Book one of Inglis's Classic Yearling Sale at Riverside Stables closed on Monday the way it began on Saturday evening, with major gains across all indicators. A total of 511 yearlings (92%) sold for a gross of A$48,203,000, which was up 34%. The average and median rose by similar margins at A$94,331 (+32.2%) and A$75,000 (+36.4%), respectively. A remarkable 53 vendors enjoyed a 100% clearance rate, headed by Catriona and Royston Murphy's Sledmere Stud with 21 of 21 sold. The leading vendor by aggregate was Newgate Farm, whose Henry Field said, “We're very pleased, it's been a great sale and Inglis have put so much into the complex and they deserved to be rewarded with the quality of the buying bench that's turned up and the quality of the horses that the vendors have brought to the sale. We've pretty much met the market on every horse; it's been a wonderful sale.”
Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster said, “As far as I'm aware there has never been a select yearling sale anywhere in the world that has enjoyed a clearance rate as high as 92% before, so to our loyal vendors and all of our buyers, I thank you. The statistics are a testament to the quality of horse that has been presented over the past three days. It's a new era at Riverside Stables and it's a new era for the Classic sale. The great thing about it is the improvement in quality over the past few years has made this a sale of international quality, yet Book 2 is still very accessible for those who haven't been able to get on the board yet or whose budgets are not as strong as others.”
I Am Invincible (Aus), who was responsible for three of top five lots overall, was the sale's leading sire by average (three or more sold) with 11 sold for an average of A$260,455. His son Brazen Beau was leading first-season sire by average with all four offered sold for an average of A$193,750.
Top billing on Monday belonged to a colt by first-season sire sensation Spirit of Boom (Aus) (Lot 569) who was picked up by Julian Blaxland's Blue Sky Bloodstock for A$410,000. Spirit of Boom, the sire of four stakes winners just past the midway point of the season, stands at Eureka Stud in Queensland, and it was fellow Queensland nursery Gleeson Thoroughbred Connections that brought the son of Our Dreaming (Tale of the Cat) to Sydney.
“We just feel very lucky to turn up with a colt that was a ripping type by the sire of the moment and we've been rewarded,” said the farm's Jacob Gleeson.
Hong Kong-based trainer Tony Millard swooped at A$380,000 for a son of Vinery's Pluck (lot 466) who is already a half-brother to a winner in Hong Kong, Listed HK Classic Mile hero Nothingilikemore (Aus) (Husson {Arg}), who runs in the 1800-metre Listed Hong Kong Classic Cup this coming weekend. A colt by popular first-season sire Dissident (Aus) is also likely bound for Hong Kong after being picked up by George Moore for A$300,000. Newgate Farm's offering (lot 410) is a half-brother to the U.S. stakes-placed winner Saint Aggie (Langfuhr) and three other winners.
Snitzel's half-brother Hinchinbrook has been popular at this sale and he was prominent once again on Monday when a colt from Sefton Park Thoroughbreds was picked up by Hong Kong-based agent John Foote for A$260,000. Lot 364 is out of the unraced Donnahro (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}), who is herself a half-sister to Snitzel's stakes-placed Choice Snitzel (Aus).
Book 2 of the Classic sale takes place on Tuesday.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
