In today's Straight Shorts, a Snitzel mare has topped the Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale, a share in Newgate Farm's star sire Extreme Choice offered at auction, wagering firm Tabcorp stocks close 22 per cent higher for the week and a NSW trainer banned on welfare charges.
Zelify tops Australian Broodmare Sale
A sister to Group 3 winner Elle Lou in foal to leading first season sire Ole Kirk has sold for $280,000, the highest price of the Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale.
Sale-topping Snitzel mare Zelify, a Sydney city winner whose first foal is a filly by Pierro, was bought by Omen Bloodstock from the draft Lime Country Thoroughbreds.
It was a profitable result for Lime Country’s Jo Griffin and her partners who paid $115,000 for Zelify at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in 2022.
“It’s been a great week for us,’’ Jo Griffin said.
“This mare today, we brought her to this sale to stand out and she certainly did that.
“She was part of our trading partnership and unfortunately that’s the way it is, we have to roll them through as part of the agreement every two to three years. We’ve got a lovely Pierro filly out of her that we’ll be offering (next) year.
“Earlier in the week we sold all our foals and we only brought good foals here. I’m very happy. Being in NSW, for us personally with the foals we like to keep them here for travel purposes and ease on them and we were well rewarded.’’
The short, 105-lot sale, held a day after Inglis’ record-breaking Chairman’s Sale for elite breeding stock, had three in-foal mares sell for $200,000 or more.
Another 10 mares sold for $100,000 or more during the three-hour sale which averaged $66,412 with a median of $46,000.
Extreme Choice share and Bivouac breeding rights headline Inglis Digital catalogue
A share in one of the world’s hottest young stallions, Newgate Farm’s Extreme Choice, and two breeding rights in emerging first-season sire Bivouac will be offered in the latest Inglis Digital online sale.
Statistically one of the best-performing stallions in the world, Extreme Choice is already the sire of five individual Group 1 winners from his first 115 runners.
Standing at a fee of $330,000 (inc GST) this year, he has also been a commercial sensation, with his yearlings selling up to $1.7 million this year and averaging $580,000.
Two breeding rights in Darley’s young sire Bivouac, a son of Exceed And Excel, will also be offered via Inglis Digital.
Bivouac’s second-crop yearlings have outperformed the first, averaging $350,000 at the 2025 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Also among the 531-lot catalogue is Summer Surf (Big Brown), a winning half-sister to Group 2 winner and in-demand young stallion Farnan.
Summer Surf is being offered in foal to Toronado.
In total, 195 broodmares, 194 racehorses (102 race fillies), 59 racehorse shares, 51 yearlings, 27 weanlings, four breeding rights and one unbroken horse are catalogued for the latest digital sale which ends on May 14.
Tabcorp share price surges
Tabcorp’s share price has surged 22 per cent in a week, closing at its highest level since early March.
Beginning the week at 56 cents, the price jumped to 63 cents on Tuesday, to 67 cents on Wednesday, was steady on Thursday and got to 70 cents on Friday.
It represents just the second time it has been at that 70 cent-plus mark since Gillon McLachlan took over as CEO in August.
McLachlan presented at the Macquarie Australia Conference this week and revealed the latest round of redundancies, which took the total staff reductions to over 300, would be the last for the foreseeable future. He also announced a new in-venue in play strategy, which launched on Thursday.
NSW trainer banned on welfare charges
A NSW mid-north coast trainer has been suspended after a long-running Racing NSW investigation.
Taree-based Trent Potts will serve a six-month suspension following the death in January 2024 of Bonnie Vale, a five-year-old mare.
Racing NSW’s integrity department investigated the mare’s death which included the examination of veterinarian reports and treatment records.
Stewards opened an inquiry in late April and on Wednesday issued five charges against Potts, to which he pleaded guilty.
Two of the charges involved welfare issues relating to an injury sustained by Bonnie Vale. Potts was also fined $900.
Trentham test of talented filly Transcend
Trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray will make the long trip from Cambridge to Trentham with talented two-year-old Transcend, a daughter of So You Think.
With a long-range plan of targeting the Group 1 1000 Guineas at Riccarton in November, Transcend’s debut in the Ladies Man 2YO (1200m) at Trentham could be her only run for the season such is the trainers’ high opinion of the TAB Racing Club-owned filly.
“She’s a lovely filly,” Ritchie said. “For us to be taking her down to Trentham as our only runner at the meeting shows that we really like her. We certainly wouldn’t be taking a horse that far otherwise.
“It’s a privilege for Colm and I to train a horse in those TAB Racing Club colours. It’s great for our stable’s profile.
“We’ve taken only one two-year-old to the races so far this season, and that was Tajana, who was a winner and also placed in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes and Colin Jillings Classic.
“Hopefully we can maintain that strong record with our two-year-olds this season.”
Transcend was a NZ$150,000 purchase by her trainers and the TAB Racing Club from Henley Park at the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
Boneo Park to host key Victorian OTT event
Victoria’s Boneo Park Equestrian Centre will host the inaugural Off The Track Carnival in September.
Racing Victoria confirmed the scheduling event on Friday in what will be Victoria’s largest equestrian event dedicated to thoroughbreds.
The event will showcase more than 200 retired racehorses across multiple disciplines, from Dressage and Combined Training to Showjumping and Show Horse in a weekend of competition, education and community on the Mornington Peninsula.
“Racing Victoria is proud to support the inaugural Off The Track Carnival, a fantastic initiative that highlights the incredible potential of retired racehorses. This event is designed to build on our work of driving demand for OTTs and positioning them as a breed of choice in the equestrian community,” RV General Manager – Equine Welfare, Melissa Ware, said.
“The Off The Track Carnival will play an important role in showcasing the unique qualities of thoroughbreds and their growing appeal within the equestrian community. As these horses transition from the racetrack to a range of disciplines, their versatility, athleticism and work ethic continue to impress.”
Boneo Park Managing Director, Fiona Selby, said the event is open to all Off The Track riders, with no membership required for horses or riders.
“We are so grateful to Racing Victoria for their generous support of the event and their continued commitment to equine welfare. We look forward to welcoming the Off The Track community to Boneo Park this September for what will be a memorable event,” he said.
Entries for all classes at the Off The Track Carnival will close on Monday, 18 August 2025.
