News

Milanova Filly and Soaring Average Highlight Weanling Opener

25th Jun 2008

A $625,000 More Than Ready filly from regally-related Danehill mare Milanova highlighted a strong opening day of selling at the Inglis Australian Select Weanling Sale in Sydney.

In all, 120 weanlings sold today for just short of $4million.

The strength of the opening session can be gauged by the average of $32,872, which represents a startling increase of 29% on last year’s overall Select Weanling Sale result.

The More Than Ready-Milanova filly was knocked down to Colm Santry Bloodstock, who secured her on behalf of Coolmore.

Milanova, a Group 3 and Listed winner herself, is from a family that Coolmore have enjoyed great success with, as she is a Group 3 and Listed winning daughter of Danehill from the Secretariat mare L’On Vite, which makes her a full-sister to Coolmore’s Champion dual Group 1 winning 2YO colt of 2006 Holy Roman Emperor.

This is also the family of Coolmore’s Encosta De Lago, who will be crowned Australia’s Champion Sire this season.

“This is one of the best pedigrees in the world and obviously the filly has great residual value,” Santry said.

“We’re looking forward to getting Holy Roman Emperor back for his second season this year after receiving outstanding reports about his first foals and it’s wonderful to be able to buy another member of this great family.”

The filly was one of two weanlings sold as part of the Tyreel Stud Reduction Sale. The other, a Tale Of The Cat filly from Group 2 Sandown Guineas winner Moon Dragon (Danehill), sold for $180,000 to Lockyer Thoroughbreds (ACT).

Coolmore’s young Danehill sire Oratorio provided the second highest lot of the day when the bay filly from the Scenic mare Rainscene was knocked down to Anton Koolman for $300,000, to top the New Sire Showcase.

Earlier, Murrulla Stud, which has been recently acquired by Tim Nolan, got the sale off to a flying start when they offered Lot 1, a filly by Glenlogan Park’s Jet Spur from dual G3 winner Gold Lottey, which sold to Mark Pilkington for $200,000.

“This was a very pleasing start to this sale, which is in a new format for the first time this year,” William Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster said.

“Competition was very strong on the top lots and overall it was a very strong start and this is borne out in the overall average.”

The Select Weanling Sale continues tomorrow from 11am, followed by a General Session later in the day, ahead of the Breeding Stock Sale, which begins on Sunday.

Full results of the sale can be found at www.inglis.com.au and buyers are reminded of William Inglis & Son’s post sale service whereby offers can be made via www.inglis.com.au on any lot that has been passed in at today's sale.