4 lots sold for a million dollars or more on the opening day of the 2016 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney.
Trainers, owners, agents and syndicators from Australia and around the globe came together to bid on some of the region’s best bred and conformed yearlings.
By the end of the first day’s proceedings of the 195 lots catalogued, after 18 scratching’s, there were
177 yearlings offered with 39 passed-in (22%) and 138 lots SOLD (78%) for an average of $291,975, marking the best start to an Easter Sale since the great record heights of 2008.
Local and international buyers fought hard through to the final lots of the day which saw 4 colts by Snitzel, Redoute’s Choice, Fastnet Rock and Hinchinbrook break through the $1,000,000 mark.
Gai Waterhouse banded together a group of owners to purchase Winx’s half-brother by Snitzel that was sold as Lot 135 by Segenhoe Stud Australia, as agent for John Camilleri's Fairway Thoroughbreds.
Involved in ownership of the colt are Emirates Park’s Hussain Lootah, Angelo Konstantatos & David Healey who have already experienced the value in a Gai-trained colt with Vancouver; and breeder John Camilleri who retained a share in the horse.
Gai Waterhouse and her agent Julian Blaxland stood with
Hussain Lootah and Dr Shalabh Sahu of Emirates Park under the tree and had fought off plenty of competition from around the ring.
A final bid of $2,300,000 was required to secure the colt, which is also a full-brother to Gai’s Kindergarten Stakes winner El Divino.
Gai Waterhouse said “Hussain was on the phone to me after El Divino crossed the line in the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes and after much discussion Hussain made the executive decision that we must have this colt,”
Hussain Lootah said. “He’s one of the nicest colts in the sale, from the strongest family. He was a lovely type and Winx and the half-brother’s wins (El Divino) add a lot to the page. We hope he’s in the Golden Slipper next year,”
Angus Gold of Shadwell Stud Australasia was the most active of all buyers securing 11 yearlings for $5,410,00, including a colt by Redoute’s Choice from Top Cuban for $1,500,000 (Lot 113).
Gai Waterhouse gained a total of 10 yearlings on day one. Impressively 5 were by Champion Sire FASTNET ROCK.
Gai purchased 8 yearlings in her own name whilst her syndication juggernaut Dynamic Syndications added a Fastnet Rock colt (Lot 69) to her stable.
Lot 69 FASTNET ROCK ex SEVRUGA Bay Colt
purchased by Dynamic Syndications for $125,000 + GST
Gai will also train the Fastnet Rock colt from Rose Of Cimmaron (Lot 42) that was sold for $1,200,000 by Newgate Farm. The buying partnership Tom Magnier (Coolmore Stud), Gai Waterhouse Racing, Mayfair Speculators had to see off underbidder Spendthrift Farm to secure the full brother to Bull Point.
Yarraman Park Stud’s resident stallion
Hinchinbrook officially came of age in the sale ring with a colt (Lot 166) selling for $1,000,000. There were a number of international clients bidding with Marie Yoshida and Paul O’Sullivan locking horns passing $500,000. O’Sullivan’s Wexford Stables landed the final blow securing the quality colt with the million dollar bid, the highest ever for a yearling by Hinchinbrook.
Day Two of the auction starts at 10.00am Wednesday, where Lots 196 to 390 will be offered.
All yearlings offered at the sale are eligible for entry into the $5 million Inglis Race Series covering their 2YO, 3YO and 4YO racing seasons.
Now a sobering view of the day’s proceedings show that despite the sales across the board in 2016 being up approximately
22% and whilst the
$291,975 reads well on initial glance, the facts remain that last year’s average was $291,667. Therefore
the average rose a meagre $308 (0.1%) on 2015.
Despite the spin doctors at work, this would be
a worry for the auction house and vendors however does genuinely
reflect upon an overall drop in the standard of horseflesh presented by some vendors.
This sale can tend to be more about a fashion parade on paper rather than highest quality of animal presented.
The loss of growth in average certainly reflects the attitude of many of the professional buyers we spoke to at the sales, all commenting and lamenting the fall in standard of the equine athlete here in 2016.
However despite that, the better horses found homes
2016 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale Statistics (End Of Day One 2015 in Brackets)
Lots Catalogued: 195 (200)
Lots Sold: 138 (132)
Clearance Rate: 78% (73%)
Average Price: $291,975 ($291,667)
Median Price: $210,000 ($210,000)
Top Price: $2,300,000 ($1,600,000)
Gross: $40,292,500 ($38,500,000)