News

Record Australian Weanling Sale concludes on a high

7th May 2024

The most successful Inglis Australian Weanling Sale in history concluded today with all key financial metrics hitting record highs.

In year-on-year comparisons where the catalogue sizes were almost identical, this year’s gross of $16,104,000 is a 23% increase on last year while the average of $55,151 is an 8% rise.

A total of 49 lots sold for $100,000 or more in 2024 – up from 42 last year – while there were also significant YOY increases in those weanlings which sold for $200,000 or more (114% rise) and $300,000 or more (200% rise).

The results from today and yesterday have ensured a strong start to the 2024 Inglis Breeding Stock Sales Series, which continues later this week with the Chairman’s Sale and Australian Broodmare Sale.

The top weanling on Day 2 today was a Toronado x Atomic Pulse colt (pictured) of Lustre Lodge which realised $320,000, to the extreme delight of Lustre’s Paige Churcher.

“He’s a colt we brought here thinking we could get $100,000, maybe $120,000 for because he’s a beautiful moving colt by a sire that’s really on fire so we’re absolutely rapt,’’ Churcher said.

“Honestly, I was just hoping I could get reserve back on him, we’re just ecstatic. He’s gone ahead in leaps and bounds and hopefully the purchaser gets a great result as well.

“He was very well found here all week, he did over 200 inspections and he just handled it all like a true professional.

“It was electric in the vendor box, I just really wasn’t expecting it. It’s so far above whatever we thought we could get for him.’’

Today’s second-top lot was a Home Affairs x Extra Olives colt from Coolmore, which realised $260,000 to the bid of Fernrigg Farm.

The colt became the highest-priced progeny of a first season sire at the sale, being by exciting young stallion and Inglis Easter Yearling Sale graduate Home Affairs.

“We’re very excited with what the stallion is going to do leading into his first yearling crop,’’ Coolmore’s John Kennedy said.

“He’s been full every season since he’s been to stud, we’ve heavily supported him with some of our best mares… we have very high aspirations for him and he really looks like he’s well on his way to reaching those heights.

“This colt, he’s a very nice animal, he was on all the lists this week, all the right people were on him and he’s gone to a great home with Padraig and Rae-Louise.''

Fernrigg’s Padraig Kelly added: “I was hoping to get him for a bit less than that. I was out on a limb there at the very end so if someone had gone again, I’d have been gone. I am delighted to get him, but that was our last bid.

“Obviously Home Affairs is the most talked about first season sire. He was such a fantastic racehorse for Coolmore and I have a very close association with Coolmore so I am delighted to get one of the nicest colts that has been presented by him.

“This colt has such great size, strength and a nice head on him, lovely hip and shoulder and he was a beautiful mover.''

Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch said the past two days of trade were a reflection of excellent support of the sale by both vendors and buyers.

“It’s been a really positive start to the week,’’ Hutch said.

“As is the case with any sale, it’s about trying to provide a good service to vendors that in turn generates good results for them and that has been the case with this sale for the last few years, hence the good momentum that it has.

“The quality of the stock the buyers have access to at the sale is improving year after year and that is reflected in the engagement of the buyers this year and ultimately the results.

“We now look forward to Thursday evening’s Chairman’s Sale, which is going to be a fun night. It’s a unique night on the global sales calendar and I think it’s going to be a wonderful occasion again this year.’’

To enquire about a passed in lot from either day of the Australian Weanling Sale, contact Ziva Mullins on 0435 743 222.

The Inglis Breeding Stock Sales Series reaches its crescendo on Thursday night with The Chairman’s Sale, where 88 lots are catalogued for what is typically a special night of selling.

Among the catalogue are star race fillies, mares and breeding prospects such as She’s Extreme, Startantes, Kimochi, Tutta La Vita, Pennyweka, Autumn Ballet, C’est Magique, Hope In Your Heart, Foxy Frida, Spright, Steinem, Monte Invincible, Pinocchio, Pierossa, Pick Me Up, Ippodamia’s Girl, Banana Queen, Lempicka.

Also featuring in the sale are two breeding rights in exciting young stallion Pierata.

The sale begins at 5pm, with the Sale Day Live broadcast to begin at 4.30pm with a 30-minute Preview Show hosted by Caroline Searcy, Emma Freedman and Jemma Cutting.

To view The Chairman’s Sale catalogue, CLICK HERE.

The Chairman’s Sale is followed on Friday by the Australian Broodmare Sale, where a further 219 mares are catalogued.

There are 182 pregnant mares in foal to 58 different stallions in the catalogue for the Australian Broodmare Sale.

To view the Australia Broodmare Sale catalogue, CLICK HERE.

Action then heads to Melbourne for the Great Southern Sale, which will be held at Oaklands on June 13 and 14, for which over 400 weanlings are set to be catalogued.

Entries for the sale must close at 10am tomorrow, Wednesday May 8.

To enter CLICK HERE.

2024 AUSTRALIAN WEANLING SALE STATSTICS (2023 stats in brackets)

Sold: 292 (248)

Clearance: 78% (74%)

Average: $55,151 ($52,264)

Median: $30,000 ($30,000)

Gross: $16,104,000 ($12,961,500)