Resolute reshuffle – Tutta La Vita sale looms as Ernaux flies the flag

Big-spending American owner John Stewart will put three-time Group 1-placed mare Tutta La Vita up for sale via Inglis Digital as a maiden Australian stakes win looms for the Resolute Racing founder.

Ernaux, a $3 million I Am Invincible-Booker filly purchased at the 2024 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, is set to carry Stewart’s black and blue silks in Saturday’s Group 3 PJ Bell Stakes.

In a further boost for the valuable filly’s chances, champion jockey James McDonald is booked to ride the Chris Waller-trained three-year-old, who Stewart co-owns with Coolmore, Georg von Opel’s racing operation Westerberg and Joe Poulin.

Ernaux, the second foal out of Oakleigh Plate winner Booker, was one of six yearlings Stewart purchased at the Easter sale two years ago, the same auction where he underbid Winx’s $10 million daughter by Pierro. 

He is also the managing owner of the $1.8 million Written Tycoon two-year-old Lady Catalina, who is the first foal is out of Magic Millions 2YO Classic-winning mare Away Game. 

The Ciaron Maher-trained two-year-old won her first start at Newcastle on Tuesday.

About a month after making a splash at the 2024 Easter sale, where he bought six yearlings after encouragement from Inglis managing director Mark Webster to expand his burgeoning Resolute Racing business to Australia, Stewart paid $3.2 million for the then-Waller-trained Tutta La Vita at the Chairman’s Sale.

A three-quarter sister to Group 1 winner Secret Agenda, herself the dam of this season’s Roman Consul-winning colt Hidden Motive, The Autumn Sun’s first-crop daughter Tutta La Vita would race just once more in Australia before being exported to the United States.

She raced three times last year, twice finishing second, with Kentucky-based Stewart teaming up with Inglis to sell the juvenile-winning mare.

Tutta La Vita will be the standout offering in the Inglis Digital (Early) April Online Sale when the catalogue is released. The sale will run from April 10 until 15.

“There’s no doubt Tutta La Vita is one of the highest profile and most gorgeous looking mares to ever be offered on the Inglis Digital platform and she will no doubt garner attention from breeders all around the world,’’ Webster said.

“Pedigrees like this are gifts that keep on giving and given her compatibility with a broad cross section of stallions, her offspring are going to profile well for any major yearling sale in the world.

“There will be few better credentialed mares offered anywhere in the world in 2026 and the timing of this sale is perfect should a southern hemisphere breeder acquire her, there’s still five or six months to get her back to Australia, give her time to reacclimatise and be ready for her maiden cover come spring.’’

Stewart, whose bloodstock interests extend to Europe with well-travelled Group 1 winner Goliath for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, has 16 two-year-olds in training in Australia.

Resolute Racing’s batch of Australian two-year-olds are spread around trainers Waller and Maher, Mick Price and Mick Kent Jnr, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Bjorn Baker, Michael Freedman and Tony and Calvin McEvoy.

The founder of private equity firm MiddleGround Capital, Stewart appointed his wife Chelsey as chief executive of Resolute Racing in November.  

Inglis Bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch played down the significance of Stewart’s inactivity in Australia at this year’s yearling sales, three years after establishing Resolute Racing with the purchase of Shadwell’s Kentucky property Shadayid Stud.  

There appears to have been a change in strategy, and after years of rapid growth, Resolute Racing has been more conservative with its approach.

“And they wouldn’t be the first buying entity or the first bloodstock entity to have done that,” Hutch said. 

“Obviously, he’s made a significant impression on the market and I feel that he’s been a real net positive for the market.

“He certainly brought a very strong investment in Australia and he’s still a significant participant. Certainly, from what I observe or what I see at sales that I attend, he was certainly investing in quality stock through the breeding stock sales in the northern hemisphere last year.

“We’d all be delighted to see the Resolute Racing colours win good races.”