Twelve months on from an historic digital only sale, there is a buzz around the grounds at Riverside Stables on the eve of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
This is a very tight sale of 406 lots following 54 withdrawals. There will be no quiet spots as the sales ring darlings I Am Invincible (48 lots) and Snitzel (42) form the backbone of a sale that may well set a new mark for average.
With 15 lots on offer, Newgate Farm’s exciting young stallion Capitalist has a few youngsters that may give the established stars some competition for the honour of the highest-priced yearling.
With significant representation from proven stars such as Pierro, Zoustar, Fastnet Rock, Written Tycoon, Exceed And Excel, Not A Single Doubt, Savabeel, Lonhro, and So You Think, it has proved a challenging year for the first season stallions to make a mark at the sale.
Newgate Farm is enjoying a golden run on the track this season with first season stallions Capitalist, Extreme Choice and Flying Artie. This year Russian Revolution will fly the flag for the farm with 16 yearlings on offer. Coolmore’s world traveller Merchant Navy has 12 with Almanzor (1), Hellbent (2), Menari (1), Pariah (2), Ribchester (2), Impending (1), Churchill (1), and Caravaggio (3) also represented.
International stallions have proven their worth in this region of late. The latest coming when the top-class Frankel filly Hungry Heart staged a last to first performance in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes on Saturday. Frankel has five on offer at Easter followed by Siyouni (4), Deep Impact (3), Kingman (1), Lord Kanaloa (1), Tapit (1), Duramente (1).
It will be the end of an era as we farewell a couple of Easter stalwarts in the breed-shaper Redoute’s Choice who will have seven of his final crop of 23 on offer, while Sebring has 14.
Here is a section of the lots creating interest on the grounds for day one of the two-day sale.
This is a list that could quite easily have been trebled, such is the quality of the catalogue.
Lot No: 5 B C Exceed And Excel x Peace Force by Bernardini
Consignor: Vinery Stud
Second foal of a Gr.III winning daughter of emerging broodmare sire Bernardini (USA).
A $520,000 broodmare purchase, the dam is a half-sister to 5-time Group 1 winner Eremein and Listed winner Gliding.
Lot No: 15 B C Snitzel x Pinot by Pierro
Consignor: Arrowfield Stud
First foal of Gr.1 VRC Oaks heroine Pinot whose dam is a Gr.1 AJC Oaks winning sister to the Hong Kong champion Vengeance Of Rain.
First three dams are all Gr.1 winners.
Lot No: 17 B F Snitzel x Politeness by Street Sense.
Consignor: Arrowfield Stud
Third foal of Gr.1 VRC Myer Stakes winner Politeness a half-sister to the dam of recent Gr.1 Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes winner On The Bubbles.
Ortaire, a brother to this colt, was purchased by Katsumi Yoshida for $700,00 in 2019 and is a winner in Japan.
Lot No: 21 Br C Savabeel x Pretty by Pins
Consignor: Sledmere Stud
A half-brother to stakes-winners Bonny O’Reilly and Pretty To Sea.
Bonny O’Reilly was a $825,000 yearling and a $1.2million broodmare.
Lot No: 45 Ch C Snitzel Rising Romance by Ekraar
Consignor: Arrowfield Stud
Second foal of Gr.1 ATC Oaks heroine who placed in a further five Gr.1s.
Dam’s first foal Yearning, a brother to this colt, was narrowly beaten at Randwick at his only start to date for Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes.
Lot No: 61 B F I Am Invincible x Samara Dancer by Hinchinbrook
Consignor: Widden Stud
Second foal of a Gr.II winning half-sister to Gr.III winner Éclair Big Bang and stakes-placegetters Black Sail, Defiant Dancer and Dancer’s Kin.
A brother to this filly was passed in short off his $750,000 reserve last year and is in training with Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. Dam was purchased for $750,000 in 2020 when carrying a colt by Trapeze Artist.
Lot No: 71 B C I Am Invincible x Secret Agenda by Not A Single Doubt
Consignor: Cressfield
First foal of $1.5million earner and Group 1 winning sister to stakes-placegetter Stellar Pauline, and to the dam of this season’s dual Gr.III winning two-year-old Enthaar.
Lot No: 72 B C Written Tycoon x Secret Doubt by Not A Single Doubt
Consignor: Arrowfield Stud
Second foal of a winning three-quarter sister to the dam of the Singapore Gold Cup winner Big Hearted and a half-sister to stakes-winner Detective and stakes-placed Bourne Supremacy.
