Cover image courtesy of Inglis
At A Glance
For the second straight day, a colt by Capitalist, in this case Lot 374 from Kitchwin Hills, broke the Classic Sale record, with George Moore Bloodstock/Team Moore Racing parting with $625,000 for him.
Capitalist also had the equal top-priced filly of the day, with Lot 396 selling for $380,000.
China Horse Club picked up the second highest-priced lot of the day, paying $425,000 for Lot 492, a colt by Zoustar.
The Sale retained its hot pace, with the average at $104,959 soaring well above last year's Book 1 mark of $86,980.
The clearance rate is also at historic highs at 89 per cent with 423 lots sold, up from 86 per cent at the end of Book 1 in 2020.
The Sale median is at $80,000, up from the Book 1 median of $75,000.
Book 1 concludes with the final 80 lots, before the Highway session take centre stage.
Capitalist colt a career highlight for McClenahans
Richard and Kim McClenahan may have bred Group 1 winner Hellbent, but the couple, who run Mullaglass Stud at Scone, experienced a whole new high when Lot 374, their colt by Capitalist offered through Kitchwin Hills, sold for an Inglis Classic Sale record of $625,000, to George Moore Bloodstock.
It was the second day in a row a new mark was set for the highest lot sold through this Sale, and the second time it had been set by a second-crop colt by boom Newgate stallion Capitalist, who after Profiteer's win in the R. Listed Inglis Millennium on Saturday, is Australia's leading first-season sire.
Moore, buying on behalf of a Hong Kong client for horses to be prepared by his father John and uncle Gary in their new Australian partnership, won the day, seeing off determined competition to prevail.
Richard McClenahan, who runs Dartbrook Equine Clinic, had purchased the colt's dam, Theatric (Casino Prince), privately after her racing days with the view of sending her to Capitalist. Her dam, Arziki (Tale Of The Cat {USA}), is a half-sister to November Flight (Flying Spur), who is the dam of Aquis stallion and Group 1 winner Pierata and Group 3 winner Ashokan (More Than Ready {USA}).
Lot 374 - Capitalist x Theatric (colt)
"We bought Theatric off Damon Gabbedy. I knew the family well from when I worked at Kitchwin Hills. I always loved Capitalist, so I sent her straight to him," he said.
"We knew he was a nice colt but coming here we thought he might make $150,000 to $200,000. He was very busy all week and they are obviously buying the Capitalists, so we were hopeful.
"We didn't get carried away, we had a $150,000 reserve on him going into the ring. We were hoping the support was there in the ring for him, and the result was unbelievable."
"We were hoping the support was there in the ring for him (Lot 374), and the result was unbelievable." - Richard McClenahan
The McClenahans bred and sold Hellbent for $95,000 at this Sale seven years ago and watched on with pride as he became a Group 1 winner and now a Yarraman Park stallion with his first crop at the sales this year. That was some achievement, but in the aftermath of Monday's success, the couple were celebrating a new milestone.
"We sold Hellbent as a yearling a few years ago and that was a great result, but this is phenomenal, and this blows everything else we have done out of the water," he said.
"It’s the result we had dreamed of. There's plenty of negatives and there are plenty of horses that don't even make their service fees, but when you have day like this, it's phenomenal."
Moore gets his pick of the Sale
Moore was also particularly pleased with the purchase, having identified the colt as his choice of the Sale.
"He is the best horse in the Sale by far. I bought a Capitalist at the Magic Millions Sale, I bought one here. The stallion’s flying. We thought the horse would have made $400,000 but the stallion’s come out and won the big race on the weekend, so the price has gone up 50 per cent," he said.
“We’ve syndicated him and we’ve sold about 50 per cent of him and we have to syndicate the other 50 per cent if anyone wants to come in on him. He will stay in the stable here in Australia and if he is good enough he can continue racing here or race on in Hong Kong at some point."
Moore said the colt loomed as an ideal type for the early 2-year-old races, like his sire, who won the Listed Breeders' Plate before going on to claim the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic and the G1 Golden Slipper.
