News

Slipper Weekend To Have Bearing On Easter Sale

30th Mar 2010

With only one week before selling begins at the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, TVN will preview the drafts to be offered at 8:30pm tonight after the Thoroughbreds & Connections shows.

Meanwhile the yearlings have arrived and inspections have begun ahead of next Tuesday’s opening session of the sale.

Not surprisingly, given the correlation between Easter and the very best races, updates to the catalogue have been coming at a rapid rate in recent weeks.

Dubai Group 3 Al Quoz Sprint winner Joy And Fun has a Zabeel half-sister to be offered by Rich Hill catalogued as Lot 448, while Japanese Group 1 winner Kinshasa No Kiseki’s half-sister Feather Duster has a Redoute’s Choice filly as Lot 420. The international winners followed the update for the O’Reilly-Danasia (Lot 369) half-brother to Rosehill Guineas winner Zabrasive last Saturday.

It wouldn’t surprise if the updates continued at Saturday’s bumper Rosehill meeting.

There are catalogue connections in each of the five Group 1 races, highlighted by the Golden Slipper, with David Hayes’ hope Shaaheq having a full-sister catalogued as Lot 366 next week. In all, there are ten siblings in the catalogue to horses nominated for the Group 1 events on Saturday.

Two-time reigning Champion stallion Encosta De Lago is the most represented sire in this year’s catalogue, but the likes of Redoute’s Choice (with runners headed by Easter duo Beneteau and Shaaheq) and Fastnet Rock (Hinchinbrook and Elimbari) could mount a serious challenge to his dominance should they be successful on Saturday.

The Golden Slipper result could easily reshape the General Sires table currently led by Street Cry (Ire).

Should Redoute’s Choice sire his third Golden Slipper winner this year, it would place him in good stead for season honours.

Fastnet Rock is the hot new sire on the block, with 44 Easter yearlings and with the Bart Cummings trained Easter Group 1 star Rock Classic to represent him over the Derby weekend, the Coolmore stallion is not without a hope of becoming the first second crop stallion since Danehill to claim Australia’s Champion Sire crown if either of his runners are successful in the Golden Slipper.

More Than Ready (USA) with 29 Easter yearlings could also stake Champion Sire claims and become only the third sire behind Danehill (USA) and Star Kingdom (Ire) to complete a hat trick of Golden Slipper winners. Star Kingdom went on to sire the first five winners in succession (1957 - 1961), while Danehill with an additional two winners equalled his tally of five (1994 - 96, 1999 & 2001).

For those not able to make it to Newmarket for inspections this week, Sirecam videos and photos of selected lots can be viewed HERE

The sale will be broadcast on TVN & Inglis Sale Day Live, with the Online Bidding and Make an Offer services key features for those not attending.