In today's Straight Shorts, Inglis' Sebastian Hutch gives his thoughts on the Australian Easter Yearling Sale catalogue, former jockey Michael Poy banned for 13-1/2 years, PointsBet rejects rival Australian wagering firm's takeover bid and Auguste Rodin will shuttle to New Zealand.
‘The strongest consolidation of quality stock in the southern hemisphere’
Inglis has cause to be excited ahead of its Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, with the company confident that the quality of horses on offer will entice domestic and international buyers to the company’s flagship auction.
With a collection of some of Australasia’s finest thoroughbred yearlings and relations to a host of elite racehorses all set to go under the hammer on Sunday and Monday, Inglis Bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch believes the pre-sale appetite points towards a successful sale despite a smaller catalogue being compiled for the 2025 sale.
“I think people want to buy quality stock, so they consider the sale on the basis that this is the strongest consolidation of quality stock of any sale in the southern hemisphere,” Hutch tells the Straight Talk podcast.
“As a consequence, they'll all have a look at the catalogue and all have a look at horses and see what opportunities are there to buy.”
Although Hutch is confident about the quality of the catalogue of horses on offer, he believes the market will remain “price sensitive”.
“I've never used the word discerning so frequently in such a short space of time as what I have over the last six months, but it's a discerning marketplace,” he says.
“People have been more selective with how they've gone about identifying their horses, which is understandable.
“People being a little bit more conscientious, a little bit more conservative, but I think people get excited at the (Easter) sale.”
A catalogue with a focus on progeny of proven stallions, the Easter sale has 39 yearlings by four-time champion stallion Snitzel - the sire of Group 1 Coolmore Classic winner Lady Shenandoah and Golden Slipper heroine Marhoona as well as New Zealand Group 1-winning colt Return To Conquer - and 35 by Zoustar.
The Widden-based Zoustar has also enjoyed sustained racetrack success and again during the autumn via William Reid winner Schwarz and Newmarket Handicap winner Joliestar among others.
Hutch also pointed to Easter’s representation of stock by young stallions on the up such as shuttlers Too Darn Hot and Wootton Bassett in the 421-lot offering at Riverside stables.
“You talk about these young horses and you look at that crop of Wootton Bassett, Farnan, Bivouac, and Ole Kirk and they're quite well represented in sale,” Hutch said.
“The appetite for the progeny of those stallions is going to go through the roof. You look at Too Darn Hot with his third crop yearlings (and) he's really in the zone, so to speak.
“So, again, when considering the profile or the progeny of those stallions back in July and August, did we anticipate we'd be here with any of them? No, maybe not, but it's worked out well that they are.”
Sunday’s opening session starts at 12pm (AEST) with Monday beginning at 10am.
Michael Poy banned for 13-1/2 years over betting charges
Former jockey Michael Poy has been disqualified for 13-1/2 years for his involvement as a key player in a scheme that led to a string of betting-related offences.
The 25-year-old son of champion jockey Michael Clarke pleaded guilty to eight charges after it was found punter Noah Brash put on lay bets against some horses ridden by Poy and fellow jockey Lewis German after contact via an encrypted message system.
He learned his fate before the Victorian Racing Tribunal on Thursday after German had already been banned for 10 years.
Brash and Jacob Foltyowic had earlier been warned off for placing lay bets against Poy’s mounts between April and August 2022.
"You passed onto him (Brash) proposed bets, you passed onto him the names of horses to back including horses that were not permitted to run on their merits," Judge John Bowman said.
"You were the key player in the whole scheme of effectively rigging races."
All 46 of Brash's lay bets against Poy’s mounts were successful and he made a profit of $104,400.
Auguste Rodin joins Windsor Park Stud roster for 2025 spring
Six-time Group 1 winner Auguste Rodin will shuttle to Windsor Park Stud in Cambridge this spring in a coup for the New Zealand breeding industry.
An impeccably bred son of Deep Impact out of Galileo’s triple Group 1-winning daughter Rhododendron, Auguste Rodin boasts one of the most sought-after pedigrees in the world.
