Inglis Book 1 Ends On A High

The final session of Book 1 of the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale took place on Tuesday and it was a case of saving the best for last as the two highest priced yearlings of the sale changed hands. Although some way removed from last year’s A$1.4-million sale topper, the A$500,000 that Godolphin paid for a daughter of Coolmore stallion Fastnet Rock (Aus) on Tuesday still helped the sale keep tabs on last year’s figures. Aggregate for Book 1 amounted to A$49,936,500, just under A$3-million shy of last year when six yearlings made A$500k or more compared to one this time around. The clearance rate dipped two points to 83% and the average of A$118,333 represented a 4% decrease on 2017. The median however settled at A$100,000, the same as 2017.

“Last year was the best Premier Yearling Sale we have ever had and this year’s version is right on par with that, so we must be satisfied with that,” Inglis’ Victorian Bloodstock Manager Simon Vivian said. “There were many fantastic results for many people, both vendors and buyers. To the team at Woodside Park especially, to be overall leading vendor and have your two stallions in Written Tycoon and Zoustar lead the way on the sires list as well is a magnificent achievement,” he added.

“She’s a quality filly by a champion stallion out of a Group 3-winning mare,” Godolphin’s Racing and Bloodstock Manager Jason Walsh said after the team had acquired the sale-topping filly, offered by Rushton Park as lot 470. The bay is out of the five time winner Lady Melksham (Aus) (Artie Schiller) whose victories included the G3 WW Cockram S. over six furlongs at Caulfield. “One of the things we’re trying to source this year is a bit of diversity and top-class racing prospects that can hopefully do it on the racecourse and ultimately join our broodmare program and we thought she was a filly capable of doing both those things,” Walsh added.

Lot 528 earned the distinction of being the sale’s second highest price yearling when selling to Darren Weir Racing and John Foote Bloodstock for A$450,000. The colt by Snitzel (Aus) was offered by Mill Park Stud out of Miss With Attitude (Aus) (Galileo {Ire}) whose five-race winning career also included several placings at group level. Speaking to Racing.com after the sale John Foote said, “You’d always like to pay less but we knew we’d have to give something like that. Yulong were underbidders and they made us work for him, but we wanted this particular colt for a client in Hong Kong and we are very happy to get him.” When asked what drew him to the colt Foote added, “He’s by Snitzel who is the best sire in the country, he’s out of a good mare and he is a good looking horse so he ticked all the boxes.”

Three other yearlings on Tuesday made A$400k or more including a pair by I Am Invincible (Aus). The first of these, lot 550, from Rosemont Stud was knocked down to Cloud 9 Thoroughbreds for A$400,000 while just two hips later lot 552, a colt offered by Yarraman Park Stud and a half-brother to a champion filly in Alinghi (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) sold for the same amount to Blue Sky Bloodstock. This sale helped Yarraman Park end up as leading vendor by average with a figure of A$258,750.

Woodside Park Stud sold A$3,945,000 worth of yearlings, more than any other vendor and the stud’s Murray Tillett was thrilled with his farm’s overall results. “Leading vendor is a great credit to the staff. This is our main sale of the year, we’re a Victorian farm, this will always be where we try and sell the quality of the VOBIS horses that we’ve got,” he said. Woodside had further reason for cheer as their resident stallions Zoustar (Aus) and Written Tycoon (Aus) finished up the leading sires by aggregate with receipts of A$4,855,000 and A$4,367,500 respectively. “People do have to remember these Written Tycoons are off a service fee of A$18,000,” Tillet said. “We know what he’s got on the ground next year off a A$45,000 service fee, wait until you see what happens with them down here next year at Oaklands,” he added.

Tony McEvoy of McEvoy Mitchell Racing was leading buyer by aggregate, spending $1,820,000 while Chinese owner Zhang Yuesheng continued his increasing global investment in racing through his Yu Long Investments, purchasing 14 lots in total.

The single session Book 2 of the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale begins at 11a.m. tomorrow with 206 yearlings catalogued.