Australian and international buyers locked horns on the opening day of the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale purchasing 132 of the region’s yearlings at an average of $291,667.
Dynamic Syndications had identified several possible purchases on Day 1 but were simply blown out of the water.
Of those we went into battle on the closest we got to buying the yearling was still $40,000 short of its eventual sale price.
It’s hard to justify some of the telephone numbers being thrown about the sale ring.
Especially as our
Managing Director Dean Watt is a Licenced Bloodstock Agent and an expert in Market Appraisal and Valuation of Bloodstock.
There were certainly no sale ring bargains on hand for the high quality yearlings offered on Day 1.
There were more than a handful of yearlings that sold well below expectation but they did that based upon poor conformation or poor x-rays (or both).
However the Team and Dynamic are a resilient bunch and will be back again on Day 2 to do battle in the hope that we may secure the right horse at the right price.
We will never chase and pay "overs" on any yearling no matter how much we desire the horse to race in Dynamic Colours.
Its a business and we are always looking at maximising the opportunity of a Return on Investment for our owners.
Importantly, Day 1 has highlighted to us the wonderful value of the 19 high quality yearlings we have already purchased this year. They were exceptionally good buying.
Caroline Searacy, Gai Waterhouse & Adam Watt conducting an interview on Sky Channel at the Start of Day 1 of the Inglis Sale
Adam keeping Caroline, Gai and viewers entertained
Inglis’ Managing Director Mark Webster said “There has been an incredible buzz around the sale, and day one has certainly lived up to that.”
“It is great to see Australian trainers and agents working closely with both international and local owners to secure the incredible athletes assembled at Easter,” Webster said.
Day 1's median of $210,000 is up on last year, as is the average of $291,667 and gross of $38,500,000.
The clearance rate of 73% at the fall of the final hammer today is very similar to this time last year and is expected to increase in the coming days as sales of passed-in lots are processed.
Prices on day one were topped by Lot 103, a Fastnet Rock filly out of Alinghi’s sister Perfect Persuasion.
Offered from the draft of Yarraman Park Stud, the filly sold to Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum for $1,600,000 and will remain in Australia to race.
Along with the top Lot, the breeder and part-owner of Group 1 Inglis Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Pride Of Dubai purchased Lot 28, another Fastnet Rock filly out of Livealifeoflove for $675,000 from Coolmore Stud.
Also flying the flag for the fillies was Lot 41 out of Mennetou, offered from the draft of Coolmore Stud. The three-quarter sister by Fastnet Rock to two Group 3 winners was secured by Adrian Nicoll BBA Ireland for the Niarchos Family for $1,300,000.
The top priced colt today was offered by Scone’s Willow Park Stud as Lot 79 (pictured left). By Darley’s ill-fated stallion Street Cry and out of the Exceed And Excel mare Noesis, the colt sold to International bloodstock agent George Moore for $1,000,000.
Coolmore Stud currently leads the vendors’ table by aggregate, selling 11 of 13 Lots for $5,155,000.
Their
headline sire Fastnet Rock was also dominant selling five of the top ten highest priced Lots, and accumulating a total of $8,445,000 on 16 Lots.
10 other sires also had individual progeny sell for $500,000 or more. They are:
Street Cry, I Am Invincible, Snitzel, Manhattan Rain, Redoute’s Choice, Exceed And Excel, Sebring, Medaglia d’Oro, High Chaparral and More Than Ready.
International representation on the buying bench was strong as predicted, led by Angus Gold of Shadwell Stud who signed for 8 yearlings for $2,685,000.
Local and interstate buyers struggled to take advantage of the quality catalogue as our Australia Dollar exchange rate at 0.76 cents to the US Dollar gave the international buyers a huge advantage.
Webster added “It is wonderful to see some new faces both amongst vendors and the buying bench, and of course to get some great results for the stalwarts of the industry.”
All the live sale ring action can be again viewed on Sky Channel, 7Two and online via Inglis Sale Day Live.