Cover image courtesy of Inglis
A change in strategy by Inglis in 2024 to remove the broodmare section from the Great Southern Sale and focus only on weanlings resulted in a smaller catalogue in 2025, but vendors have had faith in the auction house returning to the new format with a bigger catalogue and a return to a two-day sale for 2026.
Strong momentum for weanlings
In 2026, the Great Southern Weanling Sale returns to a two day format to be held at Oaklands Junction, on Thursday, June 11 and Friday, June 12.
“Our weanling sales series has strong momentum and the success of the Great Southern Sale is a big part of that,” Inglis’ Victorian Bloodstock Manager James Price said.
The 2026 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, held at Riverside in Sydney recently, saw a clearance rate of 78% and a gross of $19.6 million across 297 lots sold. That sale’s average of $66,301 was up from 2025’s average of $52,905.
James Price | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“The Australian Weanling Sale performed better than what we were expecting. The market has been difficult to read since the conflict in the Middle East began and we feel it’s led to a more conservative approach from many people,” said Inglis CEO Sebastian Hutch.
“With the Australian Weanlings, part of our apprehension was that there would be significant participants from the previous years who were unlikely to partake for a variety of reasons and we were concerned that the market couldn’t replace their turnover.
“As it turned out we had some new buyers, and higher end user participation. We also had lower numbers of horses through the ring and that drove up the average as did the lack of the bottom end. We’ve made a concerted effort on our part to mitigate the number of poorer unviable foals being brought to public auction. It’s more cost efficient for vendors to take them to digital, so that was a big factor in lifting the average.”
Sebastian Hutch | Image courtesy of Inglis
TTR’s sale analysis agreed with this outcome, with the average for the bottom quartile in 2025 being 3667 and in 2026, this rose to $6051. Turnover for the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale has lifted from $6.3 million in 2019 to $19.6 million in 2026. The Great Southern Sale of 2025 grossed nearly $11 million.
“We’ve had good momentum for our weanlings. If you compare the turnover from 2019 to where it is now seven years later this is thanks to the support of vendors.”
“There is more depth to both the catalogues than in the past. We were on track for over 400 weanlings for this sale before the Australian Weanling Sale took place, so the bigger catalogue isn’t just a reflection of how well that sale went.
“The buying market has a respect for the sale, and despite the challenges in the yearling market, Inglis turnover for the year is up. It hasn’t been easy but the rewards are there for the right stock and we hope that people trading into next year’s yearling market will attack this sale with plenty of vigour.”
“The buying market has a respect for the (Inglis Great Southern) sale... Inglis turnover for the year is up. It hasn’t been easy but the rewards are there for the right stock...” - Sebastian Hutch
Vendors in Victoria have supported the Inglis Great Southern Sale with 430 lots, up from 327 last year. Across the last five years, the average for weanlings at the Great Southern Sale has been fairly steady at around $44,000. This is the same trend that the five years leading into the 2026 sale had at their Sydney sale.
“Opportunity abounds at this sale, whether you are a trader, trainer, owner, agent or syndicator and the combination of sale ring and racetrack results that have their origin at this sale is compelling,” said Price.
“We had an incredible Premier Yearling Sale at Oaklands in March and we are looking forward to welcoming vendors and buyers back in a few weeks’ time.”
| Catalogued (Weanlings) | 327 | 436 | 380 | 375 | 424 |
| Sold (Weanlings) | 227 | 271 | 223 | 267 | 280 |
| Average (Weanlings) | $44,762 | $44,799 | $44,692 | $45,331 | $40,442 |
| Catalogued (Broodmares) | N/A | 72 | 47 | 79 | 151 |
| Sold (Broodmares) | N/A | 35 | 29 | 46 | 82 |
| Average (Broodmares) | N/A | $31,500 | $74,009 | $51,902 | $46,042 |
Table: Five year trend for the Inglis Great Southern Sale
Strong collection of sires on offer
The 403 lots represent the stock of 105 different stallions from proven Victorian-based sires like Toronado (Ire) who has 16 lots entered, to Yulong’s Alabama Express who has seven lots before he heads off to NSW, and exciting second season sire Ghaiyyath (Ire) is represented by five lots. Street Boss (USA) who is having a massive season also has five lots entered, and Starspangledbanner has three lots on offer.
“To have 16 Toronado’s, 14 Cylinder’s, 13 Home Affairs’, eight Shinzo’s, and five each by Anamoe and Ghaiyyath is a great place to start when promoting the sale to prospective buyers,” said Price.
