Golden period for Inglis’ Melbourne sale highlights extraordinary value to be found
The two-day Inglis Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale gets underway at Oaklands today, with the last three months shining a light on the outstanding value that be found at the yearling auction, headlined no more so than by yesterday’s Goodwood (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Savatoxl (Kuroshio).
An $8,000 graduate, the five-year-old joins Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Lunar Fox (Foxwedge) and South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) hero Media Award (Shamus Award), a $5,000 buy, as elite-level graduates from the Melbourne sale in just the last three months.
Inglis’ Melbourne bloodstock manager, James Price, said the recent run of Group 1 winners from the sale will give buyers confidence in the product that’s being offered at Oaklands in the 339-lot catalogue.
“Timing is everything and, look, it’s been an incredible three months for graduates of the sale. To record another Group 1 winner from the sale which was just an $8,000 purchase, it’s terrific for all concerned,” said Price.
“To have a $5,000 and an $8,000 yearling out of this sale win Group 1 races, it just speaks volumes, particularly when you look at the Gold sale this year, it should give everyone confidence that there are plenty of nice horses to be offered over the next two days.”
Savatoxl, a graduate of the 2017 sale, was consigned by Stonehouse Thoroughbreds, who will again present a strong draft of ten yearlings to go through the ring today and tomorrow.
Ryan Arnel, principal of the Eddington-based farm, said there are quality horses to be found if buyers do their homework, while the huge progression in online information and platforms to support sales, he believes, will be of great benefit to the Melbourne Gold sale, which sits amidst breeding stock sales and carnivals in Adelaide and Brisbane.
“We’ve got a couple of nice ones. We’ve got a nice Winning Rupert filly out of a stakes mare, a French-bred mare, that we’re quite fond of.
“There’s the All Too Hard filly, we’ve got a Tosen Stardom colt and a Pariah colt and they’re probably our top picks,” said Arnel.
“We’re a Victorian farm and we wanted to present the best we can in the Victorian sales and support that the best we can.
“People have got a lot more confident buying online and buying off videos and the transparency from the breeders, too. Being able to talk to us and give as much information as possible, it’s been a huge leap forward I think,” he continued.
“Especially now, with the breeding sales series kicking off, so obviously the Gold Coast is kicking off and the actual calendar gets tricky to manage, especially with trainers, weekend races and what not, and trying to juggle that with sales, the online auction becomes very attractive.”
Last year’s Inglis Gold Yearling Sale was blighted by the impact of Covid-19, with the sale delayed to July and then held online alongside the Inglis Digital platform due to an outbreak of the virus in Victoria shortly before the sale was due to start, causing over 200 withdrawals from the catalogue. Despite the disruption, the sale still performed strongly, with two yearlings reaching the six-figure mark.
The ability to once again hold a live auction, Price says, is a relief to Inglis, who welcome the return of conducting business face-to-face with vendors and buyers, while it has allowed Inglis to present an increased catalogue in recent years.
“It’s a relief to give people the opportunity to sell their product at a live sale and selling yearlings in a traditional setting, where buyers can see vendors face-to-face and we can conduct business in a social, relaxed setting of the sales ring,” said Price.
“The sale went online last year, and if you were a vendor it was a question of ‘do we sell, do we retain?’.
“The job of a sales company is to give an avenue for breeders to sell their horses, and that’s what we’ve done here in terms of what breeders have put up and wanted to sell.”
Price echoed Arnel’s assessment in recognising the increase in the transparency of information available to clients from vendors, while he, too, said there were horses of great quality up for sale if buyers delve deep enough.
The catalogue will offer yearlings by leading stallions in Victoria and beyond, including recent Yulong recruit Written Tycoon (Iglesia) (three yearlings), Swettenham’s Toronado (High Chaparral) (13) and Hunter Valley stallion All Too Hard (Casino Price) (three).
First season sires also present a number of yearlings, including those by Russian Revolution (Snitzel) (two), three fillies by Highland Reel (Galileo) and a yearling by Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Pariah (Redoute’s Choice), consigned by Stonehouse, whose yearlings have been well-received in Victoria so far this year, selling for up to $250,000 at the Inglis Premier Sale.
“It’s about doing your homework, being in attendance and, at the very least, being out the back of the parade ring and watching these horses, watching their athleticism and putting their hand up, there are plenty of gems to be found,” said Price.
“We have tremendous confidence in the vendor’s product and the confidence in the thoroughbred industry in Victoria here as well.
“While this is not a select yearling sale, it is a sale which has the majority of Victorian vendors represented who appear in catalogues throughout the year, and the buyers get to know these vendors, who present a very good product and are very transparent about the background of the horse on the ground, which should instil confidence for buyers to be present on sale day.
“They may not be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars, but they know that they’re going to be buying a sound racehorse that, as has been evident in the last three months, can win you Group 1 races.”
The two-day Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale gets underway at 10am today at Inglis’ Oaklands complex.