Six of the best at Inglis Classic
In no particular order, here is a guide to some of the hot lots on offer at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, which begins on Sunday.
Lot 483: c. Epiphaneia ex Couronne (by Daiwa Major)
On account of Arrowfield Stud
One of the most interesting lots at the sale is this well-balanced, mature bay sent to Arrowfield Stud through its association with the Yoshida family’s Northern Farm powerhouse in Japan.
She’s the only yearling to be offered in Australia this year from the fourth crop of Japan’s new sire-sensation Epiphaneia (Symboli Kris S), the Roberto (Hail To Reason)-line stallion who was the toast of last week’s Japan Racing Association Awards. His son, Efforia, was named horse of the year and champion three-year-old colt after winning three Group 1s and becoming the first Tenno Sho (Autumn) (Gr 1, 2000m) winner of his age since his grandsire, Symboli Kris S (Kris S). Meanwhile, Epiphaneia’s daughter, Circle Of Life, was crowned champion two-year-old filly after winning three from four, including the Juvenile Fillies (Gr 1, 1600m) at Hanshin.
Such is Epiphaneia’s standing, he was the first stallion to cover the great mare Almond Eye (Lord Kanaloa) following her retirement from racing in November 2020. She built on the achievements of her sire, who won the Japan Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) in 2014, by taking out the 2400-metre highlight in 2018 and 2020. The duo have a filly-foal on the ground, while Epiphaneia is also expected to be the first mating for the freshly-retired, six-time Group 1 winner Gran Alegria (Deep Impact).
With a 4×3 cross of Sunday Silence, this pedigree drips with quality. While the filly’s dam, Couronne (Daiwa Major), who was imported in-foal, was unplaced, the stakes-winning second-dam Gold Tiara (Seeking The Gold) is a half-sister to UK Group 1 winner Poet’s Voice (Dubawi) and the granddam of Staphanos (Deep Impact), a stakes winner and three-time Group 1 runner-up in Japan and Hong Kong, who now stands at Novara Park in New Zealand.
“The cross of Epiphaneia with mares by sons of Sunday Silence has worked really well, even though Epiphaneia is out of a mare by a son of Sunday Silence,” says Arrowfield’s Peter Jenkins. “Fourteen stakes horses have been bred on that cross, including Efforia and Circle Of Life.
“Epiphaneia has had three Group 1 winners from his first three crops but also, from a long-term view, what I like the most is this filly is Danehill-free, so she could make a terrific outcross mare. Plus, we know the Roberto sireline crosses very well with the Danehill sireline.”
Lot 558: f. Fastnet Rock ex Fiorentina (by Dubai Destination)
On account of Coolmore Stud
There are only two lots in this sale, both fillies, by the great Fastnet Rock (Danehill) and this one has class and black type in spades.
She’s a half-sister to Silent Sedition (War Chant), who won the William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) but was versatile enough to win at Group 3 level over 1800 metres and place second in a Australasian Oaks (Gr 1) over 2000 metres.
Her unraced dam, Fiorentina (Dubai Destination), has left three other city winners from as many runners, including the stakes-placed Perfect World (Pride Of Dubai) and multiple Melbourne winner Ginger Jones (Gingerbread Man).
The filly’s second dam, Porto Roca (Barathea), was another elite-level victor having taken out the STC Coolmore Classic (Gr 1, 1500m). She subsequently threw ten winners including Monterosso (Dubawi), winner of the Dubai World Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) following his export to Britain.
Fastnet Rock has produced five winners from seven runners from mares sired by Dubai Destination (Kingmambo), who is a shining broodmare sire and is well represented in the south by Silent Sedition. Although, his legacy is exceptional in the north, producing four-time Group 1 winner Postponed (Dubawi), dual Dubai World Cup hero Thunder Snow (Helmet) and Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f)-winning champion Golden Horn (Cape Cross) from mares he has sired.
“This filly has the pedigree and the looks and some serious residual value – she’s got everything,” says Coolmore’s Colm Santry. “She’s a good filly and she should sell very well.
“She’s the best filly we’re taking to the sale, a high–quality filly with good scope and strength. She has a beautiful head and is a very good reflection of what Fastnet Rock leaves.”
Lot 122: c. Capitalist ex One More Tequila (by Onemorenomore)
On account of Newgate Farm
Newgate Farm presents this extremely muscular chestnut by burgeoning sire Capitalist (Written Tycoon), the second foal of a three-time-winning daughter of Onemorenomore (Red Ransom).
Capitalist was top grosser at last year’s Inglis Australian Weanling Sale and his lots included this impressive colt, bought in a major sweep of the auction by Binalong Bloodstock’s Murray Shaw for $180,000, the eighth-highest price of the sale.
The Golden Slipper (Gr 1,1200m)-winning Capitalist currently tops Australia’s second season sires table, after ranking second only to Newgate stud-mate Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) among two-year-old and debut sires last year.
This August colt carries a 4x4x4 cross of the outstanding Last Tycoon (Try My Best), and has a stakes winner in Tequila Knowledge (Knowledge) for a granddam, but it is perhaps more what meets the eye that may pique buyer interest.
“He’s a big, strong, physical colt very much in the mold of his old man,” says Newgate’s Henry Field. “He’s got a huge forearm, big hip, the same attributes as his sire in spades. He’s a very mature, very precocious horse, who looks like he’ll be running in a Breeders Plate.
