First $3m sales ever recorded at banner Inglis broodmare sale.
Montefilia lived up to her billing as a headline act of this year's Inglis Chairman's Sale, but her hold on the record for the most expensive mare ever sold at the elite offering was short-lived.
Around 20 minutes after Montefilia sold for $3.4 million, Nimalee sold for a new-record $3.6 million.
That Group 1-winning duo bettered the previous best mark of $2.7m, which was realised by dual Group 1 winner Shout The Bar (Redoute's Choice) at the 2022 Chairman's offering.
That duo now occupy a place among the most expensive mares ever sold in Australia with only Milanova ($5m), Sunlight ($4.2m), Avantage ($4.1m), Away Game ($4m) and Samantha Miss ($3.85m) selling for more.
Nimalee, a daughter of So You Think whose crowning glory came in last year's Group 1 Queen Of The Turf (1600m) at Randwick, is out of a daughter of multiple Group 2 winner, Oaks placegetter and former Hong Kong star Elegant Fashion.
She was bought by Colm Santry Bloodstock in partnership with Coolmore Australia.
Nimalee went through seven lots after Montefilia cracked $3 million for the first time at Chairman's.
A daughter of Kermadec, the five-year-old who won a Flight Stakes (1600m) and Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at three before winning a Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and The Metropolitan (2400m) as an older mare was sold to Yulong Investments.
She will visit one of the Victorian farm's resident stallions with Written Tycoon and Pierata the leading contenders.
Montefilia was not Yulong's only big buy early in the same with the rapidly-growing operation going to $2.3 million for Icebath, a Group 1-winning daughter of Sacred Falls, in the first hour of selling.
