News

Samantha Miss Makes Record $3.85M

16th Apr 2009

Champion Filly Samantha Miss made an Australasian record price for a filly off the track when sold for $3,850,000 at today's final session of the Inglis Australian Easter Broodmare Sale.

Her sale highlighted the closing day of the sale, with receipts for the week topping $22million.

Duncan Grimley, acting on behalf of Magic Millions as agent, was able to hold off the challenge of underbidder Tony Bott, to secure the three times Group 1 winning filly.

Grimley indicated Samantha Miss would be retired immediately and enter Strawberry Hill Stud’s Broodmare band, either under John Singleton's sole ownership or with his Magic Millions co-owner Gerry Harvey in partnership.

More Than Ready has been selected as a likely stallion for her this spring.

"She was probably a little bit more than I thought but you don't get too many chances ... she's a one and a half million dollar yearling who's won three Group 1 races. From that point of view, what more can you ask for? She's got a great temperament, she's a great type," he said.

Grimley made the point that the overall sale market had been stronger than expected.

"I think the market has been outstanding," he said.

"We've all come in expecting the worst and we're selling 80% of the horses and most people are happy, so I think we might have dodged a bullet."

Samantha Miss was offered through the draft of Widden Stud, who also prepared Divine Madonna ($2.7m) for sale last year and earlier this week Devil Moon ($775,000).

"That's in line with expectations and an amount you would expect a horse of her calibre to make," Widden's Antony Thompson said.

"She's a once in a lifetime mare and this cements Widden's reputation for selling the best race fillies that come on the market."

The supplementary section also saw the Royal Academy mare Interfere sold for $325,000.

The Select Session closed with 372 mares selling at an average of $58,629, with a clearance rate nearing 75%.

"We are very grateful to Ron Croghan and the Samantha Miss team for entrusting Inglis with her sale and it was wonderful to see her set a new record for a race filly off the track," Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster said.

"She's going to a good home and will be given every chance to enhance her already outstanding reputation at stud. We thank Magic Millions for their competition and wish her new owners all the best with her."

Webster said that even though the overall results were down as expected, race fillies and mares off the track sold extremely well.

"The results achieved at this sale for well credentialled mares, particularly stakes fillies off the track, should give those looking to sell ahead of the breeding season the confidence to put them on the market."

The next sale at Newmarket is the Australian Weanling and Breeding Stock Sale, to be held over the three days of June 25, 26 & 28.

Nominations for this sale, which include both weanling and Breeding stock sections, close on Friday May 1.

Entries for the Australian Weanling And Breeding Stock Sale can be downloaded using the following link: ENTRY FORM

The next Inglis Sale is the Melbourne Autumn Yearling Sale, to be held at Oaklands, Melbourne, from April 26-27.

The catalogue comprises 373 yearlings by a vast array of proven and exciting young stallions, not to mention the who's who of this season's First Crop stallions.

Graduates of this sale are eligible for the $2,500,000 Inglis Race Series, in addition to the $100,000 Autumn Plate, which is restricted to Autumn Yearling Sale graduates only.

The Great Southern Sale, comprising Mares and Racing Stock and Weanlings in Melbourne from May 18 - 21, will be the next Breeding Stock sale conducted by Inglis.

Statistics: Select Session (Including Supplementary Section)

Sold: 372 (74.4%)

Passed In: 128

Gross: $21,810,000

Average: 58,629

Top Lot: (Lot 677) $3,850,000