The reputation of the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale has been enhanced with a flurry of high-profile new-season results, a timely reminder of what the auction house says is a market increasingly respected by a vast array of industry participants.
Inglis has released a catalogue of 805 yearlings made up by 106 individual stallions and 73 vendors for its 2025 February Classic sale, just three fewer lots than what was presented at the 2024 edition of the Sydney sale.
This year’s $600,000 Classic sale-topper Gobi Desert, a Too Darn Hot half-sister to Group 1-winning mare and fellow Classic sale graduate In Her Time, made the perfect start to her career on Saturday by winning the Max Lees Classic for Yulong and trainer Kris Lees.
Farnan colt North England, a $280,000 Classic purchase for the China Horse Club, Newgate and Trilogy colts syndicate, has also emerged from the Classic sale as a Golden Slipper contender after his victory in the $1 million Golden Gift.
Inglis Banner winner Within The Law, a bargain $30,000 Darby Racing buy, has also already paid her connections ten times over with her impressive performance at Flemington on debut for trainer Bjorn Baker. Team McEvoy’s Leave No Doubt, a Bendigo winner on debut, is another graduate of the 2024 sale.
⚜️ It's a winning debut for Gobi Desert (Too Darn Hot x Hell It's Hot) in the Yulong green under @clarkyhk for @Leesracing at @newcastleraces_ 🌟
— Yulong Investments (@YulongInvest) November 16, 2024
The 2YO filly is a half-sister to dual G1 winner In Her Time!#aworldofopportunity pic.twitter.com/hD7Ja4sgFl
Inglis Bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch says the Classic sale “never fails to deliver” for providing buyers with value.
“We went into the sale last year confident that we had a nice group of horses to offer to the market, or vendors had a nice group of horses to offer to the market, and the sale topper’s won on debut in a significant two-year race at Newcastle for Yulong and she looks really looks exciting,” Hutch told The Straight.
“The Golden Gift is the most significant two-year-old race in Australia pre-New Year, I think, and it was won by a Classic graduate for Newgate in North England and I think the participation of colts syndicates like Newgate in the sale is further evidence of the improving profile of the sale.
“You only have to look at their stallion roster to realise how significant the sale has become. The most important young stallion on their roster, maybe in Australia, maybe in the world, Extreme Choice comes out of the sale, and they have Profiteer and Cosmic Force who are Classic graduates.
“Hopefully, North England is well on its way to joining that roster as well.”
"The most important young stallion on their (Newgate's) roster, maybe in Australia, maybe in the world, Extreme Choice comes out of the sale, and they have Profiteer and Cosmic Force who are Classic graduates."- Sebastian Hutch
Next year’s sale, to be conducted at Riverside Stables at Warwick Farm from February 9 to 11, has progeny of a host of Australasia’s premier stallions including Written Tycoon, Snitzel, Extreme Choice, I Am Invincible, Toronado, Dundeel, Street Boss Wootton Bassett, Alabama Express, Zoustar and Proisir.
First season sires are also well-represented at Classic, a traditional launching pad for young stallions, with Pinatubo, Home Affairs, Portland Sky, Captivant, Extreme Warrior, Sword Of State and Tiger Of Malay among the freshman catalogued.
Yulong, the breeder and seller of Lucky Vega filly Within The Law, has 26 yearlings catalogued for next year’s Classic sale while North Bloodstock, which consigned Gobi Desert, has 16 lots catalogued for next year’s Classic sale.
Staff Writer
Prominent vendors Widden (45), Arrowfield (40), Vinery Stud (37), Newhaven Park (37), Newgate Farm (34) and Sledmere Stud (31) are also well represented with Classic drafts.
“I don't think any auction house ever said that they'd be satisfied with what they had. You always want more, and you always want better horses. But, as I say, there was really good demand from a broad cross-section of people to be involved in the sale with nice horses,” Hutch said.
“And we'd like to try and consolidate as broad a cross-section of participants as we can in the sale, whether it's vendors or stallions or female families, etc. We feel like we've done that reasonably well. Ultimately, you want to have a catalogue that when you put it in the hands of buyers and they look through it, they look at it and say, ‘well, there's a horse I'd be interested in buying’
“I feel pretty hopeful at this stage we're in a position to facilitate a good market at Classic next year.”
Magic Millions released its Gold Coast January sale catalogue last week while New Zealand Bloodstock is expected to reveal its 2025 Karaka National Yearling Sale line-up later this month.
Tim Rowe
