Cover image courtesy of Inglis
At A Glance
The Sale average after Day 1 is at $18,986, an increase on the $14,876 of last year's heavily COVID-19 impacted Sale, and also up on the overall 2019 mark of $18,186.
The Sale median sits at $11,000, up on $10,000 last year and level with 2019 levels.
The clearance rate sits at 80 per cent, compared to 72 per cent in 2020 and 89 per cent across the Sale in 2019.
Just short of $2.3 million changed hands across 121 sales, putting it on track to easily surpass the aggregate of each of the past two years.
Andrew Lafontaine and Peter Macvean secured the day's top lot, who is out of stakes-placed Chateau Griffo (Sebring).
John Sadler went to $100,000 to purchase an All Too Hard half-sister to his smart 2-year-old Starry Legend (Zoustar).
A Toronado (Ire) colt was the other lot to go for six figures, selling to RM Racing and Mark Cook for $100,000.
Pondarosa Park's quick return on Capitalist colt
The second crop of Capitalist has been well sought-after at so many yearling sales in 2021 and so it proved again at Oaklands Junction on Sunday as Andrew Lafontaine and Peter Macvean went to $115,000 for a colt by the star young stallion.
Capitalist has made an incredible start with his first crop on the track, with 15 winners in total, highlighted by G1 Champagne S. winner Captivant, and that has only heightened interest in his current crop of yearlings.
Pondarosa Park presented Lot 160, who is the first foal out of G3 Blue Diamond Preview placegetter Chateau Griffo (Sebring), and achieved an outstanding result, having purchased him for $45,000 less than three months ago from the Widden Stud draft at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.
Lot 160 - Capitalist x Chateau Griffo (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
“I expected him to get to $100,000 but we were over the moon that he got to $115,000," Pondarosa's Paul Kelly said.
“He’s always been a nice type, he’s just an outstanding individual ever since we got him on the farm and it’s a credit to all the staff at Ponderosa Park as this is the first time we’ve ever topped a sale day.”
“He’s (Lot 160) always been a nice type, he’s just an outstanding individual ever since we got him on the farm and it’s a credit to all the staff at Ponderosa Park as this is the first time we’ve ever topped a sale day.” - Paul Kelly
Lafontaine and Macvean saw off the competition from 360 Bloodstock to land the Capitalist colt, who will be trained at Moe by Craig Blackshaw.
“He’s a lovely type out of a Group-placed stakes-winning mare which gives us hope that he will get up and running early and Capitalist has been absolutely flying which ticks a couple of boxes," Lafontaine said.
“He’s a really correct type, not overly big but looks like he’ll get up and running early.
“I came here looking for just the one and he was the one that I wanted."
The dam, Chateau Griffo, is out of stakes-placed Moulin Rouge (Commands) and was purchased for $155,000 in foal with this colt at the 2019 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. She has a weanling colt by Trapeze Artist and missed to Zousain last year.
Sadler gets a little Starry
Starry Legend (Zoustar) made quite an impression with his two wins for John Sadler earlier in the autumn and the trainer was happy to go to $100,000 to get his half-sister, by All Too Hard, from the draft of Blue Gum Farm.
The Bon Ho-owned Starry Legend won well at Sandown and Bendigo in February and March, before finishing fourth in the VOBIS Gold Showdown at Caulfield.
Sadler said there weren't that many similarities between Lot 33, who was offered by Blue Gum Farm, and her half-brother, but it was a family worth investing in.
Lot 33 - All Too Hard x Savsenga (filly) | Image courtesy of Inglis
“It’s a lot of money to spend at this Sale and I only bought her because she was the half to Starry (Legend) and I’m hoping he can make the page very good for her,” he said.
“She’s nowhere near as good as him on type, she doesn’t look anything like him but I didn’t dislike her without being over the moon.
“However, there wasn’t enough to put me off buying her and obviously there was another person there who liked her enough and that made us pay about $45,000 more than we would’ve had to if he wasn’t there as he was the only bidder from $55,000 on."
The pedigree page lacks any black type in the past two generations, but this filly's third dam is the multiple international Group 1 winner Intrepidity (GB) (Sadler's Wells {USA}).
John Sadler
Breeder Phil Wilton paid $8000 for the filly's dam Savsenga (Reset) six years ago and she has returned $500,000 on Starry Legend and now $100,000 for this filly.
“John Sadler is of the firm belief that Starry Legend is a Group 1 winner in the making and no one would know better than John," Blue Gum's, Philip Campbell, said.
“John Sadler is of the firm belief that Starry Legend is a Group 1 winner in the making and no one would know better than John." - Philip Campbell
“She had nice length, her x-rays and scope were good, and she could really move and there were a lot of people who liked her. Greg Eurell was the underbidder and when you get good judges like John and Greg on your horses, they want to buy the ones they like not the ones they don’t.
