Premier Concludes with Gains

The premium first three sessions of the 2012 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale came to a close at Oaklands today, with the increases in the overall average and gross.

80% of the yearlings offered over the past three days were sold at an average of $73,616 and median of $60,000, taking the gross past $31million.

"Like the graduates that have been purchased here such as Black Caviar, Sacred Kingdom, Starspangledbanner, Pinker Pinker, Weekend Hussler and Igugu, the Melbourne Premier sale keeps improving year after year," said Inglis Melbourne Director Peter Heagney.

"I would like to thank all our vendors for preparing such quality athletic yearlings to this year's sale, which has resulted in a very strong clearance rate and confirmation that Melbourne Premier is one of the best yearling sales in the Southern Hemisphere."

Four-time Hong Kong Champion Sprinter Sacred Kingdom has been a fantastic flagbearer for the Victorian breeding industry and the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale since being snapped up by trainer Ricky Yiu from the draft of Kornong Stud Farm at the 2005 Melbourne Sale for $200,000.

The son of Encosta de Lago has recorded 17 race victories so far in his career and netted his lucky owner Mr Sin Kan Yuk just under HK$46million (A$5.75million) in prizemoney.

Kornong Stud Farm offered his brother for sale this afternoon as (Lot 478) and the strapping chestnut colt (pictured) was purchased by Victorian trainer Dean Binaisse for $345,000.

Singapore trainer Cliff Brown pounced on the very next lot into the Oaklands ring, going to $260,000 to secure Tyreel Stud's colt (pictured below) by Pins from top filly Crossyourheart (Lot 479) .

Lot 480 , Makybe's Fastnet Rock-Crystal Choir filly(pictured below) , was then bought by Segenhoe Thoroughbreds Australia for $330,000.

Ricky Yiu went to $340,000 to purchase Mill Park's Fastnet Rock colt (Lot 517) which is the first foal of stakes placed mare Elusive Wonder.

Swettenham Stud had the honour of selling Black Caviar from their 2008 Melbourne Premier draft and there was plenty of action around for their Reset-Illusional filly (Lot 592) this year, with the great type eventually knocked down to Malua Bloodstock & Bahen Bloodstock for $230,000.

"It has been very pleasing to see our bloodstock team working well to get private sales done on horses that passed-in over the past three days," said Heagney.

Private sales have taken the clearance rates for the first two days of the sale to 81% and 84% respectively.

Horses passed in over the past three days are all still available for sale via the Inglis Make-An-Offer service.

"Tomorrow we move into Session Two of the sale which has proven a very happy hunting ground for both trainers, pinhookers and agents in the past," Heagney said.

"75% of the 154 yearlings left for us to offer tomorrow are Super VOBIS and VOBIS Gold eligible and with the addition of increased prizemoney here in Victoria we look forward to welcoming everyone out to Oaklands for the final day of the Premier Sale for 2012."

An extra injection of $18.7million into the Victorian industry was announced on Monday by RV Chief Executive Rob Hines, confirming that owners of a VOBIS Gold & Super VOBIS qualified horse will collect $27,185 when winning a standard $15,000 Victorian country race in the 2012-13 racing season.

In Melbourne the owner of a qualified horse winning a standard $80,000 Saturday metropolitan race with a VOBIS Gold & Super VOBIS bonus attached will pocket $78,900.

Session Two, which makes up the final day of this year's offerings at Melbourne Premier, starts at 11am tomorrow.

Top Lots Day Three

Top Lots Overall