The opening day of the 2016 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale saw vibrant trade throughout the two sessions, with a Fastnet Rock (Aus) (Danehill) filly topping the day's trade when selling for A$675,000, a record price for a filly at Inglis Premier. Overall 112 lots changed hands for an aggregate of A$15,148,000 (+31.6%), at an average price of A$135,250 (+54%). The clearance rate was 82% (-5%) and the median came in at A$120,000 (+41%). The abovementioned sale topper, lot 47, was purchased by Mornington trainer Pat Carey and Group One Bloodstock. Consigned by Adam Sangster's Swettenham Stud, the filly is out of stakes perfomer Hidden Energy (Aus) (Dehere), who has already bred the listed-placed filly Kinetic Design (Aus) (Master Of Design {Aus}).
“She's a very well-balanced filly and she filled all our selection criteria on correctness and she looked like the type of strong athlete that you need,” noted Pat Carey. “She's by Fastnet Rock and he needs no introduction–his fillies have been outstanding. The client that purchased the horse is keen to invest in fillies for breeding down the track, and she's from a family that produces top-class fillies and they have enormous residual value attached to them. I knew that this type of page wasn't going to come cheap and we were well prepared for that. The market is hot for these types of fillies.”
The second top-priced lot of the day was another daughter of Fastnet Rock, which sold from the Blue Riband Session. The filly, lot 118, offered from the draft of Blue Gum Farm, is out of a half-sister to Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) (Danehill) and four other stakes winners. She
was secured with a bid of A$460,000 from South African trainer Brett Crawford, who was back at the Premier Sale after securing the top lot last year for A$560,000.
Blue Gum Farm also offered a Street Cry (Ire) (Machiavellian) colt, lot 113 that was knocked down to Aquanita Racing for A$375,000, the highest-price colt of the day. The above lots cemented a successful edition of the Blue Riband Session, now in its fourth year, which offers yearlings bred and conformed to excel over middle and staying distances. A total of 37 lots sold at an average of A$189,000, up 41% on last year.
“The decision to hold the Blue Riband session on the first day of the sale has given the bulk of the population who visited on Sunday the chance to experience the theatre of active and aggressive bidding, which continued through to the final lot that sold for A$300,000,” said Inglis Victorian Manager Simon Vivian. “It was an exciting day on a range of fronts and we acknowledge the support from both vendors, who presented top-quality horses, and from the national and international buyers who provided strong competition on many of the lots through the ring today. While there have been some outstanding results, there has also been excellent buying, with plenty more to come over the next three days.”
An added positive from the opening day was the number of new faces at the sales complex. These potential investors were utilising the Syndicators Centre on the TAB Lawn behind the pre-parade ring. The centre featured 14 syndicators and will be open again all day Monday.
Vivian added, “The Sydnicators' Centre appears to have been well received with a significant number of enquiries having been made by people not previously involved in racehorse ownership. We are delighted to give companies a platform to feature their services, and to give people a chance to open the door to becoming involved in our spectacular sport.”
Day two of the auction starts at the earlier time of 10:30 a.m. local time Monday, where lots 151 to 362 will be offered. For complete results, visit www.inglis.com.au.
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