The four-day Inglis Australian Broodmare and Weanling sale kicked off yesterday in Sydney with figures largely comparable to 12 months ago. The platinum weanling session–which offered 103 weanlings with x-rays on site–and select weanling session kicked off proceedings, and combined saw 169 youngsters change hands for A$5,773,350, compared to 128 sold for A$4,388,500 last year. The average dipped fractionally, down 0.4% to A$34,162, and the median was down 6% to A$16,000. The top price of A$230,000 was paid for a colt by Medaglia d'Oro, sire of this year's G1 Golden Slipper winner Vancouver (Aus), while the session topper this time last year cost A$450,000.
“Today's results are a clear indicator to vendors that x-raying their premium weanlings and offering them in Sydney is a great way of giving buyers confidence to invest,” said Inglis's Managing Director Mark Webster. “There is plenty of strength in the market and we are pleased to see vendors that brought their better weanlings here get rewarded in the sale ring, which sets a great base on which to build this sale.”
Medaglia d'Oro has gotten his Southern Hemisphere stud career off to a solid start at Darley's Kelvinside Stud in Australia, but Vancouver's Golden Slipper score in March catapulted him to new heights. It is no surprise, then, that his progeny would be highly sought-after Down Under, but yesterday's sale-topper (lot 110) was secured by U.S.-based agent Roderick Wachman. Consigned by Middlebrook Valley Lodge as agent for Twin Creeks Thoroughbreds, the bay colt is out of the unraced Kiss the Sun (Aus) (Anabaa), a half-sister to G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Undoubtedly (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}); G2 Reisling S. victress Regal Kiss (Aus) (Royal Academy) and G3 Blue Diamond Preview scorer Toorak Thunder (Aus) (Real Cash).
A pair of fillies by freshman sires shared the second-highest price of A$200,000. Lot 46 was the first weanling to be offered at auction by the 2012 2-year-old Triple Crown winner Pierro (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}). Offered by Newgate Farm, the September foal is out of American stakes winner Amazing Tale (Tale of the Cat), and her second dam is the GIII Turnback the Alarm S. winner Svea Dahl (Honor Grades). The filly was purchased by the Chinese-based Yu Long Investments, which reportedly plans to pinhook her at next year's Easter sale.
Pierro, who stands at Coolmore Australia in Jerry's Plains for A$77,000, had three go through the ring Sunday. The others sold for A$150,000 (lot 81) and A$80,000 (lot 113), making him the leading sire by average for the session (A$143,333).
The second filly to reach A$200,000 was a first-crop daughter of GI Kentucky Derby and G1 Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom, who stands Southern Hemisphere time at Arrowfield Stud in the Hunter Valley. Lot 105 is a half-sister to an accomplished runner by another successful shuttler–Darley's Bernardini–in Toydini (Aus), winner of four Group 2 or 3 races. Their dam, Johan's Toy, is a half-sister to group winners Extra Zero (Aus) (Danzero {Aus}) and Operetta Lass (Aus) (Singspiel {Ire}), and will be offered herself during the broodmare portion of the sale. The Animal Kingdom filly was consigned by Goodwood Farm and purchased by New Zealand's Lyndhurst Farm. Animal Kingdom had one other offering yesterday, a filly that sold to Graebar Park for A$50,000.
Other first-season sires to record notable prices Sunday were Pierro's archrival All Too Hard (Aus) (Casino Prince {Aus}), the four-time Group 1-winning half-brother to Black Caviar (Aus) (Bel Esprit {Aus}) who stands at Vinery Australia, and five-time Group 1 winner Ocean Park (NZ) (Thorn Park {Aus}). Each had a weanling sell for A$80,000. All Too Hard averaged A$72,500 (four sold for A$290,000).
First-crop yearling sire Sepoy (Aus), whose progeny have twice broken the record for a first-season sire at this year's yearling sales, proved again popular Sunday, with a filly out of the stakes-winning Baby Corn (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) selling to Laurel Oak Bloodstock for A$190,000. Lot 52's first three dams are all stakes winners, and she is a half-sister to the dual Group 1-place Cornrow (Aus) (Duporth {Aus}).
Arrowfield's Snitzel has been red-hot both on the racetrack and in sales rings as of late, and that trend continued Sunday when he was the second-leading sire by average behind Pierro, with three sold for an average of A$118,333. His haul was headed by lot 32, a half-brother to Group 1 winner Pear Tart (Aus) (Dehere). They are out of the Sadler's Wells mare Tangerine Dream (Fr), from the family of GI Yellow Ribbon S. scorer Aube Indienne (Aus) (Bluebird) and Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Mare Nostrum (Aus) (Caerleon). Widden Stud's Sebring (Aus) was the day's third-leading sire by average, with three sold for an average of A$91,667.
Last year's champion first-season sire I Am Invincible (Aus) had five sell for A$214,500 (A$42,900 average), headed by an A$150,000 colt from Middlebrook Valley Lodge. Consigned as lot 86, the bay son of the stakes-placed Flion Fenena (Aus) (Lion Hunter {Aus}) was purchased by Musk Creek Farm.
A short general weanling session followed, with 27 of 31 catalogued selling for A$120,100. The average of A$4,804 was up 19% from last year, while the median dropped 33% to A$2,000.
Trade continues Monday with the select broodmares session. For catalogues, results and live streaming, visit www.inglis.com.au.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
