The 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale has been released with 500 lots and not surprisingly there is big representation for our champion sires with I Am Invincible leading the way with 44 entries, but there is no guarantee he’ll produce the sale-topper.
Yarraman Park super sire I Am Invincible had 30 yearlings sell at an average $665,000 at Magic Millions and on paper his draft for Inglis Easter does look stronger on pedigree with Yarraman Park presenting 12 of them or 27%, while Segenhoe, who had an amazing sale at Magic Millions where they sold seven yearlings for $1million or more, have five in their draft.
Arrowfield Stud’s Snitzel has 40 entries and is coming out of Magic Millions where he had 34 yearlings sell at an average $522,206. Arrowfield will offer 14 of his draft so 35% and they appear to be a stronger selection on paper than they took to the Gold Coast. Segenhoe do not have a Snitzel in their draft.
Zoustar has upped the ante over the past 12 months and was the leading sire by winners in the world last year, quite a feat and his 36 yearlings for Inglis Easter come off the back of 33 selling at Magic Millions at an average $472,879. Widden Stud will offer 10 of them, so 27% and Segenhoe and Vinery have four apiece in their respective drafts.
Yulong’s Written Tycoon has 31 entries and was solid enough at Magic Millions with 29 selling at an average $347,241, but no million dollar yearlings. Yulong will present 16 of them at Riverside Stables, so over half of the draft and given they had 100% clearance selling their Written Tycoon’s at the Gold Coast there will be plenty of interest in them and especially the first foal (filly) of two time NZ Horse of the Year Melody Belle.
Newgate based Extreme Choice was the leading Australian based sire by average at Magic Millions with 14 yearlings averaging $667,500 and three of them sold for over $1million with a new benchmark for the son of Not a Single Doubt established with his colt from Wanted Lady selling for $1.6million. Newgate will offer eight of his 11 yearlings for Inglis Easter and have clearly held back his best for this sale.
Juddmonte Farm’s Frankel was the leading sire by average at Magic Millions with four yearlings averaging $825,000 which was pretty favourable buying when you consider he had 18 average 617,788 pounds at Tattersalls October Book 1 which equates to over A$1million. He has 14 at Inglis Easter and 10 of them will be offered by Yulong.
If there is one thing we learned at Magic Millions, it is that the market is not treating Wootton Bassett (GB) as a first season sire as we know it and neither should it. We already know he’s an outstanding stallion, the only question is whether he’ll work as well in the Southern Hemisphere, but who knows he might even be better!
Coolmore shuttler Wootton Bassett has 27 entries for Inglis Easter and was a sensation at Magic Millions where he left the sale-topper and only $2million yearling of the sale with his filly from NZ Horse of the Year Avantage selling to David Ellis for $2.1million. He had 32 yearlings average $465,625 putting him in the same ball park as Zoustar and not that far off Snitzel and I Am Invincible. Coolmore will offer 15 at Inglis Easter, so over half of his draft.
Also from Coolmore, Justify (USA) has the potential to make a big impact at this sale with his nine yearlings coming off an insightful Magic Millions where he had seven yearlings sell at an average $500,714. The stocks of this Triple Crown hero are on the rise globally after his feat of siring six Group I winners last year and having a superstar two year-old colt in Australia in Storm Boy is adding fuel to the fire.
Justify did not shuttle in 2022, so will have no Southern Hemisphere conceived yearlings next year and the FOMO factor could come into play as buyers realise there are very limited opportunities to secure his stock in Australia. The good news is he was back last year at Jerry’s Plains and covered his biggest Australian book so far of 187 mares at a fee of $77,000, so expect to be spoiled for choice in terms of Justify at 2026 yearling sales.
