News

Inglis Classic firmly in the spotlight

17th Jan 2017

Australia’s fastest growing yearling sale - The Inglis Classic – has become the focus of buyers as the inaugural Gold Riband session takes centre stage on opening night.

Over three action-packed days starting at 6pm on Saturday February 11, 600 Lots will be offered as buyers search for their next Extreme Choice, Yankee Rose or I Am A Star – all 2015 Classic graduates – or She Will Reign, the early 2016 star attraction.

The exclusive Gold Riband has been introduced as a session for select yearlings with the pedigree and conformation to exceed in the elite 2YO races.

Inglis will pay the initial Golden Slipper nomination fee for every yearling sold during the Gold Riband.

Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster is confident the new concept will be an instant success.

“We introduced the Blue Riband at our Premier Sale in Melbourne four years ago, specifically for staying types, and our vendors and buyers love the concept so with the Gold Riband being for precocious two-year-olds, we’re boisterous this will be the next big thing,’’ Webster said.

“The quality of yearling coming to not only the Gold Riband session but the entire Classic Sale is outstanding and I’m looking forward to another highly successful few days of auctioning.’’

No sale in Australasia has enjoyed as much growth as the Inglis Classic in recent years.

Between 2014 and 2016 alone, the sale gross has more than doubled to over $27,000,000, with the average jumping almost 40% to more than $57,000.

Popular third-season sire Smart Missile tops this year’s Classic stallion list with 30 progeny entered, ahead of Epaulette and 2006 Classic graduate I Am Invincible with 28 apiece.

The catalogue consists of 43 relations to Stakes winners, 42 relations to Stakes placegetters, 58 yearlings from Stakes-winning mares and 52 from Stakes-placed mares.

“The Inglis Classic sale has seen a huge increase in recent years, which is testament to not only our staff but also the vendors for producing outstanding types and the buyers knowing quality and value when they see it,’’ Webster said.

The Classic Yearling Sale kicks off a frantic 10 weeks of major Inglis auctions which also includes the Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne (Feb26-Mar1) and the Australian Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney (April 4-6).