Darby Racing Win $500,000 Inglis Banner

Media Release - Sunday November 10

Scott Darby’s extraordinary affinity with the Classic Yearling Sale continued at Flemington today when $30,0000 bargain buy Within The Law (Lucky Vega) won the $500,000 Listed Inglis Banner.

The Darby Racing team has enjoyed amazing success with their Classic graduates over the years, headlined by $20,000 Golden Sipper-winning filly She Will Reign and $10,000 buy Yankee Rose, a dual G1 winner in Australia before selling for an undisclosed significant sum to Japanese interests as a broodmare.

Within the Law was a modest $30,000 Inglis Classic purchase for Darby Racing.

And now they may just have their next Classic star in Within The Law, who trainer Bjorn Baker snuck down to Victoria this week to steal the riches on debut.

The victory earned the Darby Racing owners a $300,000 first prize cheque – 10 times the filly’s purchase price – and there are far greater riches in sight for the talented filly in the new year.

“Another Classic bargain buy. Gee I love that sale,’’ an elated Scott Darby said post-race.

“We bought her purely on type, which is why I love Classic so much, you can just head to Riverside and not worry about pedigree as much and just buy the types you like and not have to pay through the roof all the time and this girl is just another example of that.

“She’ll have a freshen up now and come back and try to win some more of that extraordinary Inglis prizemoney in the Millennium next and then onto the Slipper all going well.’’

Darby purchased Within The Law out of the draft of her breeder Yulong at this year’s Classic Sale.

Yulong will offer a draft of “25 or 26 very nice yearlings’’ at Classic next year.

“It’s a really nice draft and we can’t wait for February to roll around again,’’ Yulong’s Sam Fairgray said.

“Within The Law is a great result for Lucky Vega and a great result for Scott Darby, he knows how to pick a nice horse and he’s got another nice one on his hands with this filly.’’

Baker described today’s win as “a massive thrill’’.

“This Inglis Race Series really does give the owners and us more incentive to buy from the Inglis sales,’’ the trainer said.

“As well as these 2YO races there’s the 3YO race and the Bracelet and the Xtra Maiden bonuses as well so it really gives the opportunity to get a quick return on our investment.

“It’s great to buy from Inglis and I’ll be back at the Classic Sale next year, a sale I’ve also had great success out of.’’

The catalogue for next year’s Classic Yearling Sale – which will be held at Riverside on February 9-11 – will be released within the next 10 days.

Baker also won a pair of Swarovski Optik binoculars for training the winner of an Inglis Race Series event.

Within The Law defeated race favourite Chisholm (I Am Invincible) today, with Rohesia (Hanseatic) in third place.

Advertisement

Rohesia’s performance led to a significant windfall for her connections too as the filly was the first Inglis Pink Bonus-eligible runner home and hence earned her ownership group a $200,000 bonus.

Rohesia nosed out Bubion in a thrilling ‘race within the race’ for the Pink Bonus.

Bred by Fernrigg Farm with Paul Lofitis’ Lofty Thoroughbreds Group, Rohesia cost her trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes $150,000 at this year’s Premier Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Rosemont Stud.

She earned $245,000 for running third today.

Rohesia is raced by a syndicate set up by and including the Lindsay Park Ladies, whose representative Grace Ramage was thrilled with today’s performance.

It’s the third consecutive year the Lindsay Park team has won the Pink Bonus in the Inglis Banner following previous ‘wins’ by Arkansaw Kid in 2022 and Blue Allure last year.

“At Inglis sales now, this is our number one brief, to buy horses to win this Pink Bonus and to think that we’ve done it three years in a row now is unbelievable,’’ Ramage said.

“We’re having so much fun, the social networks we’ve already been able to create, the journey of taking a share, meeting the horse and seeing what it’s all about, and then to have this as the cherry on top, it’s just incredible.

“We’ll be back at Inglis sales next year bigger and better than ever before.’’

Fellow co-owner Jenny McAlpine added: “Between Grace and I we’ve got all these wonderful girls into racing, some of them had never owned a horse before and now they’re winning the Inglis Pink Bonus with their very first horse.’’

The $1m Inglis Pink Bonus is the most lucrative women’s ownership incentive in world racing.

To be eligible, a runner must simply be minimum 75% owned by females and be paid up to the Inglis Race Series.

The next Inglis Pink Bonus is in the Inglis Nursery at Randwick on December 14.

The payouts didn’t just extend to the horses in the Inglis Banner.

The Best Turned Out Award – judged today by Inglis’ Victorian Bloodstock Manager James Price for the best presented horse in the mounting yard pre-race – was won by the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained juvenile Bubion.

Bubion’s strapper Rhianna Adamson won $500 as her prize.