Dam was a $400,000 yearling out of the Group 1 winner Covertly.
Lot No: 89 B C I Am Invincible x Snitzerland by Snitzel
Consignor: Vinery Stud
Half-brother to Gr.III winner Hard Landing and Gr.III placed winner Saas Fee. They are the only two foals to race to date out of the Gr.1 VRC Lightning Stakes winner and Group 1 ATC Golden Slipper runner-up Snitzerland.
A brother to this colt made $600,000 here last year.
Lot No: 93 Ch F Zoustar x Solar Cry by Street Cry
Consignor: Segenhoe Stud
A three-quarter-sister to Sunlight, the Champion 3yo Filly in Australia 2018-19, and to Gr.III winner Sisstar and the recently stakes-placed Dio who was a $1.1million yearling.
Sunlight was purchased by Tom Magnier last year for $4.2million as a broodmare prospect.
Lot No: 105 B C Savabeel x Suavito by Thorn Park
Consignor: Sledmere Stud
Third foal of dual Gr.1 winner and $1.3million earner Suavito a half-sister to Gr.III winner and Gr.1 runner-up Sultan Of Swing.
Lot No: 115 Ch C Zoustar x Swiss Rose by Thorn Park
Consignor: Segenhoe Stud
Half-brother to 2-time Gr.III winner Bella Rosa who was a $575,000 yearling.
Dam is a stakes-winning descendent of one of the most prolific stakes producing families in the Stud Book tracing back to Sovereign Edition’s sister Royal News (IRE).
Lot No: 122 B F Exceed and Excel x Telaawa by Lonhro
Consignor: Yarraman Park Stud
Sister to the Gr.III VRC Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes winner Minhaaj out of a half-sister to the Gr.III winners Charmed Harmony and Suyoof.
Lot No: 149 B F I Am Invincible x Vezalay by Shamardal
Consignor: Widden Stud
Second foal of Listed MRC Alinghi Stakes winner Vezalay who was runner-up in the Gr.II Kewney and Gr.II. Cockram Stakes and was purchased as a broodmare for $1million.
Lot No: 173 B C I Am Invincible x Zamzam by Redoute’s Choice
Consignor: Yarraman Park Stud
Second foal of stakes-winner and Gr.1 placed three-quarter sister to stakes-placed Lipari the dam of Gr.1 ATC Australian Derby winner Lavendi and Gr.III winners Marcel From Madrid and Wu Gok.
Dam was herself a $920,000 yearling.
Lot No: 178 B F Deep Impact (JPN) x Abbey Marie by Redoute’s Choice
Consignor: Arrowfield Stud
First foal of Gr.1 SAJC Schweppes Oaks winner Abbey Marie a sister to Gr.1 ATC Australian Oaks winner Absolutely and a three-quarter sister to Gr.III winner and Gr.1 placed Runaway and Gr.III winner She’s Clean and a half-sister to the dam of Gr.II winner Mount Pleasant.
A $300,000 yearling, Abbey Maire sold for $1.4million as a broodmare prospect.
Lot No: 187 B C Not A Single Doubt x Aloona (USA) by Smart Strike
Consignor: Lime Country Thoroughbreds
Half-brother to the Gr.!! ATC Todman Stakes winner Aylmerton and the recent 2yo winner Arnaqueur.
Dam is a winning half-sister to the Gr.III winner Galatee the dam of Gr.II winners Dartmouth and Manatee.
Lot No: 222 Ch C Capitalist x Bonnie Mac by Thorn Park
Consignor: Yarraman Park Stud
Half-brother to Gr.1 VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Exceedance and the Gr.III MRC Zeditave Stakes winner Oxley Road.
Dam is a stakes-winning half-sister to the Gr.III winners Intimate Moment and Upham.
Lot No: 227 B C Snitzel x Bulbula by Shamardal
Consignor: Yarraman Park Stud
Half-brother to the Gr.III winner Aryaaf.
Dam won the Listed MRC Merson Copper Stakes at two and is a half-sister to the Gr.III MRC Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes winner Khulaasa.
Lot No: 236 B C Snitzel x Carry On Alice (SAF) by Captain Al
Consignor: Arrowfield Stud
First foal of the Champion South African sprinter Cary On Alice (SAF) whose 11 wins included five at the elite level at two, three, four and five and placed in a further seven Gr.1 races.
Carry On Alice (SAF) was one of just foals produced by Gr.II winner and Gr.I runner up Carry On Katie.