George Moore | Image courtesy of Inglis
“We are looking for these early 2-year-old, precocious types and Capitalist is doing it right now. We bought the Invader yesterday for exactly the same purpose," he said.
“He’s going to go back to the farm and we’ll break him in fairly quickly and target the early 2-year-old races, maybe the Breeders’ Plate or the Maribyrnong Plate and hopefully he can do the job for us."
McClenahan, who also sold a filly by Capitalist for $260,000 on Sunday, confirmed the colt's dam, Theatric, delivered another quality colt by Capitalist last year and is foal to Coolmore's Magna Grecia (Ire).
Capitalist fillies also in demand
Capitalist also had the equal top filly on the second day, with Lot 396, out of the stakes-winning mare Tricky Zippy (USA) (City Zip {USA}), selling to Wood Park Stud for $380,000 from the draft of Newgate Farm.
Tricky Zippy, who won a Listed race at Saratoga, was a US$135,000 (AU$176,165) purchase for SF Bloodstock at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Sale and delivered an excellent return with her first foal.
Wood Park's Jean Dubois, who will train the filly, felt she looked the right type to make an impression as a 2-year-old.
Lot 396 - Capitalist x Tricky Zippy (USA) (filly)
"She's by the right stallion at the moment, I guess, that's why I have to pay that price and she is out a very fast American family. She is crossed four ways with Mr P, so I like it. She looks precocious, you never know if they are going to be fast," he said.
"Her dam won a Listed race. City Zip bloodlines are full of speed and speed-on-speed was the idea. I looked at her once, she walks well and she does everything well. She is very relaxed, everything you want to see in a filly.
"I looked at her (Lot 396) once, she walks well and she does everything well. She is very relaxed, everything you want to see in a filly." - Jean Dubois
"We won't know what we have got until we get a saddle on her, but she looks precocious."
Capitalist leads all sires on aggregate with 15 lots sold for $3.39 million, ahead of his Newgate barnmate Deep Field on $2.66 million, with 27 sold. Capitalist's sire, Written Tycoon, leads all stallions on average on $233,333 for his three lots.
Another pleasing day for Inglis
Inglis General Manager Bloodstock Sales and Marketing, Sebastian Hutch, reflected on another brilliant day for the Classic Sale.
"As was the case yesterday, there were a number of pleasant surprises through the day and it's led to another very positive day's trade. The clearance rate has actually increased from yesterday, today grossed more than the day before and the average is still very strong," he said.
What has been a hallmark of the Sale is the diversity of the buying bench, with no individual buyer having spent more than $1.5 million, despite nearly $44 million spent.
Sebastian Hutch | Image courtesy of Inglis
"We talk about this Sale that people can come and achieve their objective, respective of what it might be. Maybe people dismiss it as some sort of sales spin, but it's just a fact," Hutch said.
"You look at the people at the top end of the market, buying high-class colts. People are here, buying classic fillies, people trying to buy 2-year-olds buying horses with a pedigree. Every profile of horse is accessible here and that is part of the development of the Sale.
"There are still opportunities for people who want to participate in the value part of the market but the quality has certainly increased exponentially over the last five or six years and it is borne out in results on the racetrack and it's a progressive thing, one follows the next. Certainly on the evidence of this year, there is no reason why this Sale isn't going to continue to progress and grow."
China Horse Clubs finds its star
The second top price of the day was achieved for a Zoustar colt, who was sold to China Horse Club for Lot 492.
Bred by Greg and Donna Kolivos of Pierro fame, and offered by Newgate, he is out of the Snitzel mare, Blazing Snitzel, the half-sister to stakes winner Excuse My French (French Deputy {USA}).
Lot 492 - Zoustar x Blazing Snitzel (colt)
Michael Smith of China Horse Club, said the colt had real appeal, being from a cross which has produced two winners from as many runners.
"He was a lovely, good-moving colt out of a fast Snitzel mare. He looks like he'll be a pretty precocious sort and we were delighted to be able to buy him," Smith said.
"We haven't had too many Zoustars, but obviously he's a proven stallion that is on the rise. He's had plenty of good horses and we are keen to find that next good one.
