The opening session of Inglis's three-day Classic Yearling Sale posted positive results Saturday evening in Sydney, with increases for most figures. Hosted as an evening session for the first time after racing at Randwick, the session saw 97 offered and 78 sold for a total of A$4,411,000, compared to 136 sold for A$6,143,000 on last year's opening day. The buyback rate climbed almost four points to 19.6%; however, the average and median both experienced significant gains, up 25.2% to A$56,551 and 18.4% to A$45,000, respectively. The competitiveness of the buying bench was underlined by the fact that the 78 yearlings sold were signed for by 70 different buyers. Popularity in the sire ranks also proved diverse, with the top 13 yearlings on the day being by 12 different stallions.
Arrowfield's leading sire Snitzel (Aus) was the only stallion to have two in the top 13 Saturday and that included the session-topping colt bought by Louis Mihalyka's Laurel Oak Bloodstock for A$170,000. Consigned by Arrowfield, lot 17–already a half-brother to stakes winners Lady Jivago (Aus) (Beneteau {Aus}–enjoyed a last-minute update Saturday when his 2-year-old half-sister Hussterical (Aus) (Beneteau {Aus}) broke her maiden at Beaumont for trainer Gai Waterhouse.
“I obviously liked his pedigree, and I really liked the currentness of the mare,” said Mihalyka. “More than that, the horse is a real athlete and he looks like a runner.”
“Being by such a hot sire gave him an added conviction, and when Snitzel is inbred through the Easy Date pedigree it has resulted in very successful crosses, and this colt has everything he needs to be a top 2-year-old and 3-year-old,” he added. “His destination is to be confirmed. We have a few more to look at from this sale before we sit down and decide on the correct owner and trainer combination for this colt.”
Snitzel had another colt, lot 39, sell to Sun Bloodstock for A$120,000.
The second-top spot on the day went to a colt from the second-last crop of popular shuttler High Chaparral (Ire). Consigned by Holbrook Thoroughbreds as lot 8, the bay was bought by McEvoy Mitchell Racing for A$160,000. Holbrook sold one other lot during the evening, an All Too Hard filly (lot 32) for A$130,000 to Victorian trainer Ken Keys.
I Am Invincible (Aus), Australia's champion first-season sire of 2013/14, was responsible for the session's top-priced filly, lot 70, hammered down to Sunshine Coast trainer Billy Healy on behalf of Wishbone Farm for A$155,000. The bay was consigned by Yarraman Park, which stands I Am Invincible.
“We signed for the horse on behalf of my major owner Darren Wilson,”said Healy. “I loved the look of the filly from the beginning, and I'm lucky enough Darren did also.”
Another young sire, Smart Missile (Aus), featured on the leaderboard with lot 96, a colt from Redbank North bought by Spicer Thoroughbreds and Lindsay Park Stud for A$145,000. The bay is a descendant of G1 Queen Elizabeth S. winner Dinky Flyer (NZ) (Balmerino {NZ}). Smart Missile's first 2-year-olds are on the track this year. He has not yet had a winner but has three placed horses from seven starters.
Sunday and Monday's sessions of the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale kick off at 10 a.m. local time.
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