“So, it didn’t completely surprise me that she went for what she did, and it was a nice result."
Glass half full
Blue Gum Farm also got a strong result of $72,000 for Lot 58, a colt by Glass Harmonium (Ire) out of Starlet O'Hara (Galileo {Ire}), who was purchased by Eurell.
“Glass Harmonium’s winners-to-runners ratio is exceptionally good. It’s just a crying shame that he’s not the most fertile animal because his horses run and run well," Campbell said.
“This horse is a half to a Group placegetter out of a Galileo mare and he was an absolute dead-spit of Galileo. He was really well-admired, and it didn’t surprise me that he made that sort of money."
It was the highest price ever for a yearling by Glass Harmonium.
Lot 58 - Glass Harmonium (Ire) x Starlet O'Hara (colt)
Toronado colt fetches $100,000
Swettenham Stud's Toronado (Ire) has enjoyed a breakout season with his progeny on the track and that was undoubtedly a factor as Mark Cook and RM Racing combined to pay $100,000 for a colt of his offered by Bombora Downs.
Lot 140 is out of Bluegrass Danni (Danetime {Ire}), the half-sister to Group 2 winner Marasco (Scenic {Ire}) and Siesta Bay (Scenic {Ire}) from a family which has produced a host of Western Australian stakes winners.
"We thought that $80,000 would stop him and then when we got here to the Sale and saw the way the horses were selling, we moderated that to $50,000," Bombora Downs' Christoph Bruechert said.
“But to be honest today I didn’t think he’d hit $100,000 but when we floated figures early in the week it wasn’t unrealistic the way the Toronados are going.
“The mare is a good, solid type herself and while she hasn’t had any superstars, five from her six foals have won and a few have been quite useful."
Lot 140 - Toronado (Ire) x Bluegrass Danni (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Bruechert said while the colt had furnished more through his yearling preparation, he might be a horse that requires some time.
“I think he will need a bit of time he’s very open in the knees still and I would be surprised to see him really early but he’s certainly strong enough to get on with work. He can be broken in immediately, but I think him getting into serious work is a little while away,” he said.
Bluegrass Danni, who has produced five winners, had a Jungle Ruler filly last year and then visited Palentino.
A satisfying day's trade
Inglis General Manager Bloodstock Sales and Marketing, Sebastian Hutch, was satisfied with how the first day of the Sale evolved.
“We were pleased with how the Sale's started, a clearance rate of 80 per cent and a turnover of $2.3 million means it’s gone very nicely," he said.
“We’ve tried to put together a market that allows buyers every conceivable opportunity to get their horse sold and when you come out of a day like today with an 80 per cent clearance rate that improved over the morning that is probably the most rewarding thing at this stage."
The competition for those at the top end of the catalogue, as indicated by the three six-figure lots, was another mark of the strength of the market.
“You can never go into a sale expecting results like that but we were cautiously optimistic that the Sale was going to go well from the point of view that the horses that stood out and met the criteria in terms of stallion power, pedigree, physique and vetting would go on to sell well," he said.
Expectations are strong off continued good trade during Monday's session.
“There’s also some really nice horses that we expect will go on and sell really well tomorrow," Hutch said.
“We have a beautiful Extreme Choice (Lot 215) filly to sell tomorrow for Supreme Thoroughbreds and it’s a really nice opportunity for us, she was catalogued for the Premier Sale in March and had a very minor setback.
“She presents here in very good order; she looks very well, and that stallion has done an extraordinary job. So, I expect her to sell really well and that we will have a very positive day tomorrow, as there’s a lot of good-value horses to be found right around the complex.”