"We haven't had too many Zoustars, but obviously he's a proven stallion that is on the rise." - Michael Smith
"I think he looks like one of the more precocious Zoustars, but you have to take into account that they seem to come into their own as autumn 2-year-olds as he did himself, and then into spring as 3-year-olds."
The result from the Zoustar colt and the Capitalist filly helped Newgate into pole position on the overall aggregate for vendors, with total sales of $3.61 million across 25 sales.
Harron's filly's future is Written
The other filly to sell for $380,000 on the day was Lot 461, a filly by Written Tycoon offered by Woodside Park and purchased by James Harron.
The filly is out of the stakes-placed mare, Ariaz (Charge Forward), who hails from the family of stakes winners Elusive Touch (Elusive Quality {USA}), Shelbourne Lass (Brocco {USA}) and Anjana (Sepoy).
"She's a lovely filly who we purchased with Richard and Michael Freedman for a filly partnership. She is a really strong type of filly, a great mover and has great depth of girth. She's very forward and paraded very well all week," Harron said.
"She looks to have great strength and great mind. She has got growing and developing to do but she looks like a really good, strong sprinting type. She's out of a Charge Forward mare, and he's done very well as a broodmare sire. It's a good running fast family and fast-looking filly."
Lot 461 - Written Tycoon x Ariaz (filly)
She is the second filly Harron has bought into this week with the Sydney-based Freedman brothers, in what has become a burgeoning partnership.
"We put together a partnership and got a couple of fillies last year and the same this year. Now they are coming along and we have a few stepping out in the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a lovely group of owners involved. We are just looking to get these nice fillies with a good pedigree that can run," he said.
Harron also spent $360,000 on a colt by Invader offered by Bell River Thoroughbreds. Lot 514 is out of the Listed winner Cariad (Sequalo), making him a three-quarter brother to stakes-placed Cardiff (Snitzel) and half to two other winners.
Harron has been involved in the purchase of six yearlings on the first two days, some in partnership and some in his own name, spending $1.845 million. Because of the way leading buyers are counted, with partnerships treated separately, he is not on top of the buyers' list, with the Team Moore Racing having spent $1.44 million across their five lots.
The sale of the filly was also a great result for Woodside Park, which took four yearlings to this Sale and it currently tops the vendor averages on $220,000.
James Price | Image courtesy of Inglis
"We are absolutely stoked. We brought four horses and the aim was to be in the top five vendors on average and we’re sitting on top at the moment, so if we finish there, we’d be absolutely delighted." Woodside Park CEO, James Price, said.
"That was the aim when we selected the horses for the Sale back in September and October and we’ve achieved the results we wanted to, so the whole team here and back at the farm couldn’t be more delighted.
“Since she arrived at the Sale this filly didn’t put a foot wrong. She walked beautifully and when you get the judges like James Harron mentioning that she was perfect yesterday, it puts a good feeling in your stomach. When he is standing out the back nodding away behind a post, you are thinking, ‘oh gosh, I just hope there’s someone there to go with him’. The $380,000 is a lot more than what we could have hoped for.”
Almanzor colt headed to Victoria
For the second day in succession, a colt by Cambridge Stud's first-season sensation Almanzor (Fr) secured a big price, with Victorian trainer Liam Howley coming together with bloodstock agents Bevan Smith and Andrew Williams to pay $360,000 for Lot 309 from the draft of Wentwood Grange.
The result was a great one for the New Zealand vendor, who had to overcome substantial logistical challenges to get their horses and staff into Australia for the Sale.
“That was outstanding, it’s an amazing result for us. Pedigree-wise we had him around $100,000 so it’s great,” Sean Hawkins said.
“He’s a cracking colt, a real stunner. Almanzor has just been sensational in the sales rings this year and we’re rapt.”
“He’s (Lot 309) a cracking colt, a real stunner. Almanzor has just been sensational in the sales rings this year and we’re rapt.” - Sean Hawkins
The colt is out of the winning Stryker mare She Is Stryking, who was also placed in the Listed Murdoch Newell S., and is a grand-daughter of the Listed Maribyrnong Trial S. winner Fashion Victim (Rory’s Jester).
