Records broken as Bon Ho secures Extreme Gold

9 min read
Legend Racing's Bon Ho went to a new Sale record price of $260,000 for a filly by Extreme Choice at the Inglis Melbourne Gold Sale, which concluded on Monday at Oaklands Junction with strong statistics.

Cover image courtesy of Inglis

At A Glance

The Sale average ended on $19,187, the third-highest in the Gold Sale's history and a significant increase on the $14,876 at 2020's COVID-effected Sale, and also up on the 2019 mark of $18,186.

The Sale median finished at $11,000, up on last year's mark of $10,000 and level with the standard set in 2019.

The clearance rate improved to 84 per cent, up on the 2020 rate of 72 per cent, and slightly down from the 89 per cent cleared at the Sale in 2019.

A record $4.95 million was grossed over the two days, close to double what was sold last year and 50 per cent up on 2019.

John Sadler will train the Sale-topping Extreme Choice filly, continuing his strong association with Bon Ho.

Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock secured a Headwater filly for $200,000 and ended as the Sale's leading buyers.

Blue Gum Farm, which sold the Headwater filly, was the Sale's leading vendor.

Choice play for Ho

Lot 215, one of just 29 foals from the second crop of Newgate's Extreme Choice, was always expected to be in demand, having been withdrawn from the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale because of a slight setback.

It was a case of second time lucky for Supreme Thoroughbreds, which secured $260,000 for the filly, the highest price in the Sale's history.

It was Bon Ho's Legend Racing that won the day, with the filly destined for the stables of John Sadler, who has become the Hong Kong businessman's main trainer in Australia.

Ho had asked Sadler to cast his eye over the filly, who is out of French Origins (Choisir), the half-sister to French stakes winner Inhabitant (GB) (Zafonic {USA}) and who is descended from multiple international Group 1 winner Infra Green (Ire) (Laser Light {GB}).

“Bon had asked me to look at her, but I believe Jonathan D’Arcy may have recommended the filly to him and then I went and had a look at her, got her vetted and it was all clear,” Sadler said.

“Extreme Choice, from limited opportunities because of his fertility issues, is doing a really good job.

“She’s a beautiful-bodied filly, very strong and just a fantastic sort.”

“She’s (Lot 215) a beautiful-bodied filly, very strong and just a fantastic sort.” - John Sadler

Sadler said he would let the filly tell him whether she would be suited to racing as a 2-year-old.

"I don’t target any horse to get up and running early but if they put their hand up we will let them go early and she will tell me if that’s the case,” he said.

Ho and Sadler cemented their relationship with a series of purchases together at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, including Starry Legend (Zoustar), who looks a very promising colt having won two of his three starts for Sadler as a 2-year-old.

Starry Legend

“For someone like me, a smaller trainer, Bon’s (Ho) support is a chance in a lifetime. When you get someone like Bon who supports you in the manner he does it's just terrific,” Sadler said.

“We’ve had a little bit of success with him and hopefully the best days with him are ahead and I think there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be.”

Second time lucky for Supreme

Supreme Thoroughbreds prepared the filly for Middlebrook Valley Lodge, which sent her down in December with the intention she would be sold at the Premier Sale in March.

“She was in the Melbourne Premier Sale and she got injured about five days before that Sale and we had to withdraw her because she injured her back fetlock," Supreme Thoroughbreds' General Manager, Brent Grayling, said.

“We thought she was our best filly at Premier and we thought she was worth around $120,000, and since then Extreme Choice has gone on and sired the Golden Slipper winner and another stakes winner on the weekend so sometimes bad luck can play into your hands.

“It just proves that it’s all about stallions and Extreme Choice is obviously on fire at the moment and being the only one here, it showed."

Team Supreme with Lot 215 | Image courtesy of Inglis

Newgate's Extreme Choice may have battled fertility issues early in his stud career. but has produced five winners from his small first crop, including G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Stay Inside and Listed winner Xtremetime.

Supreme Thoroughbreds ended as the vendor with the best average of the Sale, on $46,857 across its seven sales.

Fidelia connection cements chase for Headwater filly

Robbie Griffiths secured five wins and multiple Group placings with classy mare Fidelia (Not A Single Doubt) and it was Griffiths de Kock Racing/Peter Ford and Heywood Bloodstock that secured a Headwater filly out of Fidelia’s sister Little Indian for $200,000.

Offered by Blue Gum Farm, the filly is the second foal out of Little Indian, who was a dual winner on the track, comes from the same family as the stakes-winning quartet Simple Believe (Kenmare {Fr}), Faith Hill (Danehill {USA}), Black Minx (Lonhro) and So Si Bon (So You Think {NZ}).