And he has a racing record to match with elite-level success at two, three and four years of age, highlighted in English Derby and Irish Derby wins and success in the Breeders’ Cup Turf over 2400m.
Auguste Rodin retired as the winner of eight races over distances from 1400m to 2400m, defeating 21 individual Group 1 winners with 45 Group 1 wins between them.
“We are privileged to welcome a racehorse of Auguste Rodin’s calibre to our stallion roster,” Windsor Park principal Rodney Schick said.
“His race performance has a remarkable similarity to that of High Chaparral who we stood here at Windsor Park and who enjoyed global success and international renown through his own success and that of his sons, grandsons and daughters at stud.”
Auguste Rodin takes his place on Windsor Park’s 2025 stallion roster with fellow Coolmore sires Paddington and Circus Maximus and alongside resident stallion Shamexpress, sire of the world’s highest-rated sprinter Ka Ying Rising.
Auguste Rodin will stand in 2025 at an introductory fee of $NZ30,000 + GST.
PointsBet board dismisses betr move in takeover play
PointsBet has rejected a takeover counteroffer from betr, saying concerns about how the rival Australian wagering firm would fund the bid “have not been adequately addressed”.
In originally dismissing betr as a potential suitor, PointsBet insisted a takeover proposal was unfunded and was subject to explicit financing conditions.
PointsBet claimed betr would need to raise $100 million in debt and undertake a large upfront equity capital raising of $160 million.
It said the value creation in the proposal was also heavily reliant on assumed synergies.
Bren O’Brien
A subsequent April 1 announcement from betr claimed that its proposal is fully funded.
But in a letter to shareholders on Thursday, PointsBet chairman Brett Patton maintained that funding challenges were still evident.
“Notwithstanding BlueBet’s recent statements, the core issues have not been adequately addressed by BlueBet and thus PointsBet does not intend to further pursue the BlueBet Proposal,” Patton wrote.
“The BlueBet Proposal was expressed to be non-binding and indicative and is not currently capable of acceptance by PointsBet shareholders.”
It leaves Japanese consumer technology company MIXI with the inside running to make a successful play for PointsBet.
MIXI operates a Northern Territory-licenced sports bookmaking subsidiary that provides wagering services in Australia under the brand known as betM.
Grafton the latest victim of big wet
Friday’s Grafton meeting is the latest NSW fixture to be impacted by the wet weather in NSW and Queensland.
The track has been deemed unsuitable for racing after receiving 36mm of rainfall over the last 24 hours and 83mm during the last seven days.
A new meeting will be added in the Northern Rivers on Wednesday, April 16 with the venue to be determined next week.
A meeting at Ballina was abandoned last Monday as well as at Nowra in the south of the state, while Rosehill’s Group 1 race meeting last Saturday was moved to Tuesday.
Thursday’s meeting at Ipswich in Queensland was also abandoned, as were this Saturday’s races at Goondiwindi and Home Hill.
Greyhound racing’s The Q set for first meeting on Friday
Queensland’s new greyhound racing track, The Q, will open this Friday with a 12-race program.
The maiden meeting will take place on the one-turn track - known as Ladbrokes Q1 Lakeside - with the first race set to jump at 1.49pm (AEST). Minister for Racing Tim Mander said Friday’s first meeting would be an important occasion for Queensland greyhound racing.
“Queensland greyhound racing participants can now proudly say they have a permanent home for their sport,” he said.
With the 2024-25 Queensland Golden Greys Summer Racing Carnival coming to a close, all eyes are on the eagerly anticipated opening of The Q, and there's no doubt the participants are excited about this game-changing facility for the code 🐶 #QLDisRacing
— RaceQ (@RaceQLD) February 11, 2025
More 🔗… pic.twitter.com/nlNo6KHzTE
“The Crisafulli Government is committed to strengthening the long-term viability and integrity of all racing codes, while delivering modern and fit-for-purpose racing infrastructure. “Constructed with animal welfare at its core, The Q will be the envy of greyhound racing jurisdictions across Australia and the world.”
The Q, located south of Ipswich, will replace tracks located at Albion Park and Ipswich.