“The mare is still on the farm and she’s got an Almanzor colt at foot and is in foal to Super Seth,” Hawkins said.
Lot 309 - Almanzor (Fr) x She Is Stryking (colt)
The first progeny of Almanzor have been keenly sought at sales across Australia and New Zealand already in 2021 and Howley said he and his partners had a little bit more in reserve to get the colt if needed.
"We thought he made about his money. We set a figure and we snuck in under the figure, so it was a good result for the team," he said.
"He was just a stunning colt. We tried to buy a couple at the Gold Coast and couldn't get near them and he stood out to us a bit more than a couple we liked on the Gold Coast. We think we have got a real athlete.
"He carried himself perfectly, and he vetted out clean. It's tough to do at these sales, you have about 20 on your list and the vet knocks them out pretty quick. He's perfect in all aspects and it's good to get him."
The Group 1-winning trainer has broken out on his own since leaving Macedon Lodge and is based at Kyneton, north of Melbourne.
The final 80 lots of Book 1 of the Classic Sale go under the hammer from 10am on Tuesday, before the Highway Session, which has 184 yearlings catalogued.
"We are really looking forward to tomorrow, because tomorrow there are some really nice horses to sell, with the remaining 80 lots of the main session and the highway session is a really popular part of the Sale," Hutch said.
"Such has been the level competition through the first two days, there are still plenty of people looking to fill orders at a variety of different levels. Tomorrow is a good opportunity to fill those."
Top lots
| 374 | Capitalist | Theatric | Colt | Kitchwin Hills, Scone | George Moore Bloodstock / Team Moore Racing HONG KONG | $625,000 |
| 182 | Capitalist | Mystical Tale | Colt | Davali Thoroughbreds, Luskintyre | James Harron Bloodstock NSW | $600,000 |
| 492 | Zoustar | Blazing Snitzel | Colt | Newgate Farm, Aberdeen | China Horse Club / Newgate Bloodstock NSW | $425,000 |
| 224 | Almanzor | Perfect Offering | Colt | Lime Country Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd, Burradoo | Haras d'Etreham / Cambridge Stud NEW ZEALAND | $400,000 |
| 396 | Capitalist | Tricky Zippy | Filly | Newgate Farm, Aberdeen | Woodpark Stud NSW | $380,000 |
| 461 | Written Tycoon | Ariaz | Filly | Woodside Park Stud, Nagambie, Vic | James Harron Bloodstock/Freedman Brothers NSW | $380,000 |
| 41 | Invader | Hussidora | Colt | Bell River Thoroughbreds, Glen William | George Moore Bloodstock / Team Moore Racing HONG KONG | $375,000 |
| 309 | Almanzor | She is Stryking | Colt | Wentwood Grange, Cambridge, NZ | Liam Howley Racing / Andrew Williams Bloodstock / Bevan Smith Bloodstock VIC | $360,000 |
| 514 | Invader | Cariad | Colt | Bell River Thoroughbreds, Glen William | James Harron Bloodstock Pty Ltd NSW | $360,000 |
| 233 | I Am Invincible | Pioneering | Filly | Yarraman Park Stud, Scone | Star Thoroughbreds / Randwick Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) NSW | $320,000 |
Top buyers
| George Moore Bloodstock / Team Moore Racing | HONG KONG | 5 | $1,440,000 | $288,000 | $625,000 |
| Kavanagh Racing | VIC | 12 | $1,320,000 | $110,000 | $180,000 |
