Book 1 of the 2018 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale ended with a flurry today, with the sale's two top Lots both coming on an action-packed afternoon at Oaklands.
To view our Inglis TV video on Stonehouse Thoroughbreds' Ryan Arnel,CLICK HERE.
To view our Facebook Live review of Day 3 and Book 1,CLICK HERE.
Global racing and breeding giant Godolphin paid $500,000 for the overall top-priced horse of the sale, a Fastnet Rock x Lady Melksham filly from Rushton Park.
Soon after, Darren Weir Racing and John Foote Bloodstock purchased aSnitzel x Miss With Attitude (Lot 528)colt from the Mill Park Stud draft for $450,000, becoming the second-highest Lot.
Those two results, along with a further six individual Lots to sell for $300,000 today alone, saw the overall results for Book 1 finish on par with 2017.
Book 1 ended with a sale average of $118,333, median of $100,000, gross of $49,936,500 and clearance rate of 83%.
"Last year was the best Premier Yearling Sale we have ever had and this year's version is right on par with that, so we must be satisfied with that,'' Inglis' Victorian Bloodstock Manager Simon Vivian said.
"There were many fantastic results for many people, both vendors and buyers.
"To the team at Woodside Park especially, to be overall leading vendor and have your two stallions in Written Tycoon and Zoustar lead the way on the sires list as well is a magnificent achievement.''
Woodside Park were crowned Leading Vendor by aggregate ($3,945,000), just ahead of Supreme Thoroughbreds and Blue Gum Farm, while the leader by average was Yarraman Park Stud ($258,750).
Woodside's Murray Tillett was thrilled with his stud's overall results.
"It showed that if you produce the product, the buyers are here, no matter what time of the sale it was,'' Tillett said.
"Leading vendor is a great credit to the staff. This is our main sale of the year, we're a Victorian farm, this will always be where we try and sell the quality of the VOBIS horses that we've got.''
The sale's leading sires by aggregate were the Woodside Park duo Zoustar ($4,855,000) and Written Tycoon ($4,367,500) while the best by average (for three or more sold) was Arrowfield Stud's Snitzel at $291,000.
"People do have to remember these Written Tycoons are off a service fee of $18,000. We know what he's got on the ground next year off a $45,000 service fee, wait until you see what happens with them down here next year at Oaklands,'' Tillett said.
Seven different sires were represented in the top 10 highest-priced Lots - Fastnet Rock, Snitzel, Rubick, Pierro, Sepoy, Zoustar and Toronado.
The buying bench was as diverse as ever, with purchasers coming from all around Australia as well as Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
McEvoy Mitchell Racing was leading buyer by aggregate ($1,820,000) ahead of Yu Long Investments, who topped the most-buys list with 14 individual purchases.
Godolphin's top Lot of Day 3 was their second purchase of the sale and 16th yearling they have bought in 2018.
"She's a quality filly by a champion stallion out of a Group 3-winning mare,'' Godolphin's Racing and Bloodstock Manager Jason Walsh said of the Fastnet Rock filly.
"One of the things we're trying to source this year is a bit of diversity and top-class racing prospects that can hopefully do it on the racecourse and ultimately join our broodmare program and we thought she was a filly capable of doing both those things.
For the full statistics,CLICK HERE.
Book 2 of the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale begins at 11am tomorrow, Wednesday March 7, where 206 high-quality Lots are catalogued.
To view the catalogue,CLICK HERE.
Tomorrow's action will again be broadcast onInglis Sale Day Liveatinglis.com.auwhile Online Bidding and Make An Offer services will again be available.
2018 MELBOURNE PREMIER YEARLING SALE SESSION I WRAP
(2017 in brackets)
Lots Sold:422 (449)
Clearance Rate:83% (88%)
Average Price:$118,333 ($120,262)
Median Price:$100,000 ($100,000)
Top Price:$500,000 ($1.4m)
Gross:$49,936,500 ($53,997,500)
