With a day of trade still to come, the gross of Inglis's Classic Yearling Sale in Sydney surpassed last year's record total for the sale during the second session on Sunday. A total of A$27,848,000 was spent on 369 yearlings over the sale's first two days, compared to a total spend of A$27,043,000 last year. The cumulative average sits at A$75,469, up 31% from last year's final figures, and the cumulative median is A$55,000. The clearance rate is 87%.
A session-to-session comparison also shows figures up on 2016. A total of 249 yearlings were sold on Sunday for A$16,977,500, compared to 188 sold last year (from 70 fewer offered) for A$11,385,500. The day's average was up 12.6% on last year at A$68,183, while the median was unchanged at A$50,000.
The top-priced offering of the day was a A$310,000 daughter of Fastnet Rock (Aus) offered by Coolmore Stud and purchased by owner Alan Bell. Lot 194 is out of the winning Encosta de Lago (Aus) mare Sevruga (Aus), whose first two foals to race include the dual winner Khalama (Aus) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). The filly's second dam, Prawn Cocktail (Artichoke), is a half-sister to Grade/Group 1 winner and champion sire Royal Academy (Nijinsky) as well as Terlingua (Secretariat), the dam of Storm Cat (Storm Bird).
“I'm not a big filly buyer traditionally but I've got some colts at home now that I'll need mares for in time so hopefully this one can run and justify the buy,” Bell said. “She's a very nice filly out of one of the great families that I've long wanted to be involved in. Her athleticism and overall quality stood out to me, she looks like a beautiful running type of filly.”
The session's top-priced colt is a son of More Than Ready offered by New Zealand's Henley Park and bought by Queensland trainer Kelly Schweida for A$300,000. Lot 241 is out of the unraced Starwish (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), herself a daughter of G1 Australia S. winner Stella Cadente (Aus) (Centaine). More Than Ready is thus far the sale's leading sire by average (three or more sold) at A$176,667.
“I have a soft spot for the More Than Readys, given I trained Better Than Ready, and I like Redoute's Choice mares, so it made sense to me,'' Schweida said. “For me he was the colt of the sale so I'm glad to be taking him home.''
Agent James Harron struck gold when buying eventual G1 Golden Slipper and Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Capitalist (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) as a yearling, and the agent struck again for a son of Written Tycoon on Sunday when going to A$260,000 for lot 283. The flashy chestnut is the second foal of the Flying Spur (Aus) mare Tuscan Haze (Aus).
Hong Kong buyers were active at the top of the market on Sunday, with a A$250,000 son of Sebring (Aus) (lot 278) and a A$230,000 daughter of Snitzel (Aus) (lot 352) picked up by Hong Kong interests.
Over the first two days of the sale, 124 different individual buyers have purchased the 369 lots sold. Denise Martin's Star Thoroughbreds/Chris Waller Racing is the leading buyer, spending $710,000 on six lots. Darby Racing/de Burgh Equine and Triple Crown Syndications are equal leading buyers by number of lots, with seven apiece.
Also busy has been American-based agent Justin Casse, who has thus far snapped up four lots for A$425,000 in partnership with Muskoka Farm in his first visit to the Classic sale. All four will be re-offered at Inglis's Ready2Race Sale in October.
The third and final session of the Classic sale begins Monday at 9 a.m.
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