| John Foote Bloodstock | HONG KONG | 7 | $1,265,000 | $180,714 | $270,000 |
| James Harron Bloodstock | NSW | 3 | $1,140,000 | $380,000 | $600,000 |
| Darby Racing / Will Johnson Bloodstock | NSW | 7 | $765,000 | $109,286 | $200,000 |
| Matthew C Smith Racing | NSW | 8 | $765,000 | $95,625 | $160,000 |
| MG Price Racing & Breeding Pty Ltd | VIC | 7 | $760,000 | $108,571 | $150,000 |
| Lindsay Park Racing / Andrew Williams Bloodstock | VIC | 6 | $670,000 | $111,667 | $170,000 |
| James Harron Bloodstock / Freedman Brothers | NSW | 2 | $640,000 | $320,000 | $380,000 |
| Ellerslie Lodge / B Heys | NSW | 3 | $575,000 | $191,667 | $260,000 |
Top vendors by aggregate
| Newgate Farm, Aberdeen | 25 | $3,610,000 | $144,400 | $425,000 |
| Arrowfield Stud, Scone | 28 | $3,305,000 | $118,036 | $200,000 |
| Yarraman Park Stud, Scone | 15 | $2,165,000 | $144,333 | $320,000 |
| Kitchwin Hills, Scone | 11 | $1,760,000 | $160,000 | $625,000 |
| Widden Stud, Widden Valley | 20 | $1,695,000 | $84,750 | $200,000 |
| Sledmere Stud, Scone | 14 | $1,605,000 | $114,643 | $260,000 |
| Lime Country Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd, Burradoo | 11 | $1,465,000 | $133,182 | $400,000 |
| Bell River Thoroughbreds, Glen William | 7 | $1,445,000 | $206,429 | $375,000 |
| Bhima Thoroughbreds, Scone | 18 | $1,372,500 | $76,250 | $180,000 |
| Davali Thoroughbreds, Luskintyre | 6 | $1,125,000 | $187,500 | $600,000 |
Top vendors by average (3 or more sold)
| Woodside Park Stud, Nagambie, Vic | 4 | $220,000 | $880,000 | $380,000 |
| Bell River Thoroughbreds, Glen William | 7 | $206,429 | $1,445,000 | $375,000 |
| Davali Thoroughbreds, Luskintyre | 6 | $187,500 | $1,125,000 | $600,000 |
| Holbrook Thoroughbreds, Scone | 3 | $176,667 | $530,000 | $280,000 |
| Kitchwin Hills, Scone | 11 | $160,000 | $1,760,000 | $625,000 |
| Toolooganvale Farm, Scone | 4 | $156,250 | $625,000 | $270,000 |
| Wentwood Grange, Cambridge, NZ | 3 | $155,000 | $465,000 | $360,000 |
| Tyreel Stud, Agnes Banks | 4 | $152,500 | $610,000 | $200,000 |
| Newgate Farm, Aberdeen | 25 | $144,400 | $3,610,000 | $425,000 |
| Yarraman Park Stud, Scone | 15 | $144,333 | $2,165,000 | $320,000 |
Top sires by aggregate
| Capitalist | 15 | $3,390,000 | $226,000 | $625,000 |
| Deep Field | 27 | $2,662,500 | $98,611 | $280,000 |
| Shalaa | 18 | $2,052,500 | $114,028 | $230,000 |
| Hellbent | 18 | $1,640,000 | $91,111 | $190,000 |
| I Am Invincible | 7 | $1,610,000 | $230,000 | $320,000 |
| Zoustar | 11 | $1,470,000 | $133,636 | $425,000 |
| Russian Revolution | 17 | $1,470,000 | $86,471 | $160,000 |
| Merchant Navy | 18 | $1,465,000 | $81,389 | $220,000 |
| Pariah | 16 | $1,345,000 | $84,062 | $200,000 |
| Invader | 9 | $1,255,000 | $139,444 | $375,000 |
Top sires by average (3 or more sold)
| Written Tycoon | 3 | $233,333 | $700,000 | $380,000 |
| I Am Invincible | 7 | $230,000 | $1,610,000 | $320,000 |
| Capitalist | 15 | $226,000 | $3,390,000 | $625,000 |
| Almanzor | 5 | $194,000 | $970,000 | $400,000 |
| Savabeel | 3 | $176,667 | $530,000 | $200,000 |
| Snitzel | 3 | $153,333 | $460,000 | $200,000 |
| Invader | 9 | $139,444 | $1,255,000 | $375,000 |
| Maurice | 7 | $134,286 | $940,000 | $160,000 |
| American Pharoah | 6 | $134,167 | $805,000 | $160,000 |
| Zoustar | 11 | $133,636 | $1,470,000 | $425,000 |
