Cover image courtesy of Inglis
At A Glance:
In total, the Inglis Digital April (Late) Sale grossed $5,243,950, with Thursday's inaugural Australian Broodmare Sale Session grossing $2,655,000.
A share in Zoustar topped the entire sale when selling to Richard Pegum's Red And Green Bloodstock for $850,000. Atlantic Emerald (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), in foal to Shinzo, topped the broodmare session when selling to Encompass International and Kia Ora Stud for $410,000.
158 lots were sold in the Australian Broodmare Sale Session for a clearance rate of 58.5%.
Coolmore Stud was the leading vendor in the session, selling four lots for $634,000.
Zoustar share sells for $850,000
A share in last season's Champion Sire Zoustar topped the Inglis Digital April Late Sale when selling for $850,000 to Richard Pegum's Red And Green Bloodstock. The 1.67% share in the 15-year-old Widden Stud resident was offered by Qatar Bloodstock.
Pegum purchased six-time winner and Group-performed Dancing Alone (I Am Invincible) at last year's Inglis Chairman's Sale for $875,000 and said that the share was purchased with the intention of sending her to Zoustar this spring.
Zoustar | Standing at Widden Stud
“Dancing Alone is a half sister to Growing Empire so by putting her to Zoustar, she’ll be carrying a three-quarter to Growing Empire which I think would be pretty handy pregnancy, it makes sense to me,’’ he said.
“I bred Zousain with Zoustar so I have a bit of an affinity with the stallion, so it’s nice to have the equity there now too.
“When I saw the share come online, I was pretty keen to get it and while it took a bit of toing and froing, it’s good to have it all done now.’’
The sire of 79 stakes winners worldwide, Zoustar is currently second in the general sires' table with 139 winners and 9 stakes winners in Australia, who have banked over $17.2 million between them this season.
Atlantic Jewel’s only daughter tops broodmare session
A fierce bidding war ensued in the Inglis Digital April Late Sale’s broodmare session on Thursday afternoon for the chance to take home Atlantic Emerald (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the only filly out of Champion 3YO Filly and four-time Group 1 winner Atlantic Jewel (Fastnet Rock), offered in foal to G1 Golden Slipper Stakes-winning sire Shinzo. After 88 bids, Justin Carey prevailed when the hammer fell at $410,000.
Offered by Coolmore Stud, the 8-year-old Atlantic Emerald is an unraced full sister to two-time Hong Kong Champion Stayer Russian Emperor (Galileo {Ire}). Atlantic Jewel is one of two G1 One Thousand Guineas winners for her dam along with her half-sister Commanding Jewel (Commands). This is also the close family of G1 Galaxy Handicap winner I Am Excited (I Am Invincible) and G3 Frances Tressady Stakes winner Flippant (Hinchinbrook).
Atlantic Emerald (Ire) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Carey confirmed that the mare was bought for a client of Coolmore.
“We loved the mating with Shinzo and were all excited by that so it’s nice to see the mare staying on the farm,’’ he said. “Shinzo is proving to be hugely popular, to the surprise of nobody, and he should have a great week at the foal sale at Riverside next week.
“At this stage the plan is for Atlantic Emerald to go back to Shinzo once we foal her down in a few months.’’
Atlantic Emerald’s first foal, a colt by Zoustar, was a $1 million graduate of the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale when bought by Huang Kai Wen and Bridle Bloodstock, and a full brother sold for $210,000 to Shane McGrath Bloodstock and Clinton McDonald Racing at the same venue the following year.
She unfortunately lost her 2024 Justify (USA) colt and foaled a Wootton Bassett (GB) colt in 2025, who will be offered as Lot 502 at the upcoming Inglis Australian Weanling Sale.
Her current in utero foal, bred off of a $55,000 (inc GST) service fee, will be due in late October.
Precocious Vinicunca attracts plenty of attention
G3 Maribyrnong Plate winner Vinicunca (I Am Invincible) finished as the second top lot in the broodmare session of the Inglis Digital April Late Sale on Thursday when selling for $170,000 to Encompass International in partnership with Kia Ora Stud.
“We’re very happy with the purchase and we think she’ll be a beautiful mare for Tropicus,’’ said Kia Ora Stud's Bloodstock and Breeding Manager Shane Wright. “She shows what we’re aiming to send to him, nice Group-winning mares with lots of ability and big futures.
"We’ve been using Inglis Digital for years, it’s very efficient, very easy and it really streamlines everything and makes it easy for everyone.’’
Offered by Coolmore Stud, the 9-year-old mare carries a positive mid-October pregnancy to G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Switzerland, who stood for $60,500 (inc GST) for his first season at stud in 2025.
