A look at where some of the high-priced lots came from.
Thursday night's Inglis Chairman's Sale was the best in the seven-year history of the Inglis offering with eight mares selling for at least $1 million, including sale-topper Nimalee becoming the sixth highest mare event sold in Australasia after realising $3.6 million.
But how did the headline lots stack up from a return-on-investment perspective? Below is a look at some of the success stories for connections who paid much less than what their mares sold for.
MONTEFILIA – 2615% ROI
A $62,000 Great Southern Sale weanling purchase for Baystone Farm, the daughter of Kermadec was bought by David Payne for $130,000 as a yearling on the Gold Coast and went on to win four Group 1s and $3,285,525 on the track before selling for $3.4m. The rising six-year-old is likely to continue her racing career in the Yulong colours this spring after being bought by that organisation.
ICEBATH – 2300% ROI
Also bought by Yulong, the daughter of Sacred Falls was the third most expensive mare of the sale at $2.3m, but the second-best from a return-on-investment perspective after being a $100,000 Inglis Classic yearling. But add to that $5,219,915 won on the track and the six-year-old can lay claim to have been the best horse to connections of any that were sold on Thursday night.
NIMALEE – 1333% ROI
The sale's headline act after commanding $3.6m from Colm Santry and Coolmore following a Group 1 career that netted $1,751,930 in earnings. Not bad for a daughter of So You Think who cost Brett Howard's Randwick Bloodstock $270,000 at Inglis Premier in 2018.
BERIMBAU – 1000% ROI
The daughter of Shamardal was not sold as a yearling, having been bred and then raced by Godolphin, but was offered at the 2016 National Broodmare Sale, where she sold for $180,000. Since then she had Imperatriz, a five-time Group 1-winning daughter of I Am Invincible. Again being in-foal to Yarraman's champion stallion was no doubt a large factor in Berimbau's $1.8m purchase price.
DOSH – 870% ROI
Grahame Begg paid $155,000 for the daughter of Rich Enuff at Inglis Classic, almost doubled that in a racing career that generated $304,700 in earnings before selling in-foal to Exceed And Excel for $1.35m.
INSPIRATIONAL GIRL – 578% ROI
A $190,000 buy for Perth agent John Chalmers at Karaka in 2017, the daughter of Reliable Man won a Group 1 Railway Stakes and $1,552,625 on the track before selling for $1.1m.
DASHING LEGEND – 421% ROI
The most expensive of the million-dollar mares who had a disclosed purchase price, having cost $380,000 at Inglis Easter, but she slightly bettered that in a racing career that, to this point, has generated $403,550 in stakes. The daughter of Snitzel and Kneeling will continue her career with Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr after being bought by Sheamus Mills for $1.6m.
The above mares were joined by Summerland as the seven-figure lots at this year's Chairman's Sale, the most ever, with the sale grossing a record $42,545,000 at an average of $567,267.
There were four more horses sold this year, but that average was still well up on last year's $470,845.
