Session I of Inglis's Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale drew to a close on Tuesday with increases in average and median. A total of 430 yearlings were sold over three days for A$52,880,000 (up from 466 sold for A$51,578,000 last year). The average climbed 11% to A$122,977, while the median jumped 18% to A$100,000. The clearance rate of 85% was down slightly from 88% last year. Twenty-two horses sold for A$300,000 or more (two more than last year), while six sold in excess of a half-million, up from two last year. Twenty-five sires were represented among the 63 lots purchased for A$200,000 or more. Tuesday's session was topped by a A$625,000 son of Snitzel (Aus), which proved to be the sale's second-highest price, while a daughter of All Too Hard (Aus) returned the sale's highest price for a filly at A$500,000.
“The end result is so pleasing on every front,” said Inglis's Victorian Bloodstock Manager Simon Vivian. “The vendors did a great job presenting the horses and were rewarded accordingly and the buyers bought very well with some extremely high-quality yearlings in the catalogue. To have eclipsed last year's gross with less horses offered is testament to the strength of that.”
Tuesday's session-topping Snitzel colt (lot 425) was offered by Rosemont Stud and picked up by Sun Bloodstock. His unraced dam Consistency (Aus) (All Bar One {Aus}) is a half-sister to the dam of Snitzel's Group 1-winning Snitzerland (Aus) and Group 3-winning Sooboog (Aus). Sun Bloodstock's David O'Callaghan, who had also signed for a Not A Single Doubt (Aus) colt for A$520,000 on Monday, said, “We got the two colts we came to the sale to buy so we leave happy. The Snitzel's got a good, fast pedigree, there's plenty of speed there and that's what we were looking for. This bloke is very good-looking, he's by the right stallion, and now we try to turn him into a stallion himself.” Rosemont's Anthony Mithen added, “He's sound, he's healthy and he's going to a great home in Sun Stud so I'm really pleased. Congratulations also to Ed McKeon of Palya Bloodstock who bred the colt.”
Rosemont also sold the day's third-highest priced yearling, a filly by first-season sire Zoustar (Aus) (lot 495) sold for A$360,000.
All Too Hard is yet to notch a winner from his first crop, but is nonetheless Australia's second-leading first-season sire by prizemoney earnings. Little Kwok Hing Hung therefore opted to take a chance on a daughter of the Vinery resident when going to A$500,000 for lot 496 on Tuesday. The bay is out of the stakes-placed Fuhrnatic (Aus) (Langfuhr), whose two foals to race thus far are both winners. Hung, working in conjunction with agent Justin Bahen, bought last year's Premier sale topper, the Listed Talindert S. winner Ducimus (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), and the Hong Kong resident also bought a A$620,000 son of Snitzel during the sale's opening session. The filly was offered by Supreme Thoroughbreds, which finished the sale as leading vendor by aggregate, selling 26 horses for A$3,492,500.
“We're called Team Supreme and it really was a supreme team effort,” said the operation's Brent Grayling. “We've sold to Hong Kong, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, a great example of the diverse buying bench that's at the sale and we're very proud of what we've achieved the past three days.”
Aquis Farm and Blue Sky Bloodstock went to A$350,000 to secure a son of Written Tycoon (Aus) (lot 524) from the Bombora Downs draft. He is out of Hot Spa (Spartacus), a full-sister to the dam of Written Tycoon's G2 Danehill S. winner and G1 Caulfield Guineas-second Rich Enuff (Aus).
Session II of the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale begins at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
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