Griffiths said the filly had made quite the impression, and his team were determined to take her back to their Cranbourne stables.

“We fell in love with her, she’s a great specimen, is very well-balanced, has great strength, a great step on her and a great pedigree.

“We would’ve gone more if we had to and although you want to pay as little possible, we were bringing her home no matter what," he said.

“We would’ve gone more if we had to and although you want to pay as little possible, we were bringing her (Lot 291) home no matter what." - Robbie Griffiths

“We’ve had a lot of luck with the family and Fidelia was a great racehorse who probably should’ve been even more successful than the race record reads.

“This filly has all the ability and genetics to do the same and we thought she was a must-buy for all of those reasons. She is a great addition to the stable."

Griffiths was particularly taken by the combination of physical and pedigree that the Headwater filly offered.

“She looks like an add water and stir instant racehorse to look at, she’s very well-balanced and has that real Exceed And Excel get-up-and-go through Headwater and Not A Single Doubt, as well through the male and female lines. So, it would be no surprise with her strength and balance if she could get up and run early," he said.

“We target physique first and pedigree second. However, Headwater is an exciting young stallion and when you mix it up with Little Indian being a full sister to Fidelia it’s a fantastic cross."

Another Blue Gum success

Lot 291 was bred by a syndicate headed by prominent owner Rupert Legh and represented another great result for Blue Gum Farm.

“It’s a real buzz when you have a horse going through the ring that everyone here seems to want a piece of. There was a lot of competition, a lot of x-ray hits and looks at her scope prior," Blue Gum Farm's, Philip Campbell, said.

“I can honestly say I’m a little bit surprised (by the price) but when you put them in the ring, they (buyers) value them.

“I’m absolutely wrapped for the guys who own and bred the filly, it’s a great result for them and the farm."

Blue Gum Farm ended the Gold Sale as the clear vendor by aggregate, with 21 sales for $874,000.

Blue Gum Farm ended the Gold Sale as the clear vendor by aggregate, with 21 sales for $874,000 | Image courtesy of Inglis

"I knew we had a nice draft of horses here and they’ve sold from $6000 up to $200,000. There wasn’t a horse in that draft who I didn’t have some time for, it was a really good, even draft," Campbell said.

“I knew we had some nice types, and this is a type Sale, and if you bring good types here you get rewarded."

Griffiths de Kock Racing was the top buyer of the Gold Sale, spending $264,000 across four lots while Shawn Mathrick was the most prolific buyer, picking up eight yearlings.

Vinery Stud's Headwater, who currently leads the race to be crowned Champion Second-Season Sire, led all sires on average across the Sale (three or more), on $84,333. Swettenham Stud's Toronado (Ire) ended with the highest aggregate of sales on $514,000 across 12 lots.

Other noteworthy results on Monday saw SBR Racing pay $72,000 for Lot 204, a colt by Caravaggio (USA) from the draft of Bowness Stud, while Michelle Payne Racing picked up Lot 198, a colt by Lonhro from the family of Group 1 winner Moment Of Change (Barley A Moment) from Maluka Thoroughbreds for $60,000.

Healthy market pleases Inglis

Inglis General Manager Bloodstock Sales and Marketing, Sebastian Hutch, said the Sale had proven a largely successful one for vendors, particularly those selling at the quality end of the market.

"We were very pleased to see the overall turnover and being in excess of $5 million is really a fantastic result, to clear an ever-increasing 85 per cent is fantastic and a lot of vendors were very happy to participate in what was a very healthy marketplace," he said.

Sebastian Hutch | Image courtesy of Inglis

“Obviously the lower end of the market is challenging, as it is at any sale but for vendors to come here and participate in a very true market is the positive thing.

“The Extreme Choice and Headwater fillies that sold today were the two standout lots of the Sale and they were entitled to sell well, but I don’t think the connections of either of those horses expected them to sell as well as they did. However, it’s a real testament to the strength of the market and broad spectrum of people that were involved in the Sale.

“We have great confidence that we can generate a market that can provide healthy returns for vendors at all levels at all of our sales, we just need to be given the stock to do so and today was a good illustration of that."

