The highest-priced 2YO ever sold at an Inglis Ready2Race Sale – and the most expensive breeze up horse sold in Australasia in 15 years – today topped what was the highest-grossing 2YO sale in Australian history.
Ciaron Maher Bloodstock teamed up with Mat Becker’s G1 Bloodstock to secure lot 223, a Dundeel x Lady Moura colt of Baystone Farm for a sale record price of $750,000.
The new record came on a big day of action at Riverside that saw:
*A new record gross of $15,646,500, making the 2022 renewal the most successful breeze up sale ever held in Australia
*Intense activity at the top of the market – 24 horses sold for $200,000 or more while 60 horses realised $100,000 or more, both significant increases on last year
*Some spectacular pinhook results, none better than the top lot which saw a $210,000 yearling develop into a $750,000 2YO. Other big pinhooks included lot 54 ($50,000 Easter yearling into $300,000 today for Will Forrester), lot 78 ($105,000 at the Premier Yearling Sale which today realised $400,000 for Hannover Lodge), lot 110 ($120,000 Premier Yearling Sale purchase for Tal Nolen who sold him today for $550,000), lot 136 (Baystone Farm bought him for $80,000 as a yearling and today he realised $460,000) and lot 144 ($25,000 Great Southern Weanling into a $260,000 2YO today for Riversley Park)
*The domestic and international buying bench both were active, with local trainers including Chris Waller, Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Annabel Neasham, Price Kent Racing, Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, Greg Hickman, Robbie Griffiths and Mat de Kock, Greg Eurell, Kerry Parker, John McArdle etc all securing stock while the Hong Kong, Singapore and Macau spend was all significantly up from last year.
The day’s top lot (pictured) came after a fierce bidding war between several prospective buyers before Maher and Becker proved too strong for the Dundeel juvenile.
Maher hopes the colt – who had previously won a jump out at Flemington ahead of today’s sale – will develop into a Guineas horse next year.
“He’s such an elegant horse and hopefully he can run like his sire,’’ Maher said.
“He seems a ready-made horse, he trialled up really well and the form out of his trial is quite good already. We knew we’d have to pay a fair bit for him but we probably had to go a couple bids more than I expected to but for a nice horse you normally do.
“He’s got a lovely action, he’s such a beautiful horse, he’s been well educated, he’s trialled, he’s been down the [Flemington] straight and had a good look at Headquarters so hopefully he can go back there on race day.’’
For Baystone’s Dean Harvey, the result was beyond his wildest expectations.
“We knew we had a really good product, but we didn’t come here expecting that sort of money,’’ an elated Harvey said.
“All the good judges had him on their list, he vetted really well and he’s a stunning individual and we’d already produced him to win a trial down the straight.
“I think the market had full confidence in that and it showed in the ring.”
Earlier in the day veteran horseman Tal Nolen, who has been breezing up horses for “at least 20 years’’, had never enjoyed a result as big as he did today.
Having purchased a Deep Field x Alterney colt at this year’s Premier Yearling Sale at Oaklands for $120,000, Nolen today reaped the rewards of a “pinhook of a lifetime’’ when that same colt sold for $550,000.
The colt, who had breezed up in a catalogue-fastest time of 10.10secs, was purchased by Olly Koolman on behalf of Hong Kong trainer Francis Lui.
“This is top of the tree. I didn’t expect that sort of money, that’s for sure. When the bidding started off I was a little nervous but once they kicked into it, it felt good,’’ Nolen said.
“We bought him at Inglis Premier thanks to [Inglis Senior Bloodstock Consultant] Will Stott, he put me on to him so we’ve really got to give Will the credit for this one.
“We had a $200,000 reserve on the horse and hoped for $300,000. I never saw $550,000 coming, that’s for sure.’’
Koolman added: “We get a great deal out of this sale in general. All the drafts here have been well presented and professionally managed.
“[Breeze up] time helps me sell a horse but it doesn’t necessarily sell a horse to me. I was particularly taken by the way in which he breezed, not necessarily the time in which he did it.
“The time isn’t really do or die for me, I just like to see how they go about it and how they present themselves on sale day with some noise and fanfare around them because that’s what they’re going to get on race day.’’
Today’s sale ended with an average of $107,907 and median of $80,000, both on par with last year’s sale despite a significantly larger catalogue.
Inglis Bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch was pleased to see so many positive results from the days trade.
“I think the results of today’s renewal of the Inglis Ready2Race Sale kept the momentum this auction has generated the past couple of years really moving forward because this is the best group of horses any Australian 2YO sale has ever seen and plenty of them sold really well,’’ Hutch said.
“The horses who vetted well in particular were very popular with buyers and there was tremendous activity on those horses when they entered the ring.
“The Asian representation in the buying bench was instrumental and while the domestic participation was present, it wasn’t at the level of the last couple of years, as we had anticipated in advance of the sale.
“We’ve already sold a significant number of horses since the fall of the hammer on the last lot and I expect the clearance rate to continue to grow as buyers identity value in some of the remaining lots.’’
To enquire about a passed in lot from today’s sale, contact Inglis Senior Bloodstock Consultant Harry Bailey on 0420 997 417.
Buyers’ attention now turns to the online space with the Inglis Digital October (Early) Sale closing for bidding from midday tomorrow.
The catalogue of 256 entries includes 160 racehorses (including 83 race fillies), 53 broodmares, 20 yearlings, 19 racehorse shares and four unbroken stock.
To view the catalogue or to participate in the sale CLICK HERE.
2022 INGLIS READY2RACE SALE (2021 stats in brackets)
Sold: 145 (103)
Clearance: 66% (82%)
Average: $107,907 ($113,947)
Median: $80,000 ($80,000)
Gross: $15,646,500 ($11,736,500)
