News

Action Heats Up At Easter Sale

6th Apr 2016

The temperature in Sydney soared today as did the action on Day Two of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, where Lankan Rupee’s brother sold for $1,800,000.

The Redoute's Choice colt was one of 21 purchases for Gai Waterhouse, Julian Blaxland and partners over the last two days rendering them the leading buyer having outlaid $8,882,500.

An 81% clearance rate has been achieved so far with 291 lots sold at an average of $281,211.

41 lots by 17 different sires have been purchased for $500,000 or more by 24 different buying groups, underlining the depth of the buying bench seeking elite yearlings at the Easter Sale.

CLICK HERE to watch the Inglis TV Easter Day Two Summary.

The full-brother to Lankan Rupee (Redoute’s Choice x Estelle Collection) was offered by Coolmore Stud as Lot 285 and bidding was fierce as soon as he stepped into the ring.

International and local buyers were all active on the colt, but Gai Waterhouse, Julian Blaxland and Nordic Breeding and Racing landed the final bid of $1,800,000 to purchase the brother to the 2013/14 Australian Horse of the Year and world’s equal highest rated sprinter of 2014.

“The pedigree is exceptional, and he is a strong, masculine colt which has a wonderful physique which backs up the page,” said Waterhouse.

“We’re very excited to have him in the stable, and I’m very fortunate my investors were a bit stronger than the rest. We hope he’ll be winning the Golden Slipper this time next year!” Waterhouse said.

A syndicate that included James Bester, Gerald Ryan and Damien Flower secured the second top priced lot today when going to $1,100,000 for the Snitzel half-brother to stakes winners Divorces and Disputes (Lot 290). Snitzel was trained by Gerald and owned by Damien during his racing career, and the team are sure to have fun with this powerful colt from the great producing mare Family Breakup.

Ryan also went to $1,100,000 on another Lot, outstaying heated competition from Hawkes Racing and Northern Farm to secure a sister to Group 1-placed two-year-old Lake Geneva.

The daughter of Fastnet Rock from Hips Don’t Lie was offered from Coolmore Stud as Lot 340.

Frankel had his first progeny step into an Australian auction ring today and $610,000 was required for Angus Gold on behalf of Shadwell Stud to purchase the filly out of South African Group 1 winner Chocolicious (Lot 237) from Three Bridges Thoroughbreds. Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock directed the mating of the mare in England, and the filly was subsequently born and raised in Victoria, sold in Sydney and will now be sent to South Africa for Mike de Kock to train and possibly take to Dubai later in her racing career.

“Frankel is the greatest horse I’ve had the pleasure of seeing on a racecourse, and anybody who has been around for a while would say the same. The mare herself was very tough and very fast. In South Africa she won a Group 1 as a two-year-old, and she’s by a stallion that Sheikh Hamdan bred himself in Kahal,” said Gold.

Cressfield’s Frankel offering out of Jeu De Cartes (Lot 357) was secured by Kastumi Yoshida for $850,000. The filly is the first foal of a half-sister to Nom De Jeu, and will race for Yoshida’s Northern Farm in Japan.

“The filly walks very well and she is the Frankel we wanted. The dam line has produced some top stayers so she is well-suited to racing in Japan,” said Yoshida.

In addition to Yoshida, clients from Asia provided depth to the buying bench from early in the sale, purchasing five of the first six yearlings through the ring at the start of the day.

Australian buyers were again consistent on Day Two. Along with Gai and Gerald, domestic investors to put up their hand today included John Foote and Darren Weir who went to $700,000 for Shamal Wind's half-brother by Sebring (Lot 304).

Leading local agent James Harron spent $1,410,000 on two colts to be trained by Peter and Paul Snowden at Randwick, including Lot 240 out of Colorado Claire, which set a new record price for his sire Not A Single Doubt when sold for $850,000.

Nine sires have had progeny sell for $750,000 or more; Snitzel, Redoute’s Choice, Fastnet Rock, Hinchinbrook, More Than Ready, Medaglia D’Oro, Not A Single Doubt, Exceed And Excel and Frankel.   In addition to aforementioned sires other stallions to have progeny sell for $500,000 or more are Street Cry, Sebring, Dalakhani, All Too Hard, Stratum, Lonhro, Choisir and Sepoy.

Complete vendor, buyer and sire statistics for today’s session can be viewed at inglis.com.au   Photos of the sale's Top Lots are available on the Inglis Facebook page, InglisBloodstock

Inglis' Make-An-Offer Service is available for horses that have passed in over Days One and Two of the sale.    The third and final day of the auction starts at 10.00am tomorrow with Session I Lots 391 to 450. That will be followed immediately by Session II (451 to 580) which has unearthed horses such as Shamus Award, Mossfun and Flying Artie in recent years.     The 2016 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale will continue to be broadcast on Sky Thoroughbred Central on Channel  521 and Inglis Sale Day Live, plus Online Bidding and Make-An-Offer will be available.  

All yearlings offered at the sale are eligible for entry into the $5 million Inglis Race Series covering their 2YO, 3YO and 4YO racing seasons. For more information go to inglis.com.au/races

2016 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale Statistics
(End Of Day Two 2015 in Brackets)

Lots Catalogued: 390 (400)
Lots Sold: 291 (288)
Clearance Rate: 81% (79%)
Average Price: $281,211 ($298,663)
Median Price: $200,000 ($200,000)
Top Price: $2,300,000 ($2,200,000)
Gross: $81,832,500 ($86,015,000)