Rain Doesn't Dampen Easter Parade

Sydney, AUSTRALIA–Inglis stages its flagship Easter Yearling Sale amidst its 150th anniversary celebrations at Newmarket in Sydney this week, with the action kicking off at 12 p.m. on Tuesday and continuing through Thursday. Part I of the sale has 404 yearlings catalogued, with 75 set to sell in Part II on Thursday afternoon.

The persistent rain in Sydney was punctuated by intermittent sunny skies on Monday, and Inglis National Bloodstock Director Jonathan D'Arcy said even the clouds throughout the weekend had kept few away.

“Apart from Thursday, when it pretty much rained all day, most of the horses got in Monday or Tuesday and a lot of the buyers started looking Wednesday,” said D'Arcy. “Talking to a couple vendors yesterday, they said it was their busiest Sunday for years. I don't think the weather has really impacted on it. People have got around and done their inspections so we're looking forward to seeing good competition.”

The Australian yearling market has drawn increased attention from international buyers in recent years, and many of the same faces have flown in for the sales this week.

“It's been great to see some new faces on the grounds, people like Jacob West and Gatewood Bell and some of the Europeans that haven't been down for a while, and I understand that quite a few people are now looking at Australia seriously in terms of investing,” D'Arcy said. “I think that's because the racing here is seen to be for everyone. It's not dominated by the elite, and I think that's proven by the result of the Golden Slipper. The winner is raced by a group of battlers who paid A$20,000 for a filly, and then the following week you get an expensive Snitzel colt [Invader] winning the [G1] Sires' Produce and in between you've got the Galaxy winner [Russian Revolution] who was an expensive yearling. All in all it's been pleasing to see a wide cross-section of buyers in town this week. A smaller catalogue has meant that there's more horses coming out more often, so the vendors are happy. Hopefully no one leaves having not spent some money or filled an order.”

Europe is also well-represented by visitors to Sydney this week, and they will see plenty of familiarity in the catalogue, with progeny of Frankel (GB), Sea The Stars (Ire) and Shamardal alongside yearlings from plenty of Europe's most prolific families.

“We're seeing the same old faces like Angus Gold and Hubie de Burgh, and it's good to see Harry Herbert down with Highclere. They bought last year and I think they're looking to get more involved in Australian racing. They've got a young Australian fellow on their staff now, Dane Robinson, and I think that's an indication that they're interested in pushing Australia on a world stage, which I think can benefit both Australia and Highclere.”

Another European-based operation making a significant impact in Australia is the Aga Khan's Studs, which teams with Arrowfield Stud again to offer five yearlings.

“We're very happy with the inspections,” said the Aga Khan's French studs manager Georges Rimaud. “The reports are very good from the Arrowfield team and we're very lucky to be a part of the team with a very good draft this year.”

The Aga Khan/Arrowfield offerings include a pair by Arrowfield shuttler Animal Kingdom, who has enjoyed two first-crop winners in recent weeks including 'TDN Rising Star' Earth Angel (Aus).

“We have two Animal Kingdoms, one of them at the beginning (lot 1),” Rimaud said. “He's a beautiful horse, with a lot of scope and correct. Animal Kingdom is a new promising sire. There's been quite a few good words about his offspring and a couple winners.”

The partnership will also offer a trio by Arrowfield's three-time champion sire and former Aga Khan shuttler Redoute's Choice: lot 47, a colt out of a half-sister to Azamour (Ire); Lot 193, a filly out of G3 Prix du Bois winner Keratiya (Fr) (Iron Mask); and lot 220, a filly out of the stakes-placed Mandistana (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}) from the immediate family of triple Australian Group 1 winner Manighar (Ire) (Linamix {Fr}).

The Aga Khan Studs is in its sixth year selling yearlings in partnership with Arrowfield, and currently has nine mares Down Under. Rimaud said with the success they have had, there are plans to expand.

“We've had a few runners now that are really showing good quality,” he noted. “Azazel (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) was one of them who won a stakes first-time out, and Whisky Baron (Aus) (Manhattan Rain {Aus}) was another horse in South Africa who won the richest race there [the G1 Sun Met], and a few others here and there. We're very hopeful that people are starting to recognize the capacity of our families to perform here and hopefully this will translate to good sales.”

It isn't just the Aga Khan's graduates that are returning results. D'Arcy noted that the Easter sale from two years ago has already yielded five Group 1-winning colts including Heavenly Blue (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), winner of the G1 SA Classic on the weekend for trainer Mike de Kock.

“A lot of people come to Easter to try to buy a colt with stallion potential, and to produce five Group 1-winning colts out of one sale is quite phenomenal,” D'Arcy said. “The people who bought [G1 Sistema S. winner and Sires' Produce second] Summer Passage are on the grounds here again looking to replicate what they did, and Mike de Kock and his owners from South Africa are just delighted with the success they've had the last couple years. The graduates from our sales rings have done a very good job and that's the greatest advertisement we can have.”

“Some of the agents I've spoken to, there just seems to be a great appreciation of the opportunities with Australian bloodstock at the moment,” D'Arcy added. “Whether it's buying colts to become stallions or fillies with international pedigrees, I think they're affordable here and on the world stage they're great value for money.”

American-based agent Jacob West of Three Chimneys Farm is visiting the Easter sale for the first time, while agent Gatewood Bell is back after a lengthy hiatus. Both said they are enjoying their experience at the sales as well as at The Championships on Saturday.

“It's a global game and I like to see what everyone else is doing,” Bell said. “Down here it's a model that's a lot of fun, with great communication and great prizemoney, so I think it's something some American owners would enjoy, and really I came down just to check it out.”

“There are a lot of really nice horses, which you'd expect to see, and they've taken good care of us,” he added. “It definitely beats going on spring break with my mother-in-law.”

West said, “I got approached in September by the guys here to come down and see it. You read in the publications everything that's going on down here but you don't really understand the magnitude of what it is until you get down here. Once you get down here you see that it's pretty unbelievable. Going to Randwick on Saturday and seeing the race day was unbelievable, from the attendance to the way everything was at the track.”

West said he has seen some differences between American and Australian yearlings, and a high level of quality.

“The horses here are different types as to what's back home, but they're athletic in their own way and you can see why they can run,” he said. “They have good bone and structure, good builds and frames, good walks and all the stuff we like back home too.”

Perennial leading consignor John Muir offers 13 yearlings through his Milburn Creek consignment, and he said inspection numbers have been high.

“There are 58 scratches in the sale so that diminishes the catalogue a bit, but I've been coming here for many years and I think we've been as busy as we've ever been. We've had showers but it hasn't been torrential in the last couple of days and it hasn't kept anyone away–they want to have a look rain, hail or shine.”

Milburn Creek's draft includes an Exceed and Excel (Aus) colt who is the first foal out of Muir's multiple Group 1 winner Secret Admirer (Aus) (Dubawi {Ire}) (lot 334).

“I raced Secret Admirer myself,” Muir said. “She won the Flight S. and the Epsom H. and she was placed in another eight Group 1 races. She never knew how to give in and her foal is very well grown. He's been very popular.”

Muir also offers a Tapit colt (lot 122) on behalf of breeder Spendthrift Australia. He is out of GIII Honeybee S. winner Euphrosyne (Harlan's Holiday).

“He's been extremely popular,” Muir said. “Tapit is a great sire in the United States. Spendthrift Farm have given us the honour of preparing the horse for them and he's been very, very popular.”

The Inglis Easter sale kicks off daily at 12 p.m. local time.