News

Victorian record equalled as weanlings sell strongly again

19th Jun 2017

A record-equalling price for a Victorian-sold weanling – 24 hours after the mark was set – capped off a strong Day 2 of the 2017 Melbourne Great Southern Sale at Oaklands.

On the final day of the select weanlings catalogue, the $310,000 price tag was hit for a second consecutive day when Newgate Farm and China Horse Club teamed up to buy Lot 383, a Written Tycoon x Many Facets colt.

Offered by Bombora Downs as agent for breeder Lynn Alderson, the stunning Written Tycoon colt matched the mark set on the opening day of the sale for Swettenham Stud’s More Than Ready colt.

The top Lots helped the select weanling sale’s aggregate to a strong $8,838,250 with an improving clearance rate of 76%.

For Christoph Bruechert of Bombora Downs, it was the farm’s second-best result ever, behind only a $350,000 Written Tycoon colt it offered at this year’s Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

“It’s great for me, and it’s great for Victoria. To have two equal-record Lots in two days here is great, and it’s fantastic that we’ve finally got a headline stallion in Written Tycoon, who I truly believe has got many great years ahead of him,’’ Bruechert said.

“On Friday this bloke was out basically all day, to the point where I didn’t even bother putting him back in his box after an inspection because there would always be another two or three people in line wanting to look at him.

“I don’t generally get a lot of feedback but I had a lot of people telling me the past few days that this is the nicest horse they’ve seen here, or one of the best they’ve seen anywhere this year etc.

“A lot offered positive feedback which for me at least is quite rare, not that I get negative feedback, it’s just generally you don’t get any.’’

Burnewang North claimed leading vendor honours, selling all 12 of their offerings for an aggregate of $747,500, while Milburn Creek ended with the highest average of $77,857 – also with a 100% clearance rate - from their seven sales.

The leading buyer by number of purchases was Sheamus Mills Bloodstock with nine, and the biggest buyer by average was Randwick Bloodstock Agency with seven Lots at $67,929.

Victorian stallion Written Tycoon was a clear leading sire, topping both the aggregate ($1,090,000) and average price ($155,714) for three or more sales.

It was also a solid sale for First Season Sire Brazen Beau. His two Lots to sell recorded an average of $210,000, placing both in the top five overall lots in the sale.

Inglis’ Victorian Bloodstock Manager Simon Vivian said the sale was especially strong for the Victorians.

“To have Written Tycoon and Brazen Beau both perform so strongly, to have Burnewang North end with 12 from 12, Bombora Downs and Swettenham offering the top two Lots which equalled the state record, I think it laid a fantastic foundation for future weanling sales at Great Southern in Victoria,’’ Vivian said.

“There are definitely areas we will work on and improve moving forward but overall, I’m very happy with how the weanlings sold.’’

Day 3 of the Great Southern Sale starts at 10am tomorrow, where 316 broodmares and one stallion have been catalogued.

To view the catalogue, CLICK HERE.