Top lots
| 160 | Capitalist | Chateau Griffo | Colt | Ponderosa Park, Nathalia | A Laffontaine / P Macvean VIC | $115,000 |
| 33 | All Too Hard | Savsenga | Filly | Blue Gum Farm, Euroa | John Sadler Racing VIC | $100,000 |
| 140 | Toronado | Bluegrass Danni | Colt | Bombora Downs, Bittern | M Cook / RM Racing NSW | $100,000 |
| 58 | Glass Harmonium | Starlet O'Hara | Colt | Blue Gum Farm, Euroa | G Eurell VIC | $72,000 |
| 78 | Palentino | Tiger's Girl | Colt | Bucklee Farm, Greta West | Michelle Payne Racing / S Azmoun VIC | $70,000 |
| 147 | Toronado | Butterfly Club | Filly | Rosemont Stud, Gnarwarre | G Eurell VIC | $70,000 |
| 18 | Toronado | Red Pixie | Filly | Rosemont Stud, Gnarwarre | B Griffiths VIC | $68,000 |
| 21 | Frosted | Riverina Bella | Filly | Longwood Thoroughbred Farm, Longwood East | Redgum Racing / Rosemont Stud VIC | $55,000 |
| 102 | Reset | Zapurbly | Colt | Springmount, Romsey | S Mathrick VIC | $50,000 |
| 65 | Dundeel | Supersay | Filly | Longwood Thoroughbred Farm, Longwood East | O MacGillivray SA | $42,000 |
Top buyers
| G Eurell | VIC | 2 | $142,000 | $71,000 | $72,000 |
| John Sadler Racing | VIC | 3 | $141,000 | $47,000 | $100,000 |
| S Mathrick | VIC | 5 | $133,500 | $26,700 | $50,000 |
| M Cook / RM Racing | NSW | 2 | $116,000 | $58,000 | $100,000 |
| A Laffontaine / P Macvean | VIC | 1 | $115,000 | $115,000 | $115,000 |
| Michelle Payne Racing / S Azmoun | VIC | 1 | $70,000 | $70,000 | $70,000 |
| B Griffiths | VIC | 1 | $68,000 | $68,000 | $68,000 |
| F Stockdale | VIC | 2 | $60,000 | $30,000 | $40,000 |
| Redgum Racing / Rosemont Stud | VIC | 1 | $55,000 | $55,000 | $55,000 |
| Hancox Bloodstock | VIC | 2 | $48,000 | $24,000 | $27,000 |
Top vendors by aggregate
| Blue Gum Farm, Euroa | 12 | $420,000 | $35,000 | $100,000 |
| Rosemont Stud, Gnarwarre | 5 | $217,000 | $43,400 | $70,000 |
| Bucklee Farm, Greta West | 13 | $211,500 | $16,269 | $70,000 |
| Hollylodge Thoroughbreds, Avenel | 7 | $158,000 | $22,571 | $40,000 |
| Bombora Downs, Bittern | 8 | $133,000 | $16,625 | $100,000 |
| Ponderosa Park, Nathalia | 2 | $116,500 | $58,250 | $115,000 |
| Yulong, Nagambie | 8 | $114,000 | $14,250 | $30,000 |
| Longwood Thoroughbred Farm, Longwood East | 3 | $99,000 | $33,000 | $55,000 |
| Maluka Thoroughbreds, Avenel | 5 | $97,000 | $19,400 | $40,000 |
| Stonehouse Thoroughbreds, Eddington | 3 | $93,000 | $31,000 | $42,000 |
Top vendors by average (3 or more sold)
| Rosemont Stud, Gnarwarre | 5 | $43,400 | $217,000 | $70,000 |
| Blue Gum Farm, Euroa | 12 | $35,000 | $420,000 | $100,000 |
| Longwood Thoroughbred Farm, Longwood East | 3 | $33,000 | $99,000 | $55,000 |
| Stonehouse Thoroughbreds, Eddington | 3 | $31,000 | $93,000 | $42,000 |
| Armidale Stud, Carrick, Tas | 3 | $30,000 | $90,000 | $38,000 |
| Hollylodge Thoroughbreds, Avenel | 7 | $22,571 | $158,000 | $40,000 |
| Maluka Thoroughbreds, Avenel | 5 | $19,400 | $97,000 | $40,000 |
| Bombora Downs, Bittern | 8 | $16,625 | $133,000 | $100,000 |
| Bucklee Farm, Greta West | 13 | $16,269 | $211,500 | $70,000 |
| Yulong, Nagambie | 8 | $14,250 | $114,000 | $30,000 |
Top sires by aggregate
| Toronado | 7 | $344,000 | $49,143 | $100,000 |
| Capitalist | 1 | $115,000 | $115,000 | $115,000 |
| Glass Harmonium | 2 | $108,000 | $54,000 | $72,000 |
| All Too Hard | 1 | $100,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 |
| Reset | 3 | $91,500 | $30,500 | $50,000 |
| Frosted | 2 | $91,000 | $45,500 | $55,000 |
| Palentino | 3 | $74,000 | $24,667 | $70,000 |
| Manhattan Rain | 5 | $71,500 | $14,300 | $35,000 |
| Alpine Eagle | 2 | $70,000 | $35,000 | $38,000 |
| Tivaci | 2 | $64,000 | $32,000 | $32,000 |
Top sires by average (3 or more sold)
| Toronado | 7 | $49,143 | $344,000 | $100,000 |
| Reset | 3 | $30,500 | $91,500 | $50,000 |
| Palentino | 3 | $24,667 | $74,000 | $70,000 |
| Flying Artie | 3 | $19,500 | $58,500 | $30,000 |
| American Pharoah | 3 | $19,000 | $57,000 | $30,000 |
| Spieth | 3 | $14,667 | $44,000 | $25,000 |
| Manhattan Rain | 5 | $14,300 | $71,500 | $35,000 |
| Thronum | 3 | $12,667 | $38,000 | $26,000 |
| Bel Esprit | 3 | $11,667 | $35,000 | $22,000 |
| Bon Aurum | 3 | $7,833 | $23,500 | $10,000 |
