News

Curtain falls on fabulous Sydney Breeding Stock Sales

5th May 2023

Two mares realised $400,000 or more in today’s Australian Broodmare Sale, bringing to an end a stellar week of Breeding Stock Sales Series trade at Riverside.

On what has been a record-breaking week of action:

*A total of $65,324,000 has been grossed between the Australian Weanling Sale, Chairman’s Sale and Australian Broodmare Sale, an 18% increase on last year’s record gross

*The Chairman’s Sale further cemented itself as the most unique broodmare sale in the world with its boutique cocktail party-themed auction grossing a new benchmark of $44,380,000 – a 33% year-on-year-increase

*Bob and Sandra Peters’ G1-winning mare Graceful Girl sold earlier this morning to Widden Stud for $1.1m, taking the amount of $1m+ lots at Chairman’s to nine.

The Peters’ successful week continued at today’s Australian Broodmare Sale, with their Peters Investments dispersal of 11 mares grossing $1,095,000, taking their week’s tally to $3,730,000.

It included the sale’s top lot Candyland (Tavistock) – a sister to G1 winners Werther and Toffee Tongue – which sold to John Chalmers Bloodstock for $440,000, having been offered through the Holbrook Thoroughbreds draft.

Bob and Sandra Peters’ grandson Liam said the family was “very proud’’ of the results of the past few days.

“We came here because we’re very happy to support Inglis, especially given the results we had last year,’’ Liam Peters said.

“We just decided to sell all the dry mares with no issues. We didn’t want to put any problematic mares to the buyers, we wanted them to have as much confidence as they could.’’

On Candyland he added: “We are very proud of her (to make) that money and her pedigree is amazing, being related to Werther and a lot of other Stakes winners, so it’s a very deep pedigree.’’

Chalmers purchased Candyland for a syndicate of young investors just starting out in the breeding game.

“They wanted to get into breeding at a reasonable level and I thought she was the ideal opportunity for them,'' Chalmers said.

“We need to select a stallion for her now but there’s plenty of options there. The price was about where I was going to have to finish, I had nothing left in the tank!’’

Today’s second top lot was the broodmare Diamond (Fastnet Rock) – offered in foal to Russian Revolution – which sold to the Tagaloa Syndicate for $400,000.

The mare was offered by Middlebrook Valley Lodge, whose manager Verna Metcalfe was delighted with the result, having opted not to enter her in last night’s Chairman’s Sale catalogue.

“It’s all about placing mares at the right sale. We could have put her in the Chairman’s but I think she sold better in this sale than she would have last night because she really stood out in this catalogue and that was the strategy,’’ Metcalfe said.

“She’s got a nice pedigree and those are the sort of mares that people look for in a sale like this. She was very busy during the week with inspections as a result.

“I’m really happy with this sale. I love the sale because it’s the right time of the year and it’s not too far from home.’’

Tagaloa Syndicate’s Sam Fairgray added: “She was a lovely physical, she had a nice first foal, a So You Think filly who made $200,000 earlier in the week [in the Australian Weanling Sale] so we think she has a bright future.

“She looks a great match for Tagaloa so that’s where she’ll head next, physically she’ll suit him really well, as well as on pedigree.’’

Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch was thrilled with how the week has played out, both in and out of the sales ring.

“It’s hard not to be really pleased with how the week has gone, from a really strong weanling sale to a record Chairman’s Sale right through to today’s broodmare sale which has produced some great results,’’ Hutch said.

“To have grossed more than $65m since Monday feels very significant. The breadth of the buying bench has been most intense, so much international participation across the whole week and just a fantastic vibe at Riverside since inspections began a week ago.

“The Chairman’s Sale was a really fun night again, it’s a sale that’s going to continue to develop as not only a sale for elite fillies and mares but also as a spectacle and event.

“We’ve had a huge amount of support from breeders, owners, vendors and buyers that have made this week possible, something we really are very grateful for.’’

To enquire about a passed in lot from today’s Australian Broodmare Sale or any of this week’s sales, contact Harry Bailey on 0420 997 417.

Buyers’ attention now switches to Inglis Digital, for which the May (Early) Online Sale went live for bidding earlier this afternoon.

A total of 446 lots have catalogued for the sale - 182 racehorses (101 race fillies), 148 broodmares, 54 weanlings, 37 racehorse shares, 24 yearlings and one stallion – which is headlined by Stakes mares, proven producers and broodmares covered by the likes of popular stallions including Proisir.

Due to the increased size of the catalogue, the final countdown of bidding has been brought forward to 10am Wednesday.

To view the catalogue, organise finance or participate in the auction, CLICK HERE.