Who buys Winx’s first foal at the Australian Easter Yearling Sale?

When the question is asked what is the ceiling on the price of the most anticipated yearling in memory when she goes through the sales ring at the Australian Easter Yearling Sale, the most common answer seems to be $5 million.

The number has a clear resonance for anyone who has followed Australian yearling sales through this century. It is the highest price ever for a yearling at public auction in this country, paid for Black Caviar’s ill-fated half-brother at the 2013 Easter Yearling Sale.

It’s a logical stopping point for the local market, but such is the global interest in the Pierro filly out of superstar Winx, it is entirely possible bidding could exceed that mark.

Incidentally, Black Caviar’s half-sister Belle Couture jointly holds the record price for a yearling filly at public auction in Australia, at $2.6 million. She, like her younger brother, was purchased by BC3 Thoroughbreds, an ownership syndicate that collapsed when its founder Bill Vlahos was charged over a ponzi scheme. He was eventually jailed for nine years.

The other filly to sell for $2.6 million was multiple Group 1 Sunlight’s full sister, now named Clean Energy, by Yulong at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

The most expensive yearling filly this year is the daughter of Wootton Bassett and multiple Group 1 winner Avantage who sold for $2.1 million to David Ellis of Te Akau Racing on the Gold Coast.

Assuming that $5 million estimate is somewhere around the mark, it leaves only a select few who could feasibly purchase the once-in-a-lifetime filly.

1. Katsumi Yoshida

Japan’s biggest breeder and bloodstock figure, Yoshida and his Northern Farm operation have been regular buyers on the Australian yearling scene. They have also been willing to part with seven-figure sums for many of Australia’s top performed mares, including She Will Reign, Yankee Rose, Mystic Journey, Shamrocker, Gypsy Goddess, Funstar and Youngstar.

Yoshida and Northern Farm have a strong relationship with Arrowfield, while they have also raced horses in Australia over the years, with the likes of Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher. They could look to keep the filly to race in Australia before taking her to Japan to continue her breeding career.

2. Coolmore

No buyer has been more active at the top end of Australian yearling sales over the past five years than Coolmore Australia principal Tom Magnier. Coolmore are offering the filly for sale on behalf of her owners but could also be on the buyers’ side as well, through Magnier.

They stand the stallion, Pierro, while Winx was foaled on their Jerrys Plains farm and has lived there since her retirement.

It is also part of Coolmore’s global strategy to soak up as much as they can from these champion families. Given there is uncertainty over how many foals may be offered out of Winx then it would make sense for her to be raced by Coolmore (perhaps in partnership) and retained as a broodmare of global significance.    

3. Yulong

Yuesheng Zhang has scooped up many of the best broodmares in Australia over the past three years, spending hundreds of millions of dollars assembling Australia’s, if not the world’s, biggest and best band to power his burgeoning breeding operation.

Yulong have also dipped into the top end of the yearling market, notably for Sunlight’s sister last year and would be certainly in the running for the Winx filly given her profile and rarity. They also have a close relationship, like Coolmore, with Winx’s trainer Chris Waller, so would have plenty of insight into what she may have to offer on the track.   

4. Debbie Kepitis/Woppitt Bloodstock

Kepitis was the public face of the ownership group during Winx’s racing days and would love to be able to retain a stake in her daughter. The Ingham family, including Debbie’s dad Bob, were never afraid to bat at the top end of the yearling market in their heyday, spending $18 million at the Easter Sale in 2008 alone.

Kepitis has also had a terrific run of racetrack success via her Woppit Bloodstock operation, headed by Saturday’s Rosehill Guineas winner Riff Rocket. Given all that, she would have the means and the desire to go on her own for the filly. However, she is also closely aligned to Coolmore and could form part of an investment partnership from there.

5. John Stewart

Eighteen months ago, John Stewart was a virtual unknown in racing circles, but the American head of Resolute Racing has made a substantial global splash, spending US$25 million at public auction at America’s major sales in late 2023 then backing that up with a host of private purchases, including several high profile mares from Coolmore.

He arrived in Australia last week and has made no secret of his desire to target the Winx filly when she comes up for auction. Stewart has told reporters that if he were to buy the filly he would look to keep her to race in Australia.  

6. Mitsu Nakauchida  

One of Japan’s leading trainers, who has pursued success all over the world, Mitsu reportedly recently inspected the filly at Coolmore and could be set to provide a substantial second Japanese presence when it comes to competition for the filly.

He has the backing of many major breeders and owners in Japan, including Danox Co Ltd, who have an affinity for Australian bloodlines, having purchased the yearling/weanling progeny of local Group 1 winners She Will Reign (2), Yankee Rose and Funstar in Japan for a combined $A12.4 million over the last few years.

7. Arrowfield

Arrowfield don’t tend to play a major role in the yearling market these days, but could conceivably make a play, possibly in partnership, for such a rare offering. They did pay $900,000 for Winx’s half-sister Courchevel at the 2021 Inglis Chairman’s Sale, while they parted with $3.2 million for champion mare Arcadia Queen, who is also by Pierro, at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

8. John Camilleri  

Camilleri famously bred Winx, selling her for $230,000 as a yearling, while he has retained four of her half-sisters, he did lose her dam Vegas Showgirl last year.

His Fairway Thoroughbred operation is no stranger to the top end of the yearling sale, with bloodstock agent James Harron often doing his bidding when it comes to these high-end fillies.

9. Kia Ora/TFI

This partnership, which brings together billionaire businessmen Ananda Krishnan and Tony Fung, has been playing a prominent role in Australian bloodstock circles for a few years. They have tended to be focussed on colts but did spend $1.1 million on Eneeza at Magic Millions last year. That filly is a stakes winner and was an excellent seventh in Saturday’s Golden Slipper.

10. Others

There are a host of other candidates on the list. Gai Waterhouse has put together syndicates for multimillion purchases before, Sheamus Mills has purchased several seven-figure fillies in recent years, although none near this filly’s expected price range, while Te Akau Racing stepped up into the million-dollar range at the Magic Millions Sale in January.

Winx’s filly highlights upsized Easter Sale catalogue

Inglis has announced its largest Easter Yearling Sale catalogue in four years, with 500 lots, highlighted by the first filly of champion mare Winx, one of 41 yearlings by Group 1-winning mares.

The StraightBren O’Brien