“Classic is a physical sale, and there’d be very few better physicals on the complex than him, I’d think.”
Lot 284: c. Into Mischief ex Sweet Strike (by Smart Strike)
On account of Yarraman Park Stud
Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday) has been champion North American sire for the past three years, commands the continent’s highest service fee, and has left stars such as 2020 Kentucky Derby (Gr 1, 10f) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (Gr 1, 10f) winner Authentic and Eclipse Award-winning filly Covfefe.
Yet the Group 1-winning son of Storm Cat (Storm Bird)-line sire Harlan’s Holiday has not exactly covered himself in glory here, albeit from limited exposure through 12 offspring to have raced, mostly from mares imported to his home base, Spendthrift Farm’s ill-fated Australian operation.
Yarraman Park is optimistic his record could take an upswing through this yearling, his only colt on offer in Australia this year, and one of his better-bred offspring in this country. The solid-looking bay is from the Smart Strike (Mr. Prospector) mare Sweet Strike, who was in-foal when exported to Australia by Yarraman client Craig Bernick of Glen Hill Farm after her southern hemisphere mating.
Sweet Strike is a half-sister to American Oaks (Gr 1, 10f) winner and triple Grade 1-placed Nereid (Rock Hard Ten), and another stakes-winner in Sea Queen (Lemon Drop Kid), who won up to 1800 metres and ran second in the Belmont Oaks (Gr 1, 10f), giving this colt great potential for versatility.
“He’s a good, tough-looking, hardy sort of colt, and he’s quite well-bred, so hopefully he should be popular,” says Yarraman’s Arthur Mitchell.
“Into Mischief is the most expensive sire in America today. We’re waiting for him to do something here – which is why we thought this colt would probably be better placed in the Classic than one of the bigger sales – but Into Mischief is probably due to get a good horse because his record shows he’s a very good stallion both on dirt and grass.”
Lot 608: f. Pariah ex Hell It’s Hot (by Zeditave)
On account of Tooloonganvale Farm
There should be searing speed from this smooth-walking, October-born bay by the flying San Domenico Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m)-winning Pariah (Redoute’s Choice) from Hell It’s Hot (Zeditave), a near relative of Yes Yes Yes (Rubick).
However, like this filly’s famous half-sister In Her Time (Time Thief), breeder Fred Moses of Kanangra Stud expects her to mature into a very competitive sprinter after her first season or two.
In Her Time didn’t race until she was a spring three-year-old, winning once from six starts that preparation. She then claimed four from five as a spring three-year-old – a campaign foretelling of her later elite-level glories in The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m) at six and the Black Caviar Lightning (Gr 1, 1000m) at seven in 2019.
“Pariah matched up pretty well on bloodlines and there should be plenty of speed there,” Moses says. “At the same time I don’t think it’ll be a two-year-old runner, but given its time it’ll be a pretty handy horse I think.
“We weren’t that happy with her hocks as a youngster but she’s come around very well, and now I’d say she’s probably as good a walker as we’ve had on the farm. We’re very pleased with how she’s come up.”
While some might eschew a dam born in 2002, Moses notes In Her Time’s best years were in the fairly recent past and that “the residual value on a horse like this is enormous. The bloodlines on this page just never stop repeating themselves.”
Hell It’s Hot has had eight runners for six winners. Her dam, Steam Heat (Salieri), threw 13 runners, all of them winners. They also included Carrington Stakes (Listed, 1000m) victor Flaming Hot (County), the city-winning Harlem Heat (Xaar) (dam of stakes-winning Harlem River (Fastnet Rock)), and Sin Sin Sin (Fantastic Light), dam of the aforementioned Everest (1200m) hero and champion three-year-old male, Yes Yes Yes.
Those wanting a blistering Kanangra-bred sprinter should perhaps not wait until the next one, notwithstanding the enticing names involved. She’s by Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) out of Hell It’s Hot!
Lot 353: f. American Pharoah ex Zembu (by Fuji Kiseki)
On account of Gooree Park Stud
Despite very impressive numbers in the northern hemisphere with Group 1 winners in the US, France and Japan, Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) has been something of a slow burner in Australia, although he currently sits a fair tenth among second season sires here.
However, Gooree Stud has high hopes its consistently-producing mare Zembu (Fuji Kiseki) could provide him with a boost through this filly, a half-sister to Group 1 winner Your Song (Fastnet Rock).
A daughter of Japanese sire Fuji Kiseki (Sunday Silence), Zembu has left seven winners from eight runners. They include BTC Cup winner Your Song (Gr 1, 1200m) as well as the dam of Wimbledon (Snitzel), a seven-time winner in Singapore who was stakes-placed.
Goree expects the residual value of this striking September filly to be high, with last spring’s Gloaming Stakes (Gr 3, 1800m) winner Head Of State, a son of American Pharoah, portending better days ahead here in the south.
“She’s a very nice filly. She’s got a good, sharp head, a lovely kind eye and a good hindquarter that a good filly needs,” says Goree’s Peter Ward. “She moves very nicely and she’s from one of Goree’s strongest families.
“And American Pharaoh, he’s flying in Europe and is making a good fist of his stud career in the northern hemisphere, so I’d say there should be some good upside to this filly.”
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Trevor Marshallsea is the best-selling author of books on Makybe Diva, Winx, and Peter Moody