Four six-figure lots as Gold Sale cracks $20,000 average.
A Frosted filly offered 10 lots from the end of the day was the star performer of a record-breaking Gold Yearling Sale at Inglis's Oaklands Junction property on Thursday.
The Supreme Thoroughbreds-prepared filly, who is out of the Bel Esprit mare True Priority, who is a half-sister to Manikato Stakes runner-up True Persuasion, sold to a group including Intel Bloodstock and 888 Racing for $150,000.
"We ummed and ahhed for a couple of days to see where she sat in the market. We valued her at $80,000-$130,000 or $140,000 but when the good judges are on her like they were today, we were determined to buy her and happy to go those extra few steps to get her,'' Intel Bloodstock's Ash Richards said.
"We had to fight for her but we were prepared. We did the homework on her and really believed in her.
"I just loved that she was out of a Bel Esprit mare. He's an emerging broodmare sire, just look at the likes of Beauty Generation, Ole Kirk, Swats That, just a few examples of quality horses with Bel Esprit as their broodmare sire.
"She had all that Bel Esprit in her, she's strong, good shoulder, had the Bel Esprit walk, a lot of push power to her, just a filly that oozed strength and speed and had the symmetrical balance that I like.
"I've been searching for a filly for a good client out of a Bel Esprit mare, she had a good presence and we just had to have her. She was the best filly in the sale for me.''
For Supreme Thoroughbreds' Brent Grayling, the result was well worth the wait, with the filly initially set to sell at the Premier Yearling Sale at Oaklands in late February.
"It's great to top the Gold sale two years in a row. She's a filly we ran into bad luck with at Premier, she was at Oaklands and was parading but she got a temperature two days before so we had to scratch her,'' Grayling explained.
"We've come back now six weeks later and she's topped the sale which is fantastic. We're very happy with the $150,000 today, absolutely.
"There were so many people bidding on here, I was so impressed with how popular she was. She was popular all week, a lot of second and third looks too, they were all waiting around for her.
"It was a long wait for everyone but it was well worth it. It just shows they'll find the quality anywhere.''
The filly was one of four six-figure lots on a day when the Gold Sale average bettered $20,000 for the first time.
Comprising just one day this year, the sale saw 213 lots offered, 166 of which sold for a total of $3,402,500 at an average of $20,497.
Last year the sale was spread over two days, with 263 lots sold grossing $4,981,650 at an average of $18,942.
The other $100,000-plus lots were headed by a Toronado colt who is out of a half-sister to the dam of star Kiwi colt Sword Of State who sold to Henry Dwyer for $120,000.
"[Inglis Senior Bloodstock Consultant] Brett Gilding pointed the horse out to me as a really athletic, good moving type of horse and when I went to inspect him, I absolutely agreed wholeheartedly," said Dwyer.
"I've long been an unabashed fan of Toronado and hadn't been able to pick one up this year. I was very keen to buy a Toronado at Gold if there was one suitable and for me he was the best type in the sale by the best stallion in the sale, so it was a no-brainer."
The colt was sold by Kayo Farm and the operation's Merrick Kingston was understandably pleased with the result.
"Prior to today my best result was $23,000 so to get $120,000 for him, this is really special to me and it will make a huge difference to me,'' Kingston said.
"It's taking some time to sink in to be honest.
"I'm so happy, absolutely thrilled. We had a lot of interest in him during the week as well. He's just a nice type, not too big, I think he'll make a beautiful late two-year-old into early three-year-old type.''
A Dundeel colt out of the Smart Missile mare Play That Song sold to Bevan Laming for $105,000 and Belmont Bloodstock paid $100,000 for a Toronado colt out of an unraced half-sister consistent sprinter Great Again.
Hancox Bloodstock bought more horses than anyone with five, while Henry Dwyer's Toronado colt was one of three buys for a total of $212,500 which made him leading buyer by aggregate.
Leading farm Blue Gum Farm sold 21 of the 25 yearlings it offered for $868,000 at an average of $41,333, which made that operation the leading vendor by average for those who sold multiple lots.
"What a week! Gee whiz we were parading horses in the rain all day on Tuesday non-stop and yesterday was unbelievably busy again,'' Blue Gum's Phil Campbell said.
"We're very happy. We had a really strong gross and our draft average was double the sale average so I'm bloody proud to be honest.
"We were second-leading vendor by gross at Premier and now we're leading vendor at Gold so it's been another fabulous yearling sales season for Blue Gum. I was blown away with how much we grossed at Prem because we knew we didn't have a sale topper in the draft and to come to Oaklands today and back that up with more great stats at Gold is just amazing.''
Inglis' Victorian Bloodstock Manager James Price was pleased with the day's trade.
"With 100 fewer yearlings catalogued, the sale was never going to match the heights of last year in terms of turnover, but the other metrics were positive in the context of this sale and I expect that clearance will improve into tomorrow,'' Price said.
"There were over 120 individual listed buyers from across Australia and internationally, but there wasn't quite the volume of quality through the catalogue to satisfy the demands of a lot of buyers, so we have plenty of prospective buyers going home with orders unfilled.
"Those vendors who brought horses that met the criteria of buyers, vetted well and set realistic reserves, were generally very well rewarded.
"This sale provides an important outlet for vendors and buyers and continues to produce horses that compete and win at the top level and I have no doubt buyers will reap the rewards of supporting today's sale in seasons to come.
"There are still some opportunities to purchase passed in lots so I urge everybody out there to take a look at our website, contact a member of our bloodstock team or go direct to vendors and express your interest in those horses who are yet to be sold.''
