Mark Webster pleased with the days trade given the circumstances.
Easter Round Two was immediately followed by the Scone Yearling Sale where the top lot was a colt by Swettenham Stud shuttler Toroando (High Chaparral) topped proceedings after he was purchased by Team Hawkes for $180,000 - a new record for the Inglis Scone Sale, which was moved to Riverside because of coronavirus.
Catalogued as Lot 223 and offered by Jazcom Thoroughbreds, the colt was a successful pinhook after the operation purchased him as a weanling from last year's Inglis Great Southern Sale for just $10,000.
"I'd made it quite clear to people close to us that I thought he could top the sale, I thought he'd bring $60,000 but wouldn't be surprised if he bought $100,000 so to get that great result, it really pays off for what Meagan and I do with the pinhooking investment,'' Jazcom's Colin Branthwaite said.
"He's a quality horse, he's got a lot of presence, an aura and demeanour that good judges like.''
The colt is the fifth foal out of Settecento (Nadeem), who is herself a half-sister to Citirecruit (Citidancer) - the dam of Group 3 winner Royalsecuritybaby (Choisir), while she is also the grandam of Group 2 winner Nicoscene (Nicconi).
Citirecruit is also the half-sister to the dams of Listed-winning duo Slots (Casino Prince) and Rafaello (Oratorio), while further back this is the family of AJC Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Savana City (New Regent).
Today's auctions were the first live yearling sales conducted in the southern hemisphere since the coronavirus restrictions were enforced and at the close of trade Inglis reported that for Round 2 of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, 51 yearlings sold for an aggregate of $6,711,000. The average was $131,588, while the median was $85,000.
The Scone Yearling saw 128 yearlings sell for a gross of $2,259,500 at an average of $17,652, while the median finished at $10,000.
Inglis' managing director Mark Webster said he was pleased with the day's trade, given the circumstances.
"It's been a tough few months for a lot of people in our industry and I'm just glad we've been able to provide a marketplace for a live sale to take place,'' Webster said.
"The clearance for the day is climbing all the time and will be over 75 per cent by the morning which is very satisfying, selling a broad range of yearlings to a diverse domestic and international buying bench, including top end yearlings to Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.
"We are very grateful for the patience of our vendors through this challenging period, while also recognising the tremendous support shown by our buyers today and over the past number of months.
"The Scone Sale was particularly pleasing, the sale held up very well setting a new record price for a top lot.''
