Inglis backs bigger Easter offering to be a success in 2020
Inglis hopes to capture “money left on the table” with a bigger Australian Easter Yearling Sale catalogue presented to buyers this year while maintaining the two-day format that proved successful in 2019.
The sales company last night released the catalogue for its benchmark auction, to be held at its Riverside Stables complex in Sydney on April 7 and 8, with arguably the most significant cross-section of Australia’s best-bred yearlings set to be offered at one time.
The 514-lot catalogue is an increase of 64 yearlings year-on-year, but Inglis general manager of bloodstock sales and marketing Sebastian Hutch is confident the buying bench at Easter can absorb the larger offering after the company made a strategic decision to boost the sale’s size.
“We are conscious of the fact that it is a delicate balance of having an appropriate number of horses to satisfy demand and the appropriate number of horses in the context of them being able to realise their value and sell well,” Hutch told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“It was something that was at the forefront of our mind right throughout the process of working with breeders and vendors to put the catalogue together.
“The reality is, we could have comfortably had a bigger catalogue, but we have chosen to be prudent with it. The standard of horse at all levels is very high.
“We’ve been at pains to stress the value that can be found at Easter. It is known for its ability to achieve big prices and exceptional racehorses, but similarly, there’s great value in what is perceived to be the bottom third of the catalogue.
“That is evidenced by the likes of Funstar, Land Of Plenty, Aristia and Pinot, who won an Oaks. She made $200,000 at Easter.”
Last year, Inglis abandoned its two-book Easter model and instead ran a condensed Book 1 catalogue, which led to 349 yearlings being sold (86 per cent clearance) at an average of $353,511 and a top price of $2.8 million achieved.
In 2018, a 450-lot Book 1 sale averaged $346,728 with an 85 per cent clearance rate, while in 2017 a 404-lot Book 1 session averaged $354,935.
At the conclusion of last year’s Easter sale, Inglis managing director Mark Webster expressed a desire to have a bigger catalogue after some buyers revealed they had orders left unfilled, and vendors appear to have backed the move.
This year’s catalogue features siblings to 181 stakes winners, 52 of them related to Group 1 scorers, including The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice), Sunlight (Zoustar), Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Estijaab (Snitzel), More Joyous (More Than Ready) and exciting three-year-old Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible).
There are progeny of 170 stakes-winning mares, headlined by the likes of Miss Finland (Redoute’s Choice), Snitzerland (Snitzel), Srikandi (Dubawi), Princess Coup (Encosta de Lago) and First Seal (Fastnet Rock), a Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner whose victory is also notable for defeating Winx (Street Cry).
Naturally, Australasia’s premier stallions Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice), I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), Written Tycoon (Iglesia), Zoustar (Northern Meteor) and the now–pensioned Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice) are strongly represented.
First season sires American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile), whose first crop yearlings were popular at the recent Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Capitalist (Written Tycoon), Astern (Medaglia d’Oro) and Waikato Stud’s new resident Tivaci (High Chaparral) have progeny catalogued.
While Hutch says the Inglis bloodstock team also made a conscious decision to ensure top-class pedigrees were matched by conformation, the strength of the pages cannot be underestimated.
“The timing of the sale is great for a huge proportion of the yearlings. There are sales that cater for stock that mature early, but there are also horses for a variety of reasons who appreciate the opportunity to go to a sale at that time of year,” he said.
“Horses have had an extra two months in the paddock during spring to grow out and, generally speaking, those at Easter present themselves as well-grown, impressive specimens.
“Thus, it allows buyers to make decisions that are even more informed than what they otherwise might be able to do earlier in the year.”
Arrowfield Stud, last year’s leading vendor, and Coolmore will again have strong hands, with 63 and 36 yearlings being consigned respectively.
Scone-based operation Kia Ora Stud also has a draft of 12 yearlings heading to Easter, including the Sebring (More Than Ready) half-sister to the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Manikato Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Loving Gaby.
Kia Ora sold the pair’s dam Maastricht (Mastercraftsman), who was also part-owned by Alan Bell, for $2.25 million in foal to I Am Invincible at last year’s The Chairman’s Sale.
“The Maastricht is very similar to Loving Gaby being a lovely big filly but is a little bit finer, I think, which is the Sebring coming through,” Kia Ora bloodstock manager Andrew Perryman said.
Kia Ora also has a colt by Fastnet Rock (Danehill) out of champion New Zealand mare O’Marilyn (O’Reilly) and two yearlings by I Am Invincible – a colt out of VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) winner Twilight Royale (Testa Rossa) and a filly out of Group 2-winning sprinter Villa Verde (Not A Single Doubt).
Kia Ora will also offer colts by American Pharoah, Snitzel, Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) and Written Tycoon.
“The philosophy at Kia Ora is to breed the best to the best and results show that through our Easter draft,” Perryman added.
A contingent of New Zealand vendors – Waikato Stud, Little Avondale Stud, Lyndhurst Farm, Jamieson Park, Highden Park and Henley Park – are also supporting the Easter sale.
Selling at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale will start at 10am.
2020 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale catalogue