3 minute read
Average, median and aggregate show large gains
Records were set when the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale concluded at Riverside on Thursday afternoon. The two-day sale saw 261 lots sold for $12,919,500, a 49 per cent rise on the 2021 figure. The median was up 25 per cent to $30,000, while the average increased 13 per cent to $49,500. A total of 34 lots sold for $100,000 or more compared to 23 a year ago while ten lots sold for $200,000, with only 5 lots breaking that barrier in 2021.
The first crop of Darley shuttler Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) proved popular with the stallion finishing the sale as the leading sire by average (three or more lots sold) with his three weanlings selling for $494,500 at an average of $165,167 and a top price of $320,000 coming for the colt out of Majesty (Fastnet Rock) who was the most expensive colt to sell at this year's sale.
Trilogy Racing was the sale's leading purchaser having spent $1,085,500 on 14 lots including the sale's top lot, the Pierro (Lonhro) – Now Now (Danehill Dancer) filly for $400,000 on Wednesday.
Sean Dingwall of Trilogy Racing said that he believes they found value in what they have bought.
"We've found some nice horses and we've ended up with 14," he said.
"We probably didn't come here to buy 14 but we've found that we can buy value. We've just focused on buying horses that are dual purpose - that can be turned over or kept and raced.
"Obviously first season sires were popular for us and we did target first season horses a lot."
The 14 purchases include colts by the first crops of Yes Yes Yes (Rubick) and Exceedance (Exceed And Excel).
"I think the market is strong and all the right people are here buying, or looking anyway," Dinwall said.
"These sort of sales there is always a tight top end and then a short middle and long tail. We all know that when you come here and you just have to work your way through them."
Bell River Thoroughbreds finished the sale as the leading vendor by average (3 or more lots sold) having sold five lots for $575,000 at an average of $115,000. Fairhill Farm meanwhile was the leading vendor by aggregate, selling 28 lots for $2,183,000 at an average of $77,964.
"It was very good, fabulous really. It takes a couple of days to sink in to be honest but we're really proud of the results,'' Fairhill's Mike O'Donnell said.
"You're continually rejigging the model but next year we'll be even better than this year and last year.
"Planning for next year's weanling sale has already started last year when we mated. We're planning for the sale in two years' time right now with bookings.
"As I've said before, one of the most important things is to offer them all, which we do, and I think that helps the buyers' have confidence with our draft each year at this sale.''
Inglis Bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch was thrilled with the success of the weanling sale.
"It has been a fantastic few days, with the appetite for good weanlings being extraordinary, to the point where demand dramatically outstripped supply,'' Hutch said.
"There are a lot of positives to come out of the sale and it continues the fantastic momentum that we have had through the yearling sales season.
"We are very much looking forward to the Chairman's Sale tomorrow night, with the tone for the broodmare sales season having been set by a buoyant Arrowfield Broodmare Reduction which was conducted through Inglis Digital last week."
