The 2025 edition of the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale continued to defy the pre-sale apprehension amongst participants, with the results from Day 2 of the sale showing further gains on the promising start to the sale on Sunday.
At the conclusion of Book 1 action, the sale average sits at A$139,795 with a gross of A$52,549,500, or 5% and 3.5% increases respectively from the same stage last year.
Lot 487 – I Am Invincible ex Special Lover (Pic – Inglis)
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch was delighted with how the sale had played out to date.
“To be grossing almost A$2m more than the equivalent stage 12 months ago is pretty incredible in the context of the Australian sales season to date,’’ Hutch said. “Horses that have met the criteria of a discerning buying bench over the past couple of days have sold incredibly well and some of the results have been nothing short of extraordinary.
“We have tremendous confidence in the sale, and it is hugely rewarding for our team to see breeders and owners who have supported the sale with quality stock being rewarded in the way that they have. The variety of the buying bench is a testament to the appeal of the catalogue, in particular the quality drafts presented by the likes of Yulong, Gilgai and Rosemont to name but a few.
“Not only have we seen tremendous domestic support of the sale, but we have had over 30 yearlings sell to Hong Kong-based buyers, another 27 sell to New Zealand-based buyers, as well as strong contributions from buyers from China, South Africa, America, Japan, Mongolia and Thailand.”
An I Am Invincible filly out of Special Love, whose family is synonymous with Inglis Premier and racetrack success, topped the day’s trade at Oaklands, selling to Riverstone Lodge, Anthony and Sam Freedman and Julian Blaxland for A$500,000.
Offered by Noorilim Park, the filly is a half-sister to fellow Premier Sale graduate Miss Roseiano – a $300,000 yearling which went on to be a Gr3 winner and a A$1.275 Inglis Digital broodmare – and a full sister to the 2023 sale topper which realised A$1.1m.
Noorilim’s Peter Carrick conceded Special Lover was “definitely the queen of the farm’’ and was delighted to have been able to offer this latest filly at her home sale.
“She’s one of these mares which looks after itself, she foals down every second year and she throws a cracking type. The results are paying off, as you can see,’’ Carrick said. “We support Inglis heavily. This filly was going to Magic Millions but we thought we’d promote the Noorilim Park line here in Victoria and we heavily support Inglis’ Victorian Bloodstock Manager, James Price.
“She’s a beautiful filly that is going to a great home and will be given every chance.’’ Blaxland added: “It’s exciting to get her. She’s got two sisters working the pedigree for her and hopefully she can perform on the track and be a nice broodmare for the team later on.
“She’s in the Loving Gaby mould of the I Am Invincible fillies, maybe not a pre-Christmas type but such a really nice product. She’s big and strong and has a lovely loose action on her, that beautiful quality head that I Am Invincible puts into his fillies, there’s plenty going on around her and hopefully she can add to the pedigree.’’
Two lots realised A$475,000, a Toronado ex Miss Conduct colt of Gilgai Farm which sold to Mulberry Racing, as well as Alma Vale’s Earthlight ex Sanadaat colt which sold to Yulong.
The Toronado colt continued a big sale for Gilgai, which sold a A$1m Toronado colt on Sunday and ends Book 1 as leading vendor by average for three or more sold.
“Another unbelievable day,’’ Gilgai’s Kelly Skillecorn said. “We took this guy’s full brother to the Gold Coast last year and he’s exactly the same model as this colt and he made A$130,000 and we got $475,000. When we came here I thought we’d get A$150,000 – A$200,000 for Monday’s two Toronados and we got A$475,000 and A$400,000 and I thought the A$1m colt we might get $300,000 for.
“But then when I saw all the buyers here, I’m sure you’ve got half of Hong Kong and a third of Japan here to buy horses, I guess the results make sense because Inglis has done such an amazing job with the people they’ve got here.’’
Of the Earthlight colt – which was offered on behalf of his breeder Jeff Kruger of Lyndhurst Farm – Alma Vale’s Verna Metcalfe said: “It’s a huge result. He was a quality colt and he paraded the same on Monday as he did when he arrived here a week ago, and only the good ones do that. He never turned a hair.
“He had 17 X-Ray hits and 17 scopes so he was very popular. Everybody that looked at him, liked him. He was just one of those colts that caught your eye.’’
The Premier Yearling Sale concludes on Tuesday with 238 lots catalogued for Book 2.
If you can’t be at Oaklands, all the action will again be broadcast live on the Inglis website – and X and Facebook pages – via our Sale Day Live coverage.
BOOK 1 STATS (2024 in brackets)
- Offered: 495 (505)
- Sold: 376 (383)
- Clearance: 76% (75%)
- Average: $139,759 ($132,693)
- Median: $100,000 ($100,000)
- Gross: $52,549,500 ($50,821,500)
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