For Team Hawkes, it was the simplest of decisions. When a Victorian farm has bred and sold horses such as All Too Hard, Ole Kirk and Masked Crusader to you that have gone onto G1 glory, buying off them again is smart play.

Never before has the Classic Yearling Sale seen a day like today. A record individual days gross, a record individual price and a record sale average has seen the first of Inglis’ select yearling sales for the 2022 season start on a high as vendors enjoyed the bloodstock boom and buyers reaped the rewards of some outstanding stock.

The third most expensive yearling to ever sell in Victoria set the Oaklands auditorium alight today as a Snitzel colt from Blue Gum Farm sold to Aquis Farm for $725,000.

At Caulfield on Saturday one of the company’s great innovations, the VOBIS Gold yearling sale, translates to huge payday opportunities for horses nominated for the scheme — most of them sale graduates — including bonuses attached to four races worth $250,000.