Top lots

215Extreme ChoiceFrench OriginsFillySupreme Thoroughbreds, RomseyLegend Racing Pty Ltd HONG KONG$260,000
291HeadwaterLittle IndianFillyBlue Gum Farm, EuroaGriffiths de Kock Racing / Peter Ford Bloodstock (FBAA) / Heywood Bloodstock VIC$200,000
160CapitalistChateau GriffoColtPonderosa Park, NathaliaA Laffontaine / P Macvean VIC$115,000
33All Too HardSavsengaFillyBlue Gum Farm, EuroaJohn Sadler Racing VIC$100,000
140ToronadoBluegrass DanniColtBombora Downs, BitternM Cook / RM Racing NSW$100,000
58Glass Harmonium Starlet O'HaraColtBlue Gum Farm, EuroaG Eurell VIC$72,000
204CaravaggioFastidiousColtBowness Stud, Young, NSWSBR Racing VIC$72,000
78PalentinoTiger's GirlColtBucklee Farm, Greta WestMichelle Payne Racing / S Azmoun VIC$70,000
147ToronadoButterfly ClubFillyRosemont Stud, GnarwarreG Eurell VIC$70,000
18ToronadoRed PixieFillyRosemont Stud, GnarwarreB Griffiths VIC$68,000

Top buyers

Griffiths de Kock Racing / Peter Ford Bloodstock (FBAA) / Heywood BloodstockVIC4$264,000$66,000$200,000
Legend Racing Pty LtdHONG KONG1$260,000$260,000$260,000
S MathrickVIC8$222,500$27,812$56,000
John Sadler RacingVIC4$147,000$36,750$100,000
G EurellVIC2$142,000$71,000$72,000
SBR RacingVIC2$122,000$61,000$72,000
M Cook / RM RacingNSW2$116,000$58,000$100,000
A Laffontaine / P MacveanVIC1$115,000$115,000$115,000
Henry Dwyer Racing Pty LtdVIC3$95,000$31,667$46,000
Michelle Payne RacingVIC2$94,000$47,000$60,000

Top vendors by aggregate

Blue Gum Farm, Euroa21$874,000$41,619$200,000
Supreme Thoroughbreds, Romsey8$356,000$44,500$260,000
Bucklee Farm, Greta West18$308,500$17,139$70,000
Bowness Stud, Young, NSW14$306,500$21,893$72,000
Rosemont Stud, Gnarwarre11$289,000$26,273$70,000
Hollylodge Thoroughbreds, Avenel12$273,000$22,750$42,000
Maluka Thoroughbreds, Avenel12$267,000$22,250$60,000
Yulong, Nagambie13$183,500$14,115$34,000
Longwood Thoroughbred Farm, Longwood East5$181,500$36,300$55,000
Bombora Downs, Bittern12$177,000$14,750$100,000

Top vendors by average (3 or more sold)

Supreme Thoroughbreds, Romsey8$44,500$356,000$260,000
Blue Gum Farm, Euroa21$41,619$874,000$200,000
Longwood Thoroughbred Farm, Longwood East5$36,300$181,500$55,000
Armidale Stud, Carrick, Tas3$30,000$90,000$38,000
Rosemont Stud, Gnarwarre11$26,273$289,000$70,000
Ponderosa Park, Nathalia5$26,100$130,500$115,000
Hollylodge Thoroughbreds, Avenel12$22,750$273,000$42,000
Maluka Thoroughbreds, Avenel12$22,250$267,000$60,000
Bowness Stud, Young, NSW14$21,893$306,500$72,000
Noor Elaine Farm, Euroa6$19,667$118,000$46,000

Top sires by aggregate

Toronado12$514,000$42,833$100,000
Extreme Choice1$260,000$260,000$260,000
Headwater3$253,000$84,333$200,000
Frosted4$152,000$38,000$55,000
Glass Harmonium 3$144,000$48,000$72,000
All Too Hard3$137,000$45,667$100,000
Manhattan Rain8$131,500$16,438$35,000
Written Tycoon3$120,500$40,167$52,500
Rich Enuff6$119,500$19,917$40,000
Capitalist1$115,000$115,000$115,000

Top sires by average (3 or more sold)

Headwater3$84,333$253,000$200,000
Glass Harmonium3$48,000$144,000$72,000
All Too Hard3$45,667$137,000$100,000
Toronado12$42,833$514,000$100,000
Written Tycoon3$40,167$120,500$52,500
Frosted4$38,000$152,000$55,000
Reset3$30,500$91,500$50,000
Fighting Sun3$30,000$90,000$50,000
Deep Field3$28,000$84,000$34,000
So You Think3$26,667$80,000$30,000
Inglis Gold Sale
Extreme Choice
Headwater
Blue Gum Farm
Supreme Thoroughbreds
Griffiths de Kock
John Sadler