Cover image courtesy of Inglis

The Inglis Great Southern Sale, the final opportunity to buy a weanling at a physical auction in the eastern states this year, kicks off on Thursday with a bumper catalogue of 438 lots. The two-day sale features progeny of 105 sires, including 15 first crop sires, on offer from 48 individual vendors.

The closer to a strong sales season

A smaller catalogue in the 2025 edition of the Inglis Great Southern Sale saw a healthy rebound in the average back above the 80% threshold and with the average remaining steady, indicating that demand was up without the sacrifice of sales price. In a year where 46 less weanlings sold than the year before, the sale reported an expected $2 million drop in gross.

Table: Key metrics from the last five editions of the Inglis Great Southern Sale (weanlings only)

Note that before 2024, the sale was for both weanlings and breeding stock, and the figures referenced in the above sale are for the weanling section only.

Fast forward to 2026, and a larger catalogue heralds the return of Melbourne’s premier weanling sale, with more than 110 more lots catalogued in this year’s edition. The other two major weanling sales already run this year have both seen some shrinkage to their numbers instead.

Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch would describe the Inglis team as feeling “excited” about the sale that lies ahead of them.

“It’s a sale that we all enjoy, and it’s a sale that the market really enjoys,” he said. “The vendor sentiment is really positive on the complex this week. I think that horses that meet the commercial prerogatives of buyers will sell very well.

“Obviously, horses that don’t meet the market will find it harder and there is probably a slight excess of supply relative to demand towards the bottom of the market, but I am hoping we can still generate a solid clearance rate and send everyone home happy on Friday afternoon.”

As far as sales averages go across the past five years, in 2026 the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale posted its lowest average over the period - although a significant improvement above the figure achieved in 2020 and a less than $2000 drop from 2025 - while the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale saw a strong increase in its average by over $13,000.

Table: Averages since 2021 for the three major Australian weanling sales

“This sale has been on an upwards trajectory for a number of seasons,” Hutch said. “There is a lot of confidence amongst vendors, having seen the work we have done across the rest of the sales this season. We have operated effectively and efficiently throughout, and engaged a strong core of buyers across every sale that we have run.”

Last year’s second leading vendor by aggregate, Stonehouse Thoroughbreds return in 2026 with an even bigger and better draft of 32 weanlings, nine more catalogued than Ponderosa Park who have 23.

Table: Leading vendors by size of draft catalogued in the 2026 Inglis Great Southern Sale

“To have the support of local vendors like Rosemont Stud, Stonehouse, Gilgai Farm, Burnewang - who present an outstanding draft this year - and Three Bridges, who have a fantastically credentialled group of foals to offer, that gives us a real impetus to deliver,” said Hutch. Three Bridges Thoroughbreds were the leading vendors by aggregate in 2025, and were one of seven vendors to average $90,000 or more. “Their stock certainly only enhances the appeal of this sale to the buying bench.”

Lofty launches first weanlings in volume

The top five most represented sires in the catalogue are led by a trio of local sires, headed by Swettenham Stud’s Lofty Strike, whose first weanlings are being offered at the sales this season.

Table: Leading sires by number of offspring catalogued in the 2026 Inglis Great Southern Sale

Breeders gave the stallion solid support, including from interstate, in his first year at stud and of his first crop, 23.75% have been catalogued in the Great Southern Sale. The son of Snitzel, winner of the G2 Rubiton Stakes and the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (colts & geldings), will stand his third year at stud for a fee of $22,000 (inc GST).

Only two Lofty Strike weanlings have been offered at the sales already this year, averaging $56,000 with a top price of $90,000 paid for a colt offered by Coolmore Stud on the Gold Coast last month.

Lofty Strike's barnmate Toronado (Ire) is right behind him with 17 in the catalogue. Retaining his fee of $88,000 (inc GST( in 2026), Toronado has had a breakout season in Hong Kong led by Listed Hong Kong Classic Cup winner Stormy Grove. He currently sits in the top four sires in the jurisdiction for both prize money and winners, with over HK$50 million (AU$9 million) earned for the season and 13 winners.

Back on home soil, the Swettenham stalwart has scored five stakes winners this season amongst his 156 winners to date, making him the second leading sire by winners in Australia, only four behind Capitalist. He sits just outside the top 10 by prizemoney, with earnings over $11 million.

His son Tron Bolt, a $900,000 Inglis Ready2Race Sale graduate, has been one of the most exciting winners this season and the colt heads to Saturday’s G1 JJ Atkins Plate amongst the antepost favourites.

Darley’s Cylinder is the third most represented sire and sits behind Lofty Strike as the second most represented first season sire, with 14 in the catalogue. The weanlings on offer account for 17.7% of his first crop of foals, conceived for a $44,000 (inc GST) fee.

The winner of five Group 1 races headed up by the G1 Newmarket Handicap, a race also won by his Darley rostermates Bivouac and Brazen Beau, he has averaged $58,533 for his weanlings offered already this year, with a top price of $135,000 paid for a colt at the Magic Millions Weanling sale.

Of the most represented first season sires, five of the top six by volume are Victoria-based, including all four with 10 or more weanlings catalogued.

Chart: First crop sires with 10 or more offspring catalogued in the 2026 Inglis Great Southern Sale

Results for all user types

The 2024 Great Southern Sale - whose graduates are now 2-year-olds - has a strike rate of 61.5% winners to runners so far, with four stakes winners already amongst that number.

This year’s G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Streisand (Magnus) was originally purchased at this sale for $22,000 by Northmore Thoroughbreds and Waterford, before being pinhooked at the 2025 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $100,000, purchased by Shane McGrath Bloodstock and Clinton McDonald Racing.

In seven starts, she also won the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (fillies) and was second in the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes, Listed Maribyrnong Trial, and the R. Listed Inglis 2YO Banner to fellow Great Southern graduate Calamari Ring (Street Boss {USA}).

The same sale has also produced Listed Blue Diamond Preview (colts & geldings) winner Alibaba (Alabama Express), Listed Wellesley Stakes winner Lassified (Stay Inside), and a further four stakes performers.

The highlight of the 2023 sale has to be the unbeaten Well Written (Written Tycoon); a $32,500 graduate of the Lemrac Lodge draft, who also offered last year’s sale-topping $475,000 Ole Kirk filly, her six victories for trainer Stephen Marsh include the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas and over NZ$2.6 million in prize money.

Pinhookers have also enjoyed extensive success from the sale, with the highlight from last year’s edition including a $335,000 Too Darn Hot (GB) colt out of La Magique (Magic Albert) realising $1.3 million at the 2026 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

“He was a really nice foal, but it was strong money for him,” Hutch recalled. “He turned into a million dollar horse this year.”

The year before, a $15,000 Written Tycoon colt out of Dinnigan (Snitzel) who sold for $425,000 at the same yearling sale - a return of 28 times his purchase price. A filly by Wootton Bassett (GB) out of Oohood (I Am Invincibile) sold for $70,000 at the same sale and realised $380,000 at the 2025 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.

“It’s not rocket science,” said Hutch. “When you come to our sales, you always have a good chance to find a good horse. History demonstrates that and I don't think it will be any different over the next couple of days.”