Lot: 127 - bay/brown colt (Exceedance x Yasamine {More Than Ready {USA}}) - $20,000
Buyer: Brooke Hawthorne Bloodstock
Vendor: Vinery Stud
Brooke Hawthorne, daughter of Dean Hawthorne picked up three lots on the first day of the 2026 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale - her biggest single auction haul to date - with the highlight purchase being a $20,000 son of G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Exceedance.
Hawthorne was purchasing with her home market of New Zealand in mind as a destination for the colt.
"We picked up the Exceedance colt for $20,000 and we were really happy with that,” she said. “We look to target these affordable weanlings and pinhook them at the top end of the Book 2 market at Karaka, we've had some success with that in the past."
Lot 127 - Exceedance x Yasamine colt | Image courtesy of Inglis
The colt is the first foal out of dual winner Yasamine (More Than Ready {USA}), who descends from New Zealand Champion 3YO Filly Sprinter and blue hen Star Satire (NZ) (Volksraad).
Yasamine is a three-quarter-sister in blood in G3 Gold Trail Stakes victress Serious Satire (More Than Ready {USA}), as well as closely related to G2 Silver Slipper Stakes winner Satin Shoes (Flying Spur) and Coolmore runnerup I Am Unstoppable.
Further back, the damline runs to Crestello (NZ) (Crest Of The Wave {GB}), whose three Group winners include G1 Easter Handicap winner Silver Nymph (NZ) (Silver Dream {GB}).
"He was a good mover, nice colour, nice and correct and he has a very strong New Zealand family down in the third dam,” Hawthorne said. It was the kind of pedigree that would appeal to both the local market and those looking to trade.
"Selling at that Book 2 market, I think it could be a fit that appeals to those Hong Kong buyers as well as New Zealand buyers." - Brooke Hawthorne
"I have done a bit of research and his sire Exceedance has had a nice winner in Hong Kong and I think the sire will have more success there,” she said. “And selling at that Book 2 market, I think it could be a fit that appeals to those Hong Kong buyers as well as New Zealand buyers.
"He really fits the mould for what we look for, we will get him back home and put him on that good, fast New Zealand grass and go from there."
Brooke Hawthorne | Image courtesy of Inglis
Hawthorne enjoyed her first taste of success in pinhooking in 2023, where an Impending colt she purchased for $20,000 as a weanling sold for NZ$115,000 during Book 2 Sale of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. The colt went on to be a NZ$230,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale graduate later that year.
In partnership with Ryan Stacey, she also had a hit on her hands when discovering Affirmative Action (Yes Yes Yes) as a weanling for $40,000, and pinhooking him for NZ$115,000 through Wentwood Grange.
The gelding has won twice in seven starts for Pam Gerard and ran second in the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas and third in the G2 Auckland Guineas at the beginning of summer, accruing prizemoney in excess of NZ$400,000 to date.
Affirmative Action | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Hawthorne has always been realistic about what each purchase could achieve, and was pleased with the price she paid for the son of Exceedance on Tuesday.
"Sometimes it is hard to find value, but I think we have found value here,” she said. “We are very happy with him, I think he was pretty good buying.
"Sometimes it is hard to find value, but I think we have found value here." - Brooke Hawthorne
"It's a current family that just keeps on producing, and to have a colt that is correct, a good type, and has broodmare sires such as More Than Ready, Redoute's Choice, and Volksraad is very appealing."
It is a page that could flourish yet; Serious Satire has a yearling colt by Farnan and a weanling filly by Ole Kirk to run for her yet, and Yasamine patronised Hawaii Five Oh in the spring.
Yasamine’s dam Satya (Redoute's Choice) has an Ole Kirk yearling filly and Hawaii Five Oh weanling filly also coming, and her other daughters are in foal to the likes of Storm Boy, Best Of Bordeaux, and Shamus Award.
