An incredible Easter Yearling Sale on Monday concluded in remarkable fashion, defying bloodstock pessimism and global financial trends to finish with notable upturn in almost all key fiscal metrics.
Lot 217 – Day 2 sales topper at the Easter Yearling Sale (Pic – Inglis)
On a memorable two days at Riverside:
A total of 25 horses sold for A$1m or more – to 17 different entities – up from 18 seven-figure lots at last year’s Easter Sale and just three behind the all-time record of 28.
The clearance has defied the 2025 Southern Hemisphere sales season trend, currently sitting at 86% and likely to climb higher over the next 48 hours.
The sale’s gross sits at A$150,035,000, almost identical to this time last year despite 58 less horses being offered in 2025 and no A$10m Winx filly being sold, while the average (A$451,913) and median (A$360,000) are up 5% and 20% respectively
There were increases in lots sold for A$300,000 or more (208, compared to 191 in 2024), A$400,000+ (155 compared to 128) and A$500,000 or more (108 compared to 96).
Arrowfield ended as leading vendor, selling 39 of their 42 horses for a gross of A$22,060,000, ahead of Coolmore and Widden
Coolmore was leading buyer, spending A$10,400,000 on seven lots, while buyers came from China, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa, UK, USA and all around Australia
The Day 2 top lot was a Zoustar x The Actuary filly of Widden, which sold to American John Stewart’s Resolute Racing for A$2.6m.
“It’s an extraordinary result,’’ Widden’s Antony Thompson said.
“For John, in his model of trying to pick the best bloodstock in the world, to have him buy this filly off us is a real thrill and something we’re really proud of.
“As long as I’ve been in the game, Widden and Inglis have been around a long time together and Easter has always been it. It is an elite sale and you do need to turn up with some serious horses because the buyers here really know what they want.
“There’s all the best judges here and they’re working very hard. To have a filly like that shine at Easter and stand out in the green book is something that is pretty cool. It’s a hard thing to do and it’s not wasted on us.’’
Today’s second-top lot was from the family of Winx, an I Am Invincible x Covent Garden colt offered by Segenhoe on behalf of the colt’s breeder John Camilleri.
He sold to Coolmore for A$1.8m.
“From the day he was born he was a standout,’’ Segenhoe’s Peter O’Brien said.
“Obviously he’s from Winx’s family but what sold him was his physique. Every big colt buyer was on him – James Harron was under bidder, Henry Field came 3rd, Gai [Waterhouse] was on him and obviously Coolmore bought him. We’re absolutely delighted.’’
When asked how he would describe Easter 2025, O’Brien said: “When you get up in the morning and you read what’s happening in the world markets, it puts the fear of God into you but the horse industry is just incredibly resolute and we’re absolutely delighted with this week. Credit to Inglis, it’s been phenomenal.’’
Coolmore’s Tom Magnier added: “We’ve been very impressed by the Home Affairs horses this week and he’s by I Am Invincible so we’re looking for our next Home Affairs and this guy might be it.
“He’s real quality, I thought the best I Am Invincible on the grounds. Peter O’Brien does a great job at Segenhoe with these horses, he and John Camilleri are very astute operators.
“We’re delighted. To be fair to Inglis, there were some amazing horses on the complex this week and we’ve got the horses that we wanted. Inglis did a fantastic job all week, now we move onto the mare’s sales.’’
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch described the past two days as “amazing’’.
“Our team was very much determined to reward our vendors and reinforce the standing of this sale as definitively the best in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the best in the world, which is something I feel has been achieved emphatically,’’ Hutch said.
“In the context of the market this year, prior to this week the Inglis Premier Sale had been the only sale in the Southern Hemisphere to experience financial increases in 2025 and to now have the Inglis Easter Sale post such incredible results, it’s hugely satisfying.
“There has been no disguising that it has been a challenging year in terms of the bloodstock market, but the Inglis team has worked tirelessly in an effort to facilitate the best markets that we possibly could across each of our sales, so I feel the results over the last two days in particular are very much a case of ‘reward for effort’.
“As ever, we are hugely grateful for the support of the sale by our vendors and buyers, particularly the former and I feel it is important to recognise the incredible amount of time, money and effort that is invested by so many people to get to the point where horses are bred that allow for results like these to be achieved.
“To have a clearance rate of 86% and rising, an average of more than A$450,000 and a gross that will effectively match last year – despite 58 less horses being offered, as well as there being no A$10m Winx filly this year – is nothing short of phenomenal.’’
Buyers’ attention now switches to Inglis Digital, with the April (Early) Sale now open for bidding. A catalogue of 396 entries has been finalised for the sale.
To view the catalogue or participate in the auction CLICK HERE.
2025 EASTER YEARLING SALE STATISTICS (2024 in brackets)
- Offered: 387 (445)
- Sold: 332 (356)
- Clearance: 86% (79%)
- Average: A$451,913 (A$429,786)
- Median: A$360,000 (A$300,000)
- Gross: A$150,035,000 (A$150,855,000)
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