The only living foal of champion mare Winx has been sold for a world record A$10 million. The Pierro-Winx filly was Lot 391 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney.
Racenet.com report that she was bought by Winx’s part owner, Debbie Kepitis’ Woppitt Bloodstock.
The filly entered the ring at 2.20pm and bidding started at $2 million, and she was sold three minutes later for A$10 million.
Going, going, gone!
Her price tag eclipsed the previous world record for a yearling filly, which was 5 million guineas (A$9 million) in Europe in 2013.
After the sale, Tom Magnier from Coolmore Stud, which was the vendor, said it “feels like winning a Group 1”. “It’s incredible,” he said.
The filly will be trained by Winx’s trainer, Chris Waller.
Kepitis said she only decided in the past few weeks to buy the filly.
“(We thought) if we could get her we would,” she said. “I am privileged to secure this filly on behalf of my family … she’s Australian forever.”
The previous sale record for a yearling filly in Australia was $2.6 million in 2012, which was a half-sister to the immortal Black Caviar, by Redoute’s Choice.
The Winx filly, however, also became the highest-priced yearling sold in Australia.
The previous highest priced yearling sold in Australia was A$5 million for a half-brother to Black Caviar in 2013.
Inglis had inquiries about Winx’s filly from potential buyers out of America, Japan and Europe as well as local thoroughbred investors keen to buy a piece of racing history.
Auctioneer Jonathon D’Arcy has been an auctioneer with Inglis for more than 30 years but could not recall anything like the hype and media interest in the Winx’s filly.
“Winx’s longevity on the racetrack winning 37 races meant she captured the hearts and minds of not only the racing industry, but also those once-a-year punters and there is so much anticipation with the sale of her first foal,” D’Arcy said before the sale.
Former Peter Muscutt assistant Mark Naidoo, who now works for Coolmore, with the big ticket filly
There was no reserve on Winx’s filly.
The previous record filly at A$2.6 million, later named Belle Couture, raced four times for one win in a maiden, and a second, and won only A$21 775 prizemoney.
She had three foals to sell at yearling sales for prices of A$400,000 (by Pierro – 2017), A$850,000 (by I Am Invincible – 2018 – passed in), and A$260,000 (by Capitalist – 2020).
All three horses — Spilia, Heart Breaker and Feudal Empire — have struggled on the track.
Feudal Empire, by Capitalist, was sold in an online digital sale for A$7000 in April last year, and is now trained by John Keane at Cranbourne. He has won two races from 21 starts.
Heart Breaker, by I Am Invincible, was retired in 2020, after one third from three starts, winning A$7780 prizemoney.
Spilia, by Pierro, was retired in June 2022 after winning three races from 43 starts, and A$110,614 in prizemoney.
Belle Couture sadly passed away in February 2023, aged 12.
Winx won a world record 33 straight races during her career, including 25 Group 1 victories, and more than A$26 million prizemoney.
She won a record four consecutive Cox Plates between 2015 and 2018.
Winx lost her first foal by I Am Invincible in 2020 before she gave birth to the Pierro filly on October 7, 2022.
She is now in foal to champion sire, Snitzel.
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