News

Focus On Classic Buyers

16th Jan 2006

The Inglis Classic has become a sale hard to ignore. The quality catalogue continues to upgrade, while on the track a stream of top class winners headed by Silent Witness, Choisir and this year’s Caulfield Guineas winner God’s Own, provide the perfect endorsement.

Its reputation may be something of a “trainers sale” with the selection of youngsters determined primarily on physical type, but at the same time it offers shoppers a solid choice of pedigrees.

For buyers on the lookout for bargains there are great deals at all price-levels, with the lively market place accessible to all budgets.

Among the leading purchasers at the last Classic sale are some of Australasia’s most respected judges, including leading trainer Tim Martin, who was the leading buyer by gross landing nine lots for $462,000. He was followed by Queensland based agent John Foote who signed for seven totalling $412,000.

“At the Classic there are plenty of nice horses on offer at decent prices”, says Foote. “There’s a lot of good value as the prices are sensible and obviously the success of the good horses that come out of it speaks for itself.”

Foote selected the sale’s most famous graduate, Silent Witness, in 2001, paying just $55,000 for the horse that has gone on to become the World Champion Sprinter with winnings over $6.8million.

Newcastle based trainer Perry, picked up the outstanding sprinter Choisir at the same sale also for $55,000.

Perry says: “The proof of this sale is a lot of good horses have come out of it. It is a good market to buy a nice horse for reasonable money.”

Choisir proved just that. In Perry’s care the Danehill Dancer colt’s stellar career repaid his purchase price many times over, with seven wins and over $2.2million in earnings, including two remarkable victories at Royal Ascot. His win tally also including the $500,000 Inglis Classic.

Perry took home five lots for $340,000 last year and is sure to have his eye on the seven yearlings from Choisir’s first crop on offer at Newmarket in February.

God’s Own is this season’s Classic headliner and hails from the 2004 sale. The Group 1 Caulfield Guineas winner cost Bart Cummings $220,000 and his three wins to date have earned connections over $750,000.

Those kinds of returns are hard to dispute and illustrate the Classic sale can be a most viable place to purchase, with track performances serving only to enhance its appeal.