News

Williamsburg tops September (Early) Sale at $455,000

11th Sep 2024

Dual Stakes winner Williamsburg (Snitzel) has topped today’s Inglis Digital September (Early) Online Sale, selling for $455,000.

Offered by Tony Fung Investments, the 5YO sold to Scone trainer Brett Cavanough.

Cavanough will attempt to qualify Williamsburg for the $3m The Big Dance – to be run at Randwick on the first Tuesday in November – but admits he has “plenty of options’’ for the five-time winner.

“He’s a good horse, he’s already proved that plenty of times so I can’t wait to get him into the stables and see what we can achieve with him,’’ Cavanough said.

“A couple of private clients wanted a good horse and I think this is the perfect horse to target a race like the Big Dance with and even possibly the Melbourne Spring Carnival and then the Perth carnival.

“The Big Dance, a mile at Randwick, $3m, it ticks plenty of boxes for him, it’s just a matter of how we get him there and whether we end up there or not, I’m excited to have him and I’m confident we can have a lot of fun with him.’’

TFI’ Sally Williams was thrilled with the result.

“It’s definitely mixed emotions because we all love this horse but it’s also a fantastic price so we couldn’t be happier with that,’’ Williams said.

“Inglis Digital is such a quality platform to sell tried horses like Williamsburg, we had significant enquiries about him and the end result is absolutely fantastic.

“Everyone at TFI wishes Brett well with the horse, we’ll be keeping a close eye on his progress and I’m sure the new connections will have just as much fun as we did racing Williamsburg.’’

Williamsburg was purchased for $470,000 by Tony Fung Investments at the 2021 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale from the draft of Arrowfield Stud and has won in excess of $1m in prizemoney to date.

Today’s second-top lot was a breeding right in exciting young stallion Pierata, which was purchased by STBT Bloodstock for $220,000.

The breeding right was offered by Alma Vale Thoroughbreds, whose representative Verna Metcalfe said: “We’re very happy with the price and just really glad to be able to help the client out by selling it.

“We absolutely love Inglis Digital, I don’t know how we all survived without it for so many years!’’

The third-top lot was the Stakes placed mare Celestial Storm (Zoustar), which sold to the WA-based entity Stipe for $170,000.

Offered by Griffiths/De Kock Racing – on behalf of the ownership group – Celestial Storm will be targeted toward the Perth Summer Carnival.

“She’s a very fast mare, she’s been good to us and the ownership group but this is the time of year where you always give owners of fillies and mares the option to sell to breeders and that’s what happened here,’’ Robbie Griffiths said.

“That’s where Inglis Digital comes in and is so good. We use it a lot, it’s only getting stronger as more people are using it and buyers are getting more confident with every sale because a lot of horses sell for a lot of money on the platform every week.

“It’s such a cost effective way to buy and sell, logistically you can buy a horse from anywhere now, you don’t have to jump on a plane, there’s so much information online for every lot with videos, vet reports etc, it’s great.’’

Robusto (Churchill) was the fourth-top lot, selling to Darby Racing for $160,000.

The 5YO was offered by Chris Waller on behalf of Ingham Racing.

The Darby Racing team has had significant success buying on Inglis Digital, most recently with Caballus, who is a two-time winner (including at G3 level) from just four starts for Darby and last weekend finished 3.6 lengths behind Mornington Glory in the G1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley.

“Is he the next Caballus? That would be nice, wouldn’t it?’’ Scott Darby said.

“He’ll be transferred to Bjorn Baker, as Caballus was, we’ll put him out to our loyal clients and aim him up next week in either the [G3] Cameron [Handicap] at Newcastle or the [G3] Bill Ritchie at Randwick the following day.

“We were also very heavily on Williamsburg and to be honest I don’t think there’s much between them on form, we just got this bloke for less!’’

In total, six lots realised $100,000 or more in the September (Early) Sale, taking to 84 the number of seven-figure lots sold through the platform this year.

Entries are now open for the September (Late) Sale and will remain so until next Wednesday, September 18.

To enter CLICK HERE.