There are two doses of world breed shaper Sir Ivor in the pedigree of lot 187, a bay half-brother to stakes winners Krupt and Anevay, in the star studded consignment of 37 lots on behalf of the young Hunter Valley powerhouse Newgate Farm in the Inglis sales company’s record collection of 1013 accepted for their Classic Yearling Sale scheduled for their Riverside Stables, Warwick Farm February 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14
from Categorical (USA), a Forli grandaughter of Grand Luxe.The latter mare is by Sir Ivor, sire also of the third dam of Redoute’s Choice.
Besides Krupt and Anevay, their dam produced Absolvent, an Encosta de Lago mare who has a filly, lot 25, in the catalogue in the first crop of the Hinchinbrook (Danehill line) Caulfield Guineas winner Press Statement on account of the Vinery Stud. Press Statement resides at Vinery and like Wandjina (29 lots) is well represented in the catalogue (23 lots).
The big representation by these two sires is symptomatic of how much upmarket Australian breeding and marketing has moved since the Inglis Sydney summer yearling sale was introduced half a century ago. It was kicked off as a night sale in January 1969, one which was covered by a 203 lot catalogue. The result was 157 sold for an aggregate of $314,625.
The 708 lot Easter sale which followed had 526 lots sell for an aggregate of $1,509,425 and a high of $33,000 – for a Wilkes (Fr) colt from Newhaven Park Stud which under the name of Silver Spade won seven races, including the Group1 Futurity at Caulfield.
A lot of good horses have galloped out of the Summer Yearling Sale, a series which last century saw very few of the top sires have many representatives. At the time there were many smaller studs in NSW standing sires, the bigger ones rarely hosted more than three of more sires, mostly imports, and it was rare for a sire to have a book in excess of fifty.
The busiest sires in Australia in 1965, for an example, were Smokey Eyes (Ire) (Lyndhurst Qld) 73 mares, Red Gauntlet (GB) (Oakleigh,Widden Valley NSW) 67 and Rego (Ire) (Brooklyn Lodge HV, NSW) 62. At the 1969 Easter Yearling sale, the leading sires numerically were Wilkes (Fr) 18 lots sold, Red Gauntlet (GB) 12 and Star Kingdom (Ire) 10.
Since the beginning of this century, the advent of flying horses back and forward between the northern hemisphere and Australia for dual hemisphere use at studs or appearance in major races, the big jump in prize money and the development of syndication ownership has changed the face of breeding practice. It has seen breeding conglomerates arise in the Hunter Valley standing ten or more stallions and studmasters unhappy if their sires don’t get a 100 mares each, some of the top ones looking after over 200, and some sires being solidly supported at fees in excess of $200,000.
The Hunter Valley, the premier Australian breeding region and one of the foremost in the world, is dominated by breeding giants, Coolmore (Ireland headquartered) (stood 15 sires 2018), Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai headed Darley – Godolphin (13 sires in Hunter Valley and 8 in Victoria in 2018), Australian established Newgate Farm (13 sires), John Messara developed Arrowfield (11 sires), the Thompson’s family’s historic Widden (9 sires) and Vinery (formerly Segenhoe). Newgate and Arrowfield each have international support
In the wings is the Mitchell brothers Yarraman Park at Scone. They stood only two sires in 2018 but two of their sires are the spectacular I Am Invincible and the prematurely deceased Hinchinbrook. He died at only eleven on the eve of 2018 season, but not before showing up as a top young sire.
Over fifty of the 70 sires hosted by the studs mentioned are former Australian racehorses and include eminent winner getters who have yearlings in the 2019 Inglis Classic catalogue, namely Snitzel (4), Not a Single Doubt (9), Dundeel (23), Fastnet Rock (1), Choisir (32), Pierro (6), So You Think (11), Starspangledbanner (6), Exceed and Excel (5), Lonhro (1), Denman (3, Epaulette (20), Foxwedge (19), All Too Hard (21), Casino Prince (4), Zoustar (15), Sebring (12), Nicconi (35), Star Witness (41) Your Song (7), I Am Invincible (20) and Hinchinbrook (19).
The new guard, those whose oldest are two or yearlings, located at the Hunter Valley strongholds, is very impressive and has a big input in the Classic catalogue.They include Adelaide (Ire) (6 lots), Deep Field (36), Dissident (40), Exosphere (17), Hallowed Crown (11), Headwater (42), Kermadek (20), No Nay Never (USA) (6), Outreach (14), Panzer Division (7), Press Statement (23), Pride of Dubai (17), Real Impact (Jpn) (23), Rubick (32), Scissor Kick (15), Shooting to Win (21), Super One (20), Time For War (9), Vancouver (11) and Wandjina (29).
Hunter Valley vendors with six or more lots are Widden (65), Arrowfield (46), Newgate (37), Vinery (29), Yarraman Park (28), Sledmere (27) Murrulla (25), Aquis Farm (21), Kitchwin Hills (20), Bhima (19), Holbrook (19), Middlebrook Valley (19), Davali (18), Amarina (17), Riversdale (15), Torryburn (14),Southern Cross (13), Fernrigg Farm (12), Coolmore (12), Toolooganvale (11),Glastonbury (11), Segenhoe (11), Ashleigh Thoroughbreds (10), Golden Grove (10), Burke Bloodstock (8), Kanangra (8), Lustre Lodge (8), Kingstar (7), Attunga (7), Sefton Park (7), Goodwood (7), Evergreen (7), Fairhill (6), Turangga (6),
In addition the bulk of the yearlings in the consignments from studs elsewhere in NSW are by sires at stud in the Hunter Valley. Leading the way for this brigade is Newhaven Park with 29 yearlings, 25 of which are by HV sires. The others include Bowness (27), Fairview Park (19), Lime Country (16), Carramar Park (16), Twin Hills (15), Mane Lodge (12), Lomar Park (11), Tyreel (10), Jazzcom (10), Milburn Creek (9), Rheinwood (9), Gooree Park (8), Ascot Park (7), Tamac (7) and Edinburgh Park (6).
There are also contributions to the catalogue from Victoria and Queensland. The Victorian consignors include Two Bays (9), Woodside Park (8), Musk Creek (7) and Rosemont (6) and representing Queensland are Eureka (17 lots, 10 by Spirit of Boom), Grandview (12), Glenlogan Park (9, 6 in first crop of Written Tycoon’s son Rich Enuff), Highgrove (8), Gainsborough Lodge (8), Kenmore Lodge (7), Raheen (6) and Canning Downs (6).
The 1013 lot Classic Sale catalogue is by far the biggest ever assembled for an Inglis Sydney yearling sale, a presentation made possible by the opening of their new sales complex, Riverside Stables, at Warwick Farm last year.That year’s Classic sale, one restricted to 800 lots (the record to that time), was the first held at the new sales centre and received a very good reception.
The two highest price lots were $480,000 (Brazen Beau colt) and $475,000 for one by his sire I Am Invincible. Brazen Beau (Darley Victoria) has 11 2019 Classic yearlings and I Am Invincible 20.
The Classic sale catalogue, one this year divided into two sections, Book One (Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, February 9, 10, 11 and 12; 808 lots) and the Highway Session (Thursday February 14, 204 lots) is overall one of the best value achievers. Although quite a few yearlings will sell at $100,000 or more, the bulk are expected to find buyers at less. A normal Sydney Saturday race meeting offers $125,000 or more in prize money.
