Inglis banks on bigger and better Chairman's Sale catalogue

8 min read
Inglis has bolstered the size of its boutique Chairman's Sale, releasing a catalogue of 93 race fillies and broodmares, which it is confident will be met by the demands of an ebullient bloodstock market.

Cover image courtesy of Inglis

The catalogue is the equal second largest in the six-year history of the Sale, and even before supplementary entries are taken, it features 27 more broodmares and fillies than it did in the record-breaking 2021 edition.

Among the catalogue are 53 fillies or mares that are black-type performers or producers, including Group 1 winners such as Daysee Doom (Domesday), Shout The Bar (Not A Single Doubt) and Soriano (NZ) (Savabeel) and Group 2 winners of the like of Only Words (NZ) (Sweynesse), Vanna Girl (Husson {Arg}) and Yes Baby Yes (Dissident).

Gallery: Some of the Group 1 winners catalogued in the 2022 Inglis Chairman's Sale

The Sale is scheduled for a 4.30pm (AEDT) start on Friday, May 6 at the Riverside Stables.

Coming off a 2021 Sale which saw the average sail to $532,736 and overall aggregate eclipse $28 million, Inglis CEO - Bloodstock Sales, Sebastian Hutch, is confident the 2022 catalogue will continue to enhance the Chairman's Sale's considerable reputation.

"We are delighted with how the catalogue has come together. Obviously, it’s a larger volume of lots than we have had for a number of years, but we are very pleased with the consistency and the quality right the way through," Hutch said.

"We are delighted with how the catalogue has come together. Obviously, it’s a larger volume of lots than we have had for a number of years, but we are very pleased with the consistency and the quality right the way through." - Sebastian Hutch

"There are mares which are desirable there for investors at a variety of different levels, which I think is important to the Sale. We want to try and put together a catalogue of mares that people are going to want to read and want to buy.

"When you work through the specifics of the catalogue, 53 black-type performers or producers, over a quarter of the catalogue is Danehill-free and near on 90 per cent of the catalogue is nine or under, they are all young mares."

Hutch also points to the desirability of the catalogue from a point of view of the covers offered, with 72 of the 93 mares offered, in foal.

Sebastian Hutch | Image courtesy of Inglis

As well as mares in foal to top Australian stallions such as I Am Invincible, Snitzel, Exceed And Excel, Written Tycoon, Fastnet Rock, Zoustar, Pierro and the like, there are also those offered with first Southern Hemisphere covers to the likes of Wootton Bassett (GB), Farnan and Bivouac and leading international sires such as Frankel (GB), Kingman (GB), Medaglia D’Oro (USA), Lope De Vega (Ire) and Mehmas (Ire).

The beauty of boutique

Hutch said the boutique nature of the Chairman's Sale enables Inglis to work more closely with vendors in terms of promoting those in the catalogue, which is one of the reasons he feels they have been so keen to support it.

"The fact that vendors have been so inclined to support the Sale in the manner that they have is testament to the standing of the Sale," he said.

"The boutique nature of it appeals to people. We put a huge amount of work into the promotion of each individual mare. In terms of worldwide industry standard, we feel the catalogue is just about as good as could be anywhere in the world, in terms of how it's produced and marketed."

"In terms of worldwide industry standard, we feel the catalogue is just about as good as could be anywhere in the world, in terms of how it's produced and marketed." - Sebastian Hutch

Hutch also indicated that he expected there to be several notable additions to the catalogue through supplementary entries.

"The nature of pedigrees and the careers of mares change fairly significantly over the next couple of weeks, in what is a very significant time in the racing calendar," he said.

"Opportunities often present themselves to offer additional lots and we will be taking advantage of that, where they may present themselves."

Jonathan D'Arcy auctioneering at Inglis Riverside Stables | Image courtesy of Inglis

Limited supply to fuel demand

From a buyers' perspective, Hutch does expect there to be considerable demand, given the relatively limited opportunity to secure race fillies and mares of this quality.

"One of the biggest challenges that has faced breeders over the past few years is that competition for quality breeding stock. I don't come across too many breeders who don’t have that appetite to add further quality breeding stock to their ranks," he said.

"You have to be very professional and diligent in terms of how you approach that market. That necessitates taking every sale seriously.

"The Chairman's Sale will be the first sale this year for people to consider a consolidated group of high-end broodmares and broodmare prospects. I think any breeder worth their salt, whether they are existing participants or people looking to expand into that market, they need to take this Sale seriously."

"I think any breeder worth their salt, whether they are existing participants or people looking to expand into that market, they need to take this Sale seriously." - Sebastian Hutch

The other evolution of the Chairman's Sale concept in recent years has been Inglis marketing it as much as a social event as a bloodstock sale, something reflected in the Friday evening timeslot.

Hutch said that Inglis has been developing this aspect of the Sale for several years, but the COVID pandemic has proven a complicating factor, with last minute changes in government restriction hampering grand plans in 2021. In many ways, the 2022 Chairman's Sale, and the events surrounding it, will be three years in the making.

"It is certainly the most fun sale we are involved in through the year. There is a real sense of occasion about it, people get dressed up and are there to have a good time. It's a really social occasion, probably moreso than any other sale during the year," he said.

Inglis Riverside stables

"We were hamstrung last year in terms of what we could execute of our plans, just because of what happened in the days leading up to the Sale, in terms of the pandemic. We were all set for everything to be as we planned and the nature of the restrictions changed within a few days of the Sale.

"People did get a good sense of what we are looking to create out of the night, and with a bit of luck, we won’t have those same inhibitions or restrictions this year and we should have a fantastic night."

Broodmare Sale smaller in size

Inglis has also confirmed the catalogue for its Australian Broodmare Sale, for which 189 mares have been catalogued for the auction on Sunday, May 8.

That catalogue is notable for its more condensed format, a reduction of the 237 offered last year, with Hutch pointing to the evolution of the general broodmare market in the pandemic era towards more fillies and mares being offered as part of digital sales.

"We are really happy with how it has come together in terms of the quality of stock and the nature of vendors involved," he said.

"We are really happy with how it (Australian Broodmare Sale) has come together in terms of the quality of stock and the nature of vendors involved." - Sebastian Hutch

"The nature of how people offer breeding stock has changed pretty dramatically over the past 24 months in particular. Consolidating critical mass at breeding stock sales is going to be a greater challenge as time goes by, noting the opportunities the digital market presents.

"That is not to say that it will ever replace it, but the digital sales do offer a timely opportunity for vendors, rather than waiting for scheduled live sales."

As an example, there are 218 race fillies and broodmares for Sale this week through the Inglis Digital March (Late) Online Sale, including a Widden Stud reduction while Arrowfield has confirmed it will conduct a large reduction of its broodmare band on the Inglis Digital platform later in April.

Celebrity Queen, Sale-topper of the 2021 Inglis Chairman's Sale | Image courtesy of Inglis

"The increased liquidity of those markets means people can do so with a bit more confidence," Hutch said.

"On the flip side, people enjoy a live auction. The Broodmare Sale has a terrific reputation for being somewhere where you can buy a nice mare for not a lot of money and get a good result out of it. That gives people confidence."

Inglis Chairman's Sale
Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale
Sebastian Hutch
catalogue