Inglis in Premier position as momentum carries into Melbourne sale

Inglis will head into the Premier Sale full of confidence, with the company’s bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch buoyed by last year’s results and trading at its Classic sale earlier this month.

The auction house, which operates in Australia’s two biggest racing states of NSW and Victoria, has gained more support from leading breeders across the country for its sole Melbourne yearling sale comprising a bigger catalogue than in 2025. 

“We felt we had a really good sale last year, and that sale gave us good momentum into the spring,” Hutch told Straight Talk.

“And that momentum certainly helped us feel like we were getting better horses. If you ask me, do I feel the catalogue is better today than what it was 12 months ago, I would say yes. 

“Does that mean we’re going to have a significantly better sale? It’s kind of hard to say, but I’d be disappointed if we couldn’t improve on the sale from 12 months ago.”

Despite his optimism ahead of Sunday’s opening Premier session, Hutch issued a note of caution about some of the difficulties vendors may encounter at Oaklands Junction.

“The only thing I would be inclined to say is be very reluctant to guard against complacency or over-optimism in the market,” he said.

“Because while the sales this year have on balance been good, it hasn’t been easy, so to speak. People have had to work hard to get horses sold. Nothing is coming easily.”

Off the back of last year’s increased demand, which saw almost $60 million turned over, well-known studs have supported the Premier sale in strong fashion.

Coolmore has a draft in its own right for the first time in more than a decade while Newgate Farm is selling under its own banner and Mill Park Stud and fellow South Australian operation Kambula Stud is selling its entire yearling crop in Melbourne this year.

“I think most people saw that the sale was a good sale last year,” Hutch said. 

“A lot of these entities have been represented in sales through other vendors or in different ways over the years, but I just think it was a good compliment to say that we’ve had a number of them all in the same year saying we’re going to target.”

Horses bought for Hong Kong interests were a key factor at last year’s sale but the Victorian owners and trainers also remain a key component of the buying bench.

“I feel like we have plenty of nice horses here and hopefully that means that we see good engagement from Victorian trainers, agents and syndicators,” Hutch said.

With an 814-lot catalogue of yearlings to be sold across Sunday to Tuesday, buyers will have plenty of horses to choose from by proven and new sires.

“At the moment we have far fewer withdrawals than we did 12 months ago,” Hutch said.

“With the supplementaries … we’re going to be offering significantly more horses than we did 12 months ago.

“But really we want to post an increased gross and a better clearance rate.”

Selling at Inglis’ Oaklands Junction complex starts at 10am each day.