Snitzel filly puts Munz back in the mix at Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale

A $925,000 Snitzel filly defied the general yearling market gloom to stand out and top the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.

The filly, offered by Blue Gum Farm, was purchased by agent Dean Hawthorne on behalf of Jonathan Munz, and was one of five yearlings to sell for $500,000 or more on the second day of the sale.

However, the top-end highlights couldn’t hide the battles throughout the rest of the market, as clearance rate, average and gross all fell on the same first two days of the 2023 sale.

At the end of the Premier session the clearance rate sat at 76 per cent (77 last year), the average was $132,779 ($139,475), the median price stayed steady at $100,000, while the gross dropped some $1.3 million to $50.7 million shortly after the final Lot sold.

Munz may have been active in Victorian racing politics over the past six months, but this was the first time his GSA Bloodstock had purchased a horse at the Melbourne sale since 2019.

Through his bloodstock agent of choice, Hawthorne, Munz went to the second highest price for a filly ever at the Premier Sale, when paying $925,000 for Lot 314, the sister to Group 1-placed and Group 3 winner Bruckner.

That colt was sold to Aquis for $725,000 at the same sale in 2020, while the Zoustar half-brother, Tuned, was a $500,000 buy for Annabel Neasham last year. However, this latest filly topped the lot, exceeding what Hawthorne had initially hoped to pay for her.

“It was a bit more than what we expected to pay, but she stood out in the sale ground as not only the best filly, but the best horse on the sale ground,” Hawthorne said. “Fast family, a big strong Snitzel, the type that can get up and run early and she just ticked all the boxes.”

The Snitzel filly will head to the stables of Anthony and Sam Freedman, with whom Munz’s Pinecliff racing had success through Shoals and Super Seth in the past.

Hawthorne described the Snitzel filly as ‘high Easter quality’ saying she fitted the GSA mould in terms of both a racing prospect and as a future broodmare.

“We haven’t bought in the ring for a while and we need to buy one or two fillies just to keep things going along. Those Snitzel fillies don’t come along very often looking like that and when they do, you have to pay for them,” he said.

“You have to keep topping up with these mares.”

Hawthorne purchased two fillies for GSA at last year’s Easter Yearling Sale but said he didn’t expect to be strong at this year’s sale, having found the filly they really wanted.

“We haven’t bought in the ring for a while and we need to buy one or two fillies just to keep things going along.” – Dean Hawthorne

Late in the day, Ollie Koolman went to $650,000 to buy the top-priced colt of the sale, Lot 560, a son of Zoustar out of Swiss Rose offered by Segenhoe Stud.    

Earlier colts by two prominent global stallions, Justify and Frankel, fetched $500,000.

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have a strong affiliation for Justify through Golden Slipper favourite Storm Boy and paid half a million, along with bloodstock agent Bruce Slade of Kestrel Thoroughbreds, for Lot 335, out of Kitty Leroy, who is a three-quarter sister to Singapore star and Australian Group 3 winner Super One.

“We have obviously had very good success with Justify, mainly with Storm Boy, and this guy was a cracker,” Claudia Miller, bloodstock manager for Waterhouse/Bott, said of the colt, who was offered by Shadow Hill. 

“He’s a really good mover, great bone and from a very fast family, so let’s hope we can do the same with him as we’re doing with Storm Boy.”

It was a good day for Shadow Hill Thoroughbreds who also sold a Starspangledbanner colt, Lot 432, for $510,000 to Hong Kong-based Solari Thoroughbreds. That colt, a three-quarter brother to Defcon, will head to Benno Yung’s stables.  

Griffiths De Kock Racing purchased their second yearling by Frankel for the sale, paying $500,000 for Lot 455, a colt out of Kingman mare Philonikia, who is a half-sister to multiple Group winner Brimham Rocks.

Aristia Park offered the colt, who joined a Frankel filly, Lot 100, purchased for $100,000 on Sunday, in going to the Cranbourne stables of Robbie Griffiths and Mat De Kock.

“We’re cornering the Frankel market,” De Kock joked. “Why wouldn’t you when he is one of the best sires in the world.

“I think we bought well. We were prepared to go higher… we bought Let’sbefrankbaby for $400,000 and this colt’s a very similar mould. A nice staying type.”

“That’s what we are looking for. We are not in the market for those early, sharp ones, We are very patient and we would rather be focussing on longevity.”

“We’re cornering the Frankel market. Why wouldn’t you when he is one of the best sires in the world!?” – Mat De Kock

Ciaron Maher was conspicuous by his lack of presence at the top end on the first day of the sale but struck early to secure Lot 285, and I Am Invincible filly, for $400,000.

The filly is out of stakes-placed mare Holy Cow and was offered by Gilgai Farm and Maher purchased her half-brother by Written By, Bruckheimer, for $410,000 at this sale last year.

Maher’s bloodstock manager Will Bourne commented on the lack of presence from Australia’s leading trainer on the first day of the sale, saying it wasn’t for a want of trying.

“We tried on a few horses yesterday, everyone said we were a bit quiet yesterday, but it has been a strong market,” Bourne said. “They re not easy to buy, but we have got a lot on our list today and we will hope to get a few.”

Maher ended up with six lots for the premier session. The leading buyer for the sale was Clinton McDonald and Shane McGrath with $1.86 million spent across seven horses, while the biggest on volume was Lindsay Park with 11.

Comparative statistics – Inglis Premier Yearling Sale

Year	2024	2023
Sold	382	373
Clearance Rate	76%	77%
Gross Amount	$50,721,500	$52,024,000
Highest (Lot 314 )	$925,000	1,100,000
Average	$132,779	139,475
Median	$100,000	100,000