Vinicunca | Image courtesy of Inglis
After her debut victory a week after her second birthday, Vinicunca ran second by less than half a length to subsequent G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Lyre (Lonhro) in the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (fillies), before finishing eighth in the main event. She resumed in the spring with a fourth in the Listed Alinghi Stakes to Humma Humma (Denman) at her penultimate start.
At stud, Vinicunca’s first foal, and only to race so far, Tom Cruising (American Pharaoh {USA}) is a four-time winner, and she has offspring by So You Think (NZ) and Wootton Bassett still to run for her.
Vinicunca is out of a Flying Spur half-sister to G1 Champagne Stakes winner Carry On Cutie (More Than Ready {USA}), whose descendants include Champion 2YO Colt The Mission and Listed-winning, Group 1-performed Hypothetical (Pride Of Dubai).
Moroney swoops on Snitty Kitty
Paul Moroney Bloodstock emerged the victor amongst the bidders to purchase G2 Caulfield Sprint winner Snitty Kitty (Snitzel), offered in the Inglis Digital April Late Sale’s broodmare session by Tyreel Stud carrying a positive pregnancy to Maurice (Jpn) due in early August. The hammer fell at $160,000 for the rising 13-year-old mare, who was offered by Tyreel Stud.
Also counting the Listed BRC Lightning Handicap amongst her six wins, Snitty Kitty was beaten just a head by Russian Revolution in the G1 Oakleigh Plate, and ran fourth placings in the G1 Galaxy Handicap and G1 Moir Stakes, behind high calibre race mares In Her Time (Time Thief) and Viddora (I Am Invincible). She was also beaten three quarters of a length when finishing fourth in Dainty Tess’s (War Chant {USA}) G3 RN Irwin Stakes.
Snitty Kitty | Image courtesy of Inglis
Snitty Kitty's first foal Zoucat (Zoustar) was a $180,000 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale purchase for Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) and has won her two most recent starts.
Her most recent foal Adrenalize (Zoustar) was a $350,000 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale purchase for Riverstone Lodge, B2B Thoroughbreds, and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA). Offered by the former at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, he realised $500,000 to the bid of Darby Racing, Bjorn Baker Racing, and Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA).
From the family of G1 Australasian Oaks winner Leica Smile (At Talaq {USA}), Snitty Kitty is out of a Tale Of The Cat (USA) half-sister to multiple Group winner Delbrae (Thunder Gulch {USA}) and stakes-performed Leica Light (Hennessy {USA}), dam of G3 Spring Stakes winner Beirut (Lonhro).
Six figures for Excelsior Island carrying Calamari Ring full sibling
Stakes-producing mare Excelsior Island (Exceed And Excel) was the fourth six-figure mare to sell in the Inglis Digital broodmare session on Thursday afternoon, making $130,000 to the bid of Avignon Breeding. The 11-year-old mare was offered by Two Bays Farm in foal to red hot Darley stallion Street Boss (USA).
A two-time winner in New Zealand herself, Excelsior Island is a half-sister to New Zealand Champion 2YO Warhorse (NZ) and to Zelitist (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), dam of G2 Adelaide Cup winner American Wolf (NZ) (Tivaci) and G3 Wellington Cup winner Zee Falls (NZ) (Sacred Falls).
Excelsior Island | Image courtesy of Inglis
From three foals to the track, Excelsior Island has produced two winners, led by the precocious Calamari Ring (Street Boss {USA}), winner of the R. Listed Inglis 2YO Banner in the spring. Excelsior Island has a yearling filly by Rubick and a weanling colt by Dirty Work to come for her as well.
Stakes-producing Sistonic sells for six figures
S and K Robertson signed the docket for the well-related Sistonic (Bel Esprit) to the tune of $105,000 in Inglis Digital’s broodmare session on Thursday. Offered by Noorilim Park Thoroughbreds, the 14-year-old mare is in foal to G1 William Reid Stakes winner Schwarz, who stood for $38,500 in his debut season, on an early September cover.
A dual winner and fourth in the G3 Typhoon Tracy Stakes, Sistonic has produced four winners from four to the track, including G3 Kindergarten Stakes winner Semillion (Shalaa {Ire}) and five-time winner Scampi (Blue Point {Ire}).
Sistonic | Image courtesy of Inglis
Her current yearling by Blue Point (Ire) was a $110,000 weanling to the bid of Riverstone Lodge and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA), who returned $170,000 at Magic Millions in January when bought by Gollan Racing and John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA).
Sistonic is a full sister to Listed-winning Group performer Iconic out of Danavia (Danehill {USA}), a daughter of blue hen Scandinavia (Snippets). This makes her a close relation to the likes of Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), All Too Hard, Magnus, Ole Kirk, and Nepotism.
