laurie with this colt, he will be the trainer for us.”
Lot 383 - Snitzel x Laguna Azzurra (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) (filly) - $1,800,000
Equine Holdings went to $1,800,000 to secure this Snitzel filly, a full sister to G1 Coolmore Classic winner Lazzura (Snitzel), from the draft of Arrowfield Stud.
Out of Laguna Azzurra (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {USA}), a winner in Japan, the filly boasts a deep and internationally flavoured pedigree. Her dam has produced three winners, headed by Lazzura, whose resume includes a Group 1 victory alongside multiple wins at Group 2, Group 3 and Listed level.
The page is rich with Japanese black-type performers, reinforcing the filly’s significant residual value and international appeal.
Lot 383 - Snitzel x Laguna Azzurra (Jpn) filly | Image courtesy of Inglis
“Fantastic, I'm just delighted with the result, Equine Holdings purchased her, I've got to find out a little bit more about them. They were bidding online but it was a very spirited bidding duel. I know she was a well looked at horse and there were plenty there that were after her,” Arrowfield Stud’s Paul Messara said.
“She's (Lot 383) a lovely filly obviously, with a full sister Lazzura, winning the G1 Coolmore Classic recently... so I'm very pleased.” - John Messara
“She's a lovely filly obviously, with a full sister Lazzura, winning the G1 Coolmore Classic recently, so she's got a lot of residual value and obviously a lot of racing as well, so I'm very pleased.”
Paul Messara | Image courtesy of Inglis
When asked if the result carried added meaning following Snitzel’s passing Messara said, “Absolutely and you know he's probably going to win the premiership again this year and even though he's gone, he's still leaving his mark on the racetrack and with fillies like this, they're going to be items you can't get again.
“We certainly thought she'd make plenty of money, it's always hard once it gets up over a million dollars, you never know where it's going to end.”
Laguna Azzurra has since produced a Farnan weanling colt and was served by Switzerland last spring.
Lot 255 - Extreme Choice x Cicatrix (USA) (Violence {USA}) (filly) - $1,600,000
Dean Hawthorne continued his strong buying presence, going to $1.6 million for Lot 255, a quality Extreme Choice filly from the Newgate Farm draft.
Out of American Listed winner Cicatrix (USA) (Violence {USA}), the filly hails from a proven family. Cicatrix has already produced two winners, including the smart Mayfair (Fastnet Rock), a juvenile winner who has since been placed in the G3 San Domenico Stakes, G3 Ming Dynasty Handicap, G1 Golden Rose and the Silver Eagle.
The pedigree is further strengthened by the presence of American Group 1 winner and sire Another Review (USA), along with Group 1 performer Dance Colony (USA) (Pleasant Colony {USA}).
Lot 255 - Extreme Choice x Cicatrix (USA) filly | Image courtesy of Inglis
“She was probably a pick of the Extreme Choice fillies. He’s such a great sire, they don't come along in numbers, so when the good ones come along you've got to take a chance to grab them,” Dean Hawthorne said.
“We knew there'd be competition on her and I'm pretty sure I knew who it was out the back. I could see Guy (Mulcaster) hovering. But look, we've beaten a good pair of judges there, but she was lovely and she's from an imported family that's produced a fast horse already in Australia, so we loved her and he's at another level, this sire.”
Dean Hawthorne | Image courtesy of Inglis
On her physical appeal Hawthorne described, “She walks well, is nice and square behind and they're not big, the Extreme Choices, but she just had enough scope to go somewhere and moved really, really well.”
“She (Lot 255) walks well, is nice and square behind and they're not big, the Extreme Choices, but she just had enough scope to go somewhere and moved really, really well.” - Dean Hawthorne
Cicatrix has unfortunately slipped and missed to Extreme Choice in the past two seasons.
Lot 436 - Extreme Choice x Miss Exfactor (Your Song) (colt) - $1,600,000
Extreme Choice’s outstanding sale continued when Lot 436, a quality colt out of Miss Exfactor (Your Song), was secured for $1,600,000 by Go Bloodstock, Michael Freedman and Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) from the Newgate Farm draft.
Miss Exfactor was a classy, five-time winning sprinter, highlighted by her victory in the G3 Birthday Card Stakes. She is also a half-sister to Boogie Dancer (Sooboog), winner of the G2 Thousand Guineas Prelude and fourth in the G1 Thousand Guineas, adding further depth to an already strong page.
Lot 436 - Extreme Choice x Miss Exfactor colt | Image courtesy of Inglis
“He's a really lovely colt, it’s obviously late in the sale, so we've had to wait a little bit, but we really liked him,” Michael Freedman commented.
“I actually saw him at the Gold Coast when he was up there originally, and he was withdrawn from that sale to come here.
“He's (Lot 436) a really lovely colt, it’s obviously late in the sale, so we've had to wait a little bit, but we really liked him.” - Michael Freedman
“So, when I saw him on the sale ground earlier, we actually thought he looked better than when he was up there.
“Great to have the support of Go Bloodstock, and we're trying to buy some sharper early types in partnership with some other clients.
“The brief was to try and find something that could get up and go a little bit early, which this colt very much looks that way.
“I’m looking forward to getting him a couple of weeks off and then start breaking him in and go through the process.”
Michael Freedman | Image courtesy of Inglis
Miss Exfactor, since producing this colt, has unfortunately missed to Ozzmosis and Extreme Choice in the past two breeding seasons.
