Etak Thoroughbred’s decade long tradition of trading weanlings will enter a new chapter at this week’s Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, with a draft of four to be offered under Jilly Henderson’s Noogee Park Thoroughbreds.
Whilst Etak horses have resided with Henderson for almost 20 years, this year’s sale is a debut into the weanling arena for the boutique farm.
“In the past Jilly has prepped the weanlings, and then sent them to vendors such as Shadwell Farm or Twin Hills to be offered as part of their drafts. However, this year with Covid-19 I thought it best to keep the horses close to home due to the uncertainty,” Etak Principal Katherine Nivison said.
Nivison has had great success in the past selling weanlings and gets great satisfaction out of seeing purchasers succeed with her stock, both at the sales and on the track.
Most recently, Jazcom Thoroughbreds recorded a sales topping record at the 2020 Scone Yearling Sale, with a son of Toronado selling for $180,000 after being sold at the 2019 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale for the value price of $10,000.
Other notable successes include Group 2 winner Nicoscene ($23,000 weanling, pinhooked for $85,000 as a yearling) and Group 3 placed Problem Solver ($54,000 weanling, pinhooked for $160,000 as a yearling).
The class of 2020 is headlined by Lot 313, a son of Coolmore sire So You Think, who has come of age this season, sitting just outside the top ten on the Australian General Sires Table by earnings with 9 individual stakes winners.
The colt is from the three-time winning mare Molly Rocks, dam of four winners from four to the track, with this mating the best opportunity the mare has had to date.
Lot 80 is a colt by Widden’s freshman sire, Outreach, who has had a good season with five juvenile winners headlined by the metro winning State of Class.
The colt’s pedigree exudes precocity with inbreeding to two-year-old sire influences Danehill and Snippets in the first three generations. He is a half-brother to the six-time winner Slydini.
Many will be waiting with anticipation to see the progeny of Australian Champion 2yo Colt Capitalist and Australian Champion 3yo Colt Flying Artie hit the track in the new season.
Lot 122 is a son of Flying Artie from the family of Hong Kong Horse of the Year Beauty Generation.
Lot 205 is by Capitalist from a half-sister to Wyong Magic Millions winner Problem Solver.
“The boys are there to be sold. One of the main reasons I chose to concentrate on weanlings ten years ago was that it allows me to dedicate my attention fully to planning for my mares. This year I feel that it’s even more critical to make the right stallion choice for my mares.”
The four colts are available for inspection now at Barn H.
