News

Record Premier ends in spectacular fashion

2nd Mar 2021

A sublime three days of trade at Oaklands has seen almost every conceivable record smashed as the Premier Yearling Sale took on a new level of success.

In a stunning auction:

*The sale saw spectacular overall growth, with the gross of $71,235,000 a 25% year-on-year increase and beat the previous Premier gross record of $60.6m in 2017

*The Book 1 average of $139,803 is a clear Premier Sale record

*Blue Gum Farm again ended as leading vendor, grossing $5,205,000 from 25 lots sold, while the most active buyer was Ciaron Maher Bloodstock who took home 20 lots

*The top end of the market surged spectacularly, with a 266% increase in yearlings sold for $400,000 or above (22 this year, up from six last year) and a 105% increase on lots sold for $300,000 or above (37 this year, up from 18 last year)

*The buying bench, while as expected was led by the Victorians, included buyers from each of the other seven Australian States and Territories as well as Hong Kong, Singapore and NZ, while 21% of the catalogue received a bid through the Inglis Online Bidding system

*The sale’s top lot – a Written Tycoon x Gybe colt of Blue Gum’s which sold to James Harron - became just the second horse ever to realise over $1m in Victoria (pictured)

*The Sale Day Live broadcast, hosted by Jason Richardson, Caroline Searcy and Jemma Cutting, was again a booming success, with over 100,000 views between the Inglis website and Facebook page.

The top lot honours of Day 3 went to a Toronado x Dom Perion colt (lot 584), a half brother to Victoria Derby winner Extra Brut, a Classic Sale graduate.

Offered by Stonehouse Thoroughbreds, he was purchased by Mike and Paul Moroney for $460,000, making him the highest-priced Toronado ever sold in the southern hemisphere.

“Victorian sire, Victorian farm, Victorian sale, Victorian buyer, it’s a pretty good local story this colt with a great Victorian flavour,’’ Stonehouse’s Ryan Arnel said.

“He was a beautiful colt out of a mare that’s been such a fabulous success for her owner Andrew McDonald and I’m sure there’s plenty more success to come for the family both on the racetrack and in the sale ring.’’

Mike Moroney added: “He’s a beautiful colt, great walker, from a very good family and we think this colt could be the best of them.’’

The result capped a fabulous auction for the Victorians, with the sale’s top four vendors – Blue Gum, Yulong, Maluka and Stonehouse – all rewarded for their significant support of their home sale.

Blue Gum Farm ended leading vendor by gross with $5,205,000.

“It’s been fabulous. To sell our first million-dollar horse, to gross over $5m for the first time and to average over $200,000, you really can’t ask for much more,’’ Blue Gum’s Phil Campbell said.

“I can’t thank Inglis enough, the buyers they had here has been phenomenal. To think we were in lockdown here a fortnight ago but Simon and Sebastian and the team have rallied every buyer you could possibly ask for at a sale, full credit to Inglis and to all our clients.’’

Today’s Showcase Session was also a success again, with its 84% clearance rate joining increases in average ($46,273) and median ($40,000).

The top lot of the Showcase Session was shared between a Flying Artie x Headsup colt (lot 623) of Two Bays that Bevan Smith purchased and a Written Tycoon x Divine Chills colt (lot 802) that Byerley Racing bought from Milburn Creek.

Both colts realised $175,000.

Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster was thrilled with the overall results and high in his praise for the Victorian breeding industry that has backed the Premier Sale so diligently.

“This is their sale, they have thrown everything behind it be it as a breeder, vendor or buyer and what this past three days has proven is that when a huge amount of local support – coupled with outstanding drafts from the Hunter Valley, Tasmania, South Australia etc - is there, the results can be astronomical,’’ Webster said.

“For a Premier Sale to gross in excess of $70m is really quite extraordinary.

“There’s nothing this sale didn’t have – record gross, record average, record number of horses to sell at the higher end of the market, a $1m colt, the best-ever quality for buyers, a fantastic atmosphere, it had the works.

“I’m so thrilled for all the vendors and breeders who achieved such fabulous results and so happy for the buyers who have taken home some of the best yearlings on offer anywhere in the southern hemisphere this year.’’

To enquire about any passed in lot from this year’s Premier Yearling Sale, contact Will Stott on 0408 126 952.

To view our Day 3 Facebook wrap, CLICK HERE.

To view our farewell to departing Victorian Bloodstock Manager Simon Vivian, who participated in his final Premier Sale, CLICK HERE.

Buyers’ attention now moves to Inglis Digital, with the March (Early) Online Auction now taking entries.

Entries close next Wednesday, March 10 at midnight, with the sale running from Friday March 12-Wednesday March 17.

To enter, CLICK HERE.

The focus then firmly homes in on Riverside for the jewel in the crown of the southern hemisphere yearling sales season, the Australian Easter Yearling Sale on April 6 and 7.

On-site inspections begin at Riverside from Wednesday March 31.

To view the Easter catalogue, CLICK HERE.

2021 PREMIER YEARLING SALE STATISTICS - BOOK 1 (2020 figures in brackets)

Lots Sold: 456 (384)

Clearance Rate: 87% (83%)

Average Price: $139,803 ($127,259)

Median Price: $105,000 ($110,000)*

Top Price: $1,100,000 ($725,000)

Gross: $63,750,000 ($48,867,500)

SHOWCASE SESSION

Lots Sold: 163 (183)

Clearance Rate: 84% (78%)

Average Price: $46,273 ($45,642)

Median Price: $40,000 ($36,000)

Top Price: $175,000 ($180,000)

Gross: $7,542,500 ($8,352,500)