News

Superb weanling sales sets the scene for exciting week ahead

2nd May 2023

A Deep Field colt realised a day-high $300,000 late on Day 2 of a successful Australian Weanling Sale which saw year on year gains across a majority of key metrics.

In total, 42 horses sold for $100,000 or more - a 24% year-on-year increase - while the sale average of $52,629 was also up on last year (6%) and the median ($30,000) and gross ($12,961,500) were both on par with the record 2022 renewal of the sale.

In a further indication of how much this sale has grown in the past two years, this year’s gross is up 50% from 2021, the average has jumped 20% and the median has increased 25%.

The results from yesterday and today have ensured a strong start to the 2023 Inglis Breeding Stock Sales Series, which continues later this week with the Chairman’s Sale and Australian Broodmare Sale.

The top lot of Day 2 was a Deep Field x Cribbage colt from Fairhill Farm, which sold to AB Bloodstock for $300,000.

Offered as lot 437, the colt (pictured) didn’t enter the ring until late in the auction but it didn’t stop some fierce bidding, to the delight of Fairhill’s Mike O’Donnell, who again ended the sale as leading vendor with an overall gross of $1,838,000.

“We’re very pleased to be at the sale and to support Inglis and to get really good results again by doing it,’’ O’Donnell said.

“I’m very, very pleased with the Deep Field result. Considering the current market conditions, we’re overwhelmed with the result.

“We were expecting a good price, maybe $200,000, so it was very exciting to reach $300,000.

“Inspections were comparable to last year which was just so busy.’’

The day’s second top lot was a Savabeel x Tricia’o filly of Bhima Thoroughbreds, which sold to Gary Harding for $280,000.

The filly was the last of the Sir Patrick Hogan dispersal, which struck a chord with fellow New Zealander Mike Fleming of Bhima.

“I had a long association with Sir Patrick, or Boss as we knew him, and even after I moved on and managed Brooklyn Lodge and came to Australia, he has always been a great supporter of myself and (my wife) Kate so it is pretty humbling to sell the last horse that he has bred to go through a sale ring,’’ Fleming said.

“We’ve done a lot of yearling sales in my time and she’s been as busy as any yearling we’ve had at some of the major yearling sales.

“For a weanling to be out of their box 100-plus times, probably close to 150 times, and she’s been well viewed with a pedigree to match with a good temperament, so it’s fitting with what she’s done here.’’

Harding added: “I’m very pleased with the purchase, we thought for what we want, she was the best filly in the sale.

“I like racing them as 3YOs in the Classic races and that’s the plan with this filly.

“We think the sale has been very good, very strong, so pricing her wasn’t an easy task. I said to my wife that I’d like to think we could get her for $220,000 but she may go for up to $300,000 yet, so the price is at the higher end of where I thought she would be but still we’re very happy to be taking her home.’’

The weanling’s dam Tricia’o, carrying a pregnancy to leading sire Street Boss, is a confirmed entry for the Inglis Digital May (Early) Online Sale, for which entries close at midnight tomorrow.

To submit an entry CLICK HERE.

Inglis Bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch was buoyed by the success of the weanling sale.

“Across the board there were some fantastic results and the metrics are reflective of a strong sale,” said Hutch.

“As ever, we are hugely grateful for the support that we have received for the sale, from both vendors and buyers, particularly in the case of the buyers who travelled from overseas – New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, England, the US, Hong Kong, Singapore etc.”

“There was a massive buying bench here and the reality is that we haven’t been able to satisfy the demand amongst buyers looking for high-end weanlings, but I expect that is something we will be working hard to improve on for 2024.

“It’s been an excellent start to the week and now our focus moves to Thursday evening’s Chairman’s Sale, which is going to be a pretty special night. It’s a unique night on the global sales calendar and I think it’s going to be a wonderful occasion in 2023.’’

To view our Facebook Live review of the Australian Weanling Sale, CLICK HERE.

To enquire about a passed in lot from either day of the sale, contact Harry Bailey on 0420 997 417.

The Inglis Breeding Stock Sales Series reaches its crescendo on Thursday night with The Chairman’s Sale, where 109 lots are catalogued for what is one of the nights of the year at Riverside.

Among the catalogue are 79 fillies or mares that are Stakes performers or producers, 44 mares that are pregnant on their first or second cover, 96 aged 10 or under and 35 free of Danehill blood as well as an abundance of high-class race fillies and mares such as Montefilia, Icebath, Nimalee, Graceful Girl, Swats That, Electric Girl, Elusive Express, Jal Lei, Mileva, Get In The Spirit, Elizabeel, Pantonario, La Rocque, Joviality, Easifar, Nicci’s Fling, Splendiferous, Tralee Rose, Amasenus, How’s The Serenity etc.

There are also mares carrying pregnancies to some of the most highly sought-after stallions globally including Frankel, Gun Runner, I Am Invincible, Snitzel, Extreme Choice, Exceed And Excel, Zoustar, So You Think, Capitalist, Pierro, Maurice, Russian Revolution, Wootton Basset, Per Incanto, The Autumn Sun, Farnan, Bivouac, as well as first crop pregnancies for the likes of Home Affairs, Stay Inside, Pinatubo, St Mark’s Basilica, Palace Pier, Wild Ruler and Portland Sky.

The sale begins at 4.30pm, with the Sale Day Live broadcast to begin at 4pm with a 30-minute Preview Show hosted by Caroline Searcy, Katelyn Mallyon and Jemma Cutting.

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

The action then concludes on Friday with the Australian Broodmare Sale, for which 170 mares have been catalogued including a Peters Investments Unreserved Broodmare Reduction Sale comprising of 12 lots.

To view the Australia Broodmare Sale catalogue, CLICK HERE.

2023 AUSTRALIAN WEANLING SALE STATSTICS (2022 stats in brackets)

Sold: 248 (261)

Clearance: 74% (76%)

Average: $52,264 ($49,500)

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

Gross: $12,961,500 ($12,919,500)