News

Extraordinary start to unique Easter Yearling Sale

7th Apr 2020

One of the most monumental days in Inglis’ history saw three yearlings realise $1m or more in the first ever Easter Yearling Sale void of horses and people.

With Coronavirus-enforced restrictions meaning the sale had to take on a virtual format, buyers logged in from around the world to ensure they did not miss out on the best yearlings the southern hemisphere has to offer.

The Day 1 equal top lots were a Zoustar x Solar Charged colt (lot 212) from Widden Stud purchased by Hawkes Racing and a So You Think x Pinocchio colt from Tyreel Stud (lot 134) which sold to Bon Ho’s Legend Racing – who also races the colt’s half brother Classique Legend.

The pair both sold for $1.1m.

“For Tyreel Stud, the staff that puts so much time and effort into these horses, this is the grand final. This means everything to us and this Pinocchio colt was just sensational from the outset,’’ Tyreel’s Linda Monds said.

“We’re just over the moon with the result. It’s so good for the farm and the family.

“From a vendor’s perspective, the virtual sale was always going to be daunting, it’s never been done before but full credit goes to Inglis for pulling this off.

“The catalogue is full of outstanding pedigrees and physical types and so far from what I’ve seen on Day 1, Inglis have done the most phenomenal job. They could not have done any more, they have tried to meet the vendors’ requirements and the buyers’ requirements and I believe they have done that.’’

For Team Hawkes, buyers of the Solar Charged colt (a brother to champion mare Sunlight), a weekend of inspections by John and Michael Hawkes led them to their purchase.

“Michael rang me and said ‘we’ve found the colt’,’’ Wayne Hawkes said.

“He just said he’s an absolute A, a perfect A in dad’s opinion and John Hawkes does not hand out many As at a sale in any year.

“Plus the cross works, Sunlight is an iron horse and this bloke only needs to be half as good as her and it would be great if he could go and stand at Widden Stud one day.’’

Widden’s Antony Thompson always knew the colt (pictured) was a seven-figure colt but given the circumstances of the sale, was anxious in the lead-up.

“We hoped for $1m for that colt from the moment he was born, throughout his life as he grew up you became more and more confident but the past couple of weeks obviously it was a bit of a rollercoaster,’’ Thompson said.

“For him to make $1.1m in these circumstances is a stunning result so we’re thrilled.

“It’s been a turbulent time where things have changed so much so often but to piece the sale together the way they have is a real credit to the whole team at Inglis. To all the buyers who have got behind the sale from all around the world and around Australia, well done to them too, a huge effort.’’

The day’s third $1m sale was the leading filly of Day 1, an I Am Invincible x Srikandi buy for Andrew Williams Bloodstock from Kitchwin Hills (lot 223).

Williams described the filly as “one of my favourites from the on-farm inspections’’, a process he enjoyed.

“The order was an outcross filly free of Danehill and this filly just made so much sense, I thought she was so well balanced, a quality individual that looks fast,’’ Williams said.

“We’ve clocked up the KMs, looked at horses two, three, four times but you know what? There’s no difference doing it this way, we’ve got to be a step ahead of the game and if that means being in the car all day, so be it.

“You do your homework, you can sit and bid away from anywhere in the world really. It’s been a good experience, a unique experience and it’s good to be involved in this market.’’

Kitchwin’s Mick Malone added: “It’s been an amazing sale for us, beyond our expectations. For that filly to make $1m is extremely rewarding for all the staff who have prepped her under extremely strange conditions and hopefully conditions we never see again.’’

At the end of Day 1, the Easter average sat at $306,957 with a median of $250,000.

“It’s been one of the most extraordinary days on the job for me as Managing Director, to oversee Day 1 of an Easter Sale with no horses and no people, it’s certainly something out of the box,’ Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster said.

“Our website traffic figures have been quite phenomenal – we have had people watching our Sale Day Live coverage from 99 different countries on six continents around the world and buyers coming from all across the globe as well, as well as almost 150,000 visitors to the website today alone.

“That side of things has been very satisfying because our vendors put in a tremendous amount of work under arguably some of the most challenging conditions of their lives and to be able to even conduct a sale under the circumstances for them has been a great team effort.

“Looking back on it, it’s been a very good start to a sale under very challenging conditions for everybody in our industry.

“I hope to see the buyers back online tomorrow as we offered another 200 or so yearlings and as today showed, there is plenty of value to be found so I urge people to register to bid and to get involved because these horses are the best of the best and will prove that on the race track in months and years to come.’’

To make an offer on any Passed In lot from today, CLICK HERE.

Lots 258-514 have been catalogued for the second and final day of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, which begins online at inglis.com.au tomorrow at 10am.

To register to bid and gain credit approval, CLICK HERE.

To view the catalogue, CLICK HERE.

To view tomorrow’s action on our Sale Day Live coverage, visit inglis.com.au after 9.30am.