Inglis's Classic Yearling Sale kicked off at Riverside Stables on Saturday evening with a new record top price and steep increases across all indicators, as well as a profound influence by Australia's latest sire sensation, I Am Invincible (Aus) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).
The average, median and gross at the Classic sale have all risen each of the past three years, and that trend continued on opening night. A total of 101 yearlings were sold for a clearance rate of 89%, up from 86% on the same evening last year, and at a total spend of A$13,430,000. The average climbed 45.4% to A$132,970, while the median was up 71.4% to A$120,000.
Saturday evening's session also marked the second renewal of the Gold Riband session, which comprised 59 yearlings selected for precocity and eligible for a A$100,000 bonus split between vendor and breeder for the first stakes winner from the session. Figures for that select group also soared: total spend for 56 sold was A$9,160,000. The average was up 25.6% to A$163,571, and the median increased 55.6% to A$140,000.
“This sale has gone to new strengths and I think the buyers are seeing that,” said Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster. “We had the Golden Slipper winner and runner-up last year and people are paying attention to the Classic sale.”
The top nine lots for the evening all came from the Gold Riband offerings, and those were headed by a son of first-crop sire Brazen Beau (Aus), who was secured by agent Justin Bahen on behalf of the Hong Kong-based Orbis Bloodstock for A$480,000. Lot 76 was offered by Tyreel Stud, and is the first foal out of the G3 Typhoon Tracy S. winner Written Dash (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}).
“He was as active tonight as he was at the start of the week,” Bahen said. “I think Brazen Beau is a quality stallion on the way up and this colt, he had such a strong hindquarter and a good brain which I think is most important.”
It was the second time in two tries that the Monds family's Tyreel Stud has sold the top lot of the Gold Riband session, and Linda Monds said, “He was an outstanding individual that was faultless. There was absolutely nothing that could be criticised of him.”
The aforementioned Brazen Beau was the winner of the G1 Coolmore Stud S. and G1 Newmarket H. before being just touched off in unlucky circumstances in Royal Ascot's G1 Diamond Jubilee S. He stands at Darley's Kelvinside Stud and shuttles to Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket. Brazen Beau is from the first crop of Australia's latest sire sensation I Am Invincible (Aus) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who was the leading sire by average with three or more sold at Magic Millions and whose momentum has carried on after a first-season sires' championship.
I Am Invincible's popularity was once again evident at the Classic sale, as in addition to the top lot produced by his sire son, the Yarraman Park resident provided the next three most expensive lots and four of the top 10. Craig Rounsefell of Boomer Bloodstock and trainer Tony Gollan went to A$475,000 for Carramar Park's fourth foal out of Sonnenblume (Aus). Lot 66 is bred to fly, being out of a 900-metre winner by Exceed and Excel (Aus) who is out of a G1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) winner and a three-quarter sister to a CF Orr (1400m) winner.
Lot 88 represented the same cross of I Am Invincible over Exceed and Excel, and Yarraman Park's offering went the way of China Horse Club for A$380,000. The bay is out of Camporella (Aus), a multiple stakes winner including the G3 WATC Sires' Produce S. The colt's 2-year-old full-sister is a winner.
I Am Invincible also provided the session's highest-priced filly, Bhima's lot 96 who went the way of Guy Mulcaster for A$340,000. She is the third foal out of the Encosta de Lago (Aus) mare Demonstrable (Aus), and traces back to the great producer Dancing Show (Nijinsky), responsible for Redoute's Choice (Aus) et al. I Am Invincible ended the evening as leading sire by average, his five to sell averaging A$327,000.
Brazen Beau led all first-season sires by average, his two to sell averaging A$305,000, and his Kelvinside barnmate Shooting To Win (Aus) was next with two averaging A$180,000. Rubick was another young gun to perform well, his three sold averaging A$148,333 and including a A$290,000 colt. With greater numbers going for them, Newgate barnmates Dissident (Aus) and Deep Field-a full-brother to Shooting To Win-also performed well, averaging A$141,429 and A$118,056, respectively.
Reigning champion sire Snitzel (Aus) had just one offered on Saturday, a colt out of the well-related American mare Suzy Smart (Smart Strike) (Lot 70) that went to trainer Matthew Smith for A$170,000, but Snitzel's half-brother Hinchinbrook, who stands alongside I Am Invincible at Yarraman Park, was plenty popular. He had three sell for A$200,000-plus and six six-figure lots total.
The Inglis Classic Yearling Sale continues through Feb. 13.
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