Inglis Release

Advertisment

Race Result - Inglis Banner RL 1000m

Flemington Track: Good(4) Time: 0:58.49
1
Within The Law
- 2f Lucky Vega (IRE) x Contract Signed (AUS) (Dundeel (NZ))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: B Melham 56
Inglis Classic Yearling Sale $30,000
Seller: Yulong, Nagambie, Vic
Buyer: Darby Racing
2
1.3
Chisholm
- 2f I Am Invincible (AUS) x Snitzerland (AUS) (Snitzel (AUS))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: C Schofield 56
I Am Invincible
Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale $500,000
Seller: Vinery Stud, Scone
Buyer: Kia Ora
3
3
Rohesia
- 2f Hanseatic (AUS) x Vinni Rose (AUS) (I Am Invincible (AUS))
Tnr: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes Rdr: M J Dee 56
Inglis Premier Yearling Sale $150,000
Seller: Rosemont Stud, Gnarwarre
Buyer: Lindsay Park Racing
4
3
Bubion
- 2f All Too Hard (AUS) x Granada Star (AUS) (Starcraft (NZ))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: Craig Williams 56
5
4.3
Leave No Doubt
- 2c Doubtland (AUS) x Elusive Melody (AUS) (Your Song (AUS))
Tnr: T & C McEvoy Rdr: Damian Lane 58
6
4.4
Grammy's Sunshine
- 2f Earthlight (IRE) x Grammys (AUS) (Starcraft (NZ))
Tnr: T & C McEvoy Rdr: H Coffey 56
7
6.9
Red Barron
- 2c Justify (USA) x Ticket To Ride (AUS) (Vancouver (AUS))
Tnr: L & T Corstens & W Larkin Rdr: Ben Allen 58
8
7
Latin Boss
- 2c Street Boss (USA) x Latin Spirit (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes Rdr: M Zahra 58
9
10.7
Angelotti
- 2f Yes Yes Yes (AUS) x Botticelli Angel (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: R E Laing Rdr: L Nolen 56
10
15.2
Aliquam
- 2f Tagaloa (AUS) x So Foxy (AUS) (Foxwedge (AUS))
Tnr: L F Birchley Rdr: L Currie 56
11
22.2
Four On The Floor
- 2c Anders (AUS) x Bold Arial (AUS) (I Am Invincible (AUS))
Tnr: S P Nichols Rdr: Zac Spain 58
More Reading...
Willydoit Data Surprise - Sprinter or Stayer?
Scientific tests have revealed surprising results on the distance aptitude of this season’s star New Zealand staying three-year-old Willydoit.
Justify Strikes at Newmarket with New G3 Winner
The Group III Bahrain Trophy Stakes ((1m5f) at Newmarket overnight produced a runaway winner in Scandinavia and while his sire Justify no longer shuttles to Australia, two of his sons will be on the roster at Coolmore this spring in City of Troy (IRE) and Storm Boy.
Breeding To Win – Crystal Ball – New Season 3YOs to Follow
Who are we highlighting this week? - Analysis of the G1 winning 3YO’s for this season has made us realise how many horses on this list took giant strides from two to three, so we are looking into the crystal ball to find some juveniles we believe could end next season as G1 performers if not G1 winners.
One to Watch – Gosford
Capitalist had a double of debut winning two year-olds at Gosford on Thursday both prepared by Peter Snowden and while the expensive colt Caesar got the job done, it was the filly that really had people talking.
Melbourne Racing Club Unveils Major Spring Racing Enhancements
Racing Victoria has confirmed prize money allocations for the 2025-2026 season and Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) has announced some exciting race program changes and prizemoney increases that, together with other great initiatives at Flemington and Moonee Valley, reinforce the position of Victoria’s Spring Racing Carnival at the forefront of international racing.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Randwick
Spring racing is just around the corner and a busy set of trials at Randwick on Friday featured eight heats won by juveniles with winners including stakes horses The Playwright and Cobra Club as well as unraced youngsters by Justify (USA), I Am Invincible and Flying Artie.
Sires With Winners - Thursday July 10
Here is the full list of 31 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Darby Racing Filly into Golden Slipper
Darby Racing have a happy knack for finding serious value at Inglis Classic and they certainly got that in spades when paying $30,000 for Within the Law as the Lucky Vega (IRE) filly has been on fire in the Inglis incentive races and has now earned a crack at the Golden Slipper with her determined win in the Group II Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Within The Law - First SW First Aussie Runner for Lucky Vega
After winning with his first runner in New Zealand, Yulong Stud’s Lucky Vega (IRE) is off to the perfect start In Australia, with his daughter Within The Law dominant in the $500,000 Listed Inglis Banner (1000m) down the Flemington straight on Champions Day.
Bred to be Good - So You Think x More Joyous
It sounds like a match made in heaven, a colt by two time Cox Plate winning sire So You Think from eight time Group I winner More Joyous, and this 2YO is slated to make his debut in New Zealand this weekend,