News

$1.1m Written Tycoon colt tops record Day 1 of Premier Yearling Sale

28th Feb 2021

An historic day of trade at Oaklands saw a yearling surpass the magical $1m mark for just the second time in Victoria’s history on a booming Day 1 of the Premier Yearling Sale.

A Written Tycoon x Gybe colt (lot 70) of leading Euroa nursery Blue Gum Farm sold to James Harron Bloodstock for $1.1m, topping a day of trade described by Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster as “nothing short of exceptional’’.

Bred by Dorrington Farm’s Rob and Sylvie Crabtree, the colt became Blue Gum and Dorrington’s first seven-figure yearling at public auction.

On a boisterous start to the three-day Premier Sale:

*A diverse and enthusiastic buying bench did their best to get involved in the auction, with the Day 1 gross of $27,813,000 setting a new individual day of turnover record for a Premier Yearling Sale

*The healthy average of $144,109 at a clearance rate of 83% proved yet again the Australian racing and breeding industries are in extremely healthy states

*The top of the market saw a significant amount of support, with 42 yearlings selling for $200,000 or more, a 27% increase from the same time last year.

But while the overall day was sublime for so many breeders, vendors and buyers, it was those behind Victoria’s latest ‘$1m baby’ who stole the show.

Blue Gum’s Phil Campbell couldn’t hold back the tears when auctioneer and close friend Simon Vivian bought the gavel down on the striking colt (pictured).

“It’s a dream result. It hasn’t sunk in at all yet. We just sold a horse for $1m at Inglis Premier. It’s quite amazing really,’’ an emotional Campbell said.

“Simon Vivian and I worked really hard to get this horse to Inglis Premier because we honestly believed he may have been able to achieve a result not dissimilar to what he has.

“I’m rapt for Rob and Sylvie (Crabtree). And to the guys at our farm who all prepped the horse, it’s just amazing. I can’t wait to get back down there and to celebrate with them.’’

Robert Crabtree was similarly stunned by the result.

“I was looking at Phil Campbell in the vendor box thinking ‘you deserve this, you and your team have done a great job'…it all came together like a fairytale,’’ Crabtree said.

“Inglis are really presenting themselves at the top level…it’s great, we know we can bring our top horses here to a top sale and expect a top result, and get it.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and this is just fabulous, a truly great result for so many people.’’

Harron, who confirmed Anthony and Sam Freedman would train the colt, said he “oozed class’’ and “would have stacked up well at any sale this year’’.

“He’s a top-quality colt. His mother Gybe was very talented and obviously Written Tycoon is doing an amazing job,’’ Harron said.

“I thought he was a million dollar horse every day of the week from what we’ve seen this year. He was always going to demand a lot of attention.

“It’s very difficult to breed that type of horse, out of a Gimcrack winner by Fastnet Rock, off a really good breeder and farm, by Written Tycoon who’s doing an amazing job.

“He’s a horse we really loved and were really keen to take home.’’

The day’s second-top lot was lot 226, a Shalaa x Our Daisy colt from Yulong which sold to Matt Laurie and Justin Bahen for $700,000.

Harris Li – the son-in-law of Yulong’s owner Mr Zhang, said: “We have been developing for three-to-five years here in Victoria now and results like this are fantastic, they make it all worthwhile.

“We want to thank the Victorian breeders, they support us a lot and do a great job themselves and everything is going so well here at the moment and we will do our best to continue supporting the whole industry here in Australia.

“We love bringing great yearlings here to sell in Melbourne. We would also like to thank Inglis, there are a lot of people here to buy our horses and that’s how we got $700,000 for this Shalaa, it’s fabulous.’’

Laurie described the colt a “faultless specimen’’.

“I’ve got a handful of Shalaas at home that I’m excited to get to the track but this guy was just a very special colt,’’ the trainer said.

“You don’t see them like him every day. I had a feeling he would bring the big bucks and I suppose I wasn’t wrong.’’

The day’s third-top lot and leading filly to date – a Zoustar x Humma Mumma filly offered by Flinders Park Stud as lot 87 – sold to Redgum Racing’s John McArdle for $600,000.

She’s the fifth foal of Humma Mumma that McArdle has purchased and trained, which includes yesterday’s Listed Flemington winner Tycoon Humma.

“Yesterday’s result probably cost me a bit more money today but the prizemoney helped go towards this one too I suppose,’’ McArdle said.

“This filly, she’s just spectacular. I saw her as a foal, I saw her on the farm, I saw her a fair few times here this past week, it was probably the worst kept secret in the world that I wanted to buy her and I’m more than happy to secure her now and get her home.

“This sale, it just keeps improving. I’ve been coming here a long time and the vendors are just producing better and better-quality horses and people can come here and buy with confidence.’’

Flinders Park’s Mick Cumming added: “We were expecting a fair bit of money for her, many leading judges had told me she was a half-million dollar filly so to get $600,000, it’s a fantastic result.

“She was so popular, she was legitimately out 40 times per day, every day, since she’s been here, we had over 30 X-Ray hits on her and generally you’re happy if you’re getting half a dozen X-Ray hits on a horse.

“I’ve been coming to this sale for 30 years and it’s definitely changed regarding the quality of horse flesh that comes here, there’s a lot of nice horses here and once word gets out that there’s a lot of nice horses at a sale, everyone wants to attend and it certainly has been that case here this week.’’

Inglis’ Managing Director Mark Webster was buoyed by the Day 1 trade.

“We always believed we had put together the right catalogue and all the foot traffic of inspection days and feedback we had received backed up our thoughts but it’s still nice to see the breeders and vendors getting the results they deserve as they have done today,’’ Webster said.

“To end day 1 with a clearance in the mid 80%’s and growing at a healthy average and record gross is yet another pointer to how lucky we all are to be involved in this industry in this part of the world.

“I must congratulate Rob and Sylvie Crabtree and Phil and Patti Campbell on their $1.1m colt, what a spectacular result for them and for the Victorian industry and they thoroughly deserve a result like that.

“There are still many, many opportunities for buyers to get involved here yet – many are yet to strike and we’re looking forward to the next two days of action where there will be plenty more good buying to be done.’’

To view the Facebook Live end of day review, CLICK HERE.

To enquire about a Passed In lot from today’s action, contact Will Stott from the Inglis Bloodstock team on 0408 126 952.

The remaining two days of the 2021 Premier Yearling Sale will begin at 10am at Oaklands and will again be broadcast live on the Inglis website and Facebook page via our Sale Day Live coverage from 9.30am both days.

Online Bidding and Make An Offer facilities will again be available.

The Premier Session (Book 2) is on Tuesday following the completion of the main book.

To view the catalogue, [CLICK HERE.[(https://inglis.com.au/sales/info/2021+Melbourne+Premier+Yearling+Sale/index)

DAY 1 STATISTICS (2020 Day 1 statistics in brackets)

Lots sold: 193 (168)

Clearance Rate: 83% (75%)

Average Price: $144,109 ($138,512)

Median Price: $110,000 ($120,000)

Top Price: $1,100,000 ($725,000)

Gross: $27,813,000 ($23,270,000)