Gallery: A selection of the exciting sires represented in the in the 2026 Inglis Great Southern Sale
Home Affairs will take home the Champion First Season Sire title in 2025/26 and he has 13 weanlings from his third crop entered in the sale.
Many of this season’s first crop sires have progeny in the sale with G2 Rubiton Stakes victor Lofty Strike having 19 weanlings catalogued here and Group 1-winning sprinter Cylinder showcasing 14 weanlings. G1 JJ Atkins Stakes winner King Colorado is represented by 12 weanlings.
Native Trail (GB) has 11 entries. Shinzo, who topped the Australian Weanling Sale at $600,000, has eight weanlings in this sale, as does Benbatl (GB). Doull has six, Ozzmosis has five, Hawaii Five Oh has four as does King’s Gambit.
“There are some excellent drafts and it is particularly exciting to have the whole of what is an outstanding offering from Catherine Hains and the team at Burnewang North showcased at the sale,” said Price.
“There are some excellent drafts and it is particularly exciting to have the whole of what is an outstanding offering from Catherine Hains and the team at Burnewang North...” - James Price
Last chance to pinhook
Timed with only seven weeks until the weanlings turn one, the Inglis Great Southern Sale is the last in-person weanling sale on the eastern seaboard.
Last year, La Magique (Magic Albert)’s Too Darn Hot (GB) colt was sold by Merrivale Farm for $335,000 to Grenville Stud, who on-sold him at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $1.3 million.
G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Streisand (Magnus) was an excellent pinhook for Northmore, who purchased her at this sale in 2024 for $22,000 and sold her again at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $100,000 to Shane McGrath Bloodstock and Clinton McDonald Racing. She’s earned her racing connections over $2.4 million and was recently a private sale to Yulong.
Streisand | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Unbeaten in six starts, this season’s G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas victrix Well Written (Written Tycoon) is another pinhooking success from this sale. She has earned her racing connections over NZ$2.6 million, and began her journey in Lemrac Lodge’s Great Southern Sale draft where she sold for $32,500. Taken to New Zealand, Brighthill Farm sold her at the New Zealand Bloodstock Online Yearling Sale for NZ$80,000 to Stephen Marsh Racing and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock.
Five siblings to Group 1 winners
The 2026 catalogue includes five half-siblings to Group 1 stars, three of them by Anamoe and two by Toronado (Ire).
Both the Toronado weanlings are fillies, so come with ready-made residual value. A half-sister to G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes winner On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau), Lot 103 is being offered by Burnewang North Pastoral. Lot 103’s dam, More Bubbles (Sebring) is a half-sister to G1 Myer Classic winner Politeness (Street Sense {USA}) and Group 3 winner Green Aeon (Snitzel). G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner and young sire Daumier also features in this family.
Highfield Thoroughbreds present Lot 322, a half-sister to Group 1 winner and sire Awesome Rock who sired G1 WATC Railway Stakes winner Watch Me Rock this season. This filly’s dam is Group 3 winner Awesome Planet (Giant’s Causeway {USA}).
The three Anamoe weanlings with Group 1-winning half-siblings are one colt and two fillies. The colt, Lot 22, is being presented by Three Bridges Thoroughbreds. He’s a half-brother to Champion 3YO Filly in Australia in 2021/22 Gypsy Goddess (NZ) (Tarzino {NZ}) who won the G1 Queensland Oaks and placed in the G1 Australian Oaks and G1 Vinery Stakes.
His unraced dam is Invisible Coin (Redoute’s Choice) giving him a close up cross to the great sire, as Anamoe is also out of a Redoute’s Choice mare. Invisible Choice is a full sister to G1 Vinery Stud Stakes winner Cheeky Choice, the dam of Listed winner Blondeau (I Am Invincible).
Twin Hills Stud offers Lot 79, a half-sister to G1 TJ Smith Stakes winner Chain Of Lightning (Fighting Sun) who sold as a broodmare prospect in 2024 for $2.5 million. This is the family of Group 1 winners Classique Legend, who is now at stud, and Racing To Win (Encosta De Lago).
Three Bridges Thoroughbreds will offer Anamoe filly, Lot 406 late in the sale, and she’s worth the wait. She is a half-sister to last season’s G1 South Australian Derby winner Femminile (Dundeel {NZ}) who sold as a broodmare prospect last year for $1.5 million. Both Femminile and Lot 406 are out of stakes-placed winner of seven races Femme Fireball (Pierro), a full sister to Group 3 winner Rock.
