“It’s probably the strongest catalogue per lot we’ve had” – Inglis reveal streamlined catalogue for Great Southern Sale
A 320-strong catalogue has been released for the upcoming Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale, which this year will see only weanlings offered at Oaklands on June 13, with the auction house deciding to shelve the broodmare session.
The change in format comes in response to a lack of demand for buying and selling mares at live auctions, with last year’s catalogue featuring 67 broodmares and finishing with a clearance rate of just 52.2 per cent.
“The reality is that last year was very disappointing, the foal session was very strong but the broodmare session was very disappointing, there’s no hiding from that,” Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“I don’t think it’s a surprise to anybody that demand for live sales for broodmares is on the wane, you only have to look at the catalogue numbers for the Australian Broodmare Sale, Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale…there’s been a progressive evolution in terms of the way people sell their mares. Ultimately selling them online is more efficient.
“We’ve worked hard to promote our digital platform, but that wasn’t intended to be to the detriment of any live sales but ultimately vendors have spoken and very clearly their preference is to sell the majority of their breeding stock online.
“We facilitated a small broodmare sale in that catalogue last year and it just didn’t work. We couldn’t consolidate sufficient buyers on the ground to appease vendors. We feel it’s just evolved naturally that way.”
There are also fewer weanlings catalogued this year compared to the 436 in 2024, which Hutch said was unintentional, but down to a couple of key factors.
“It’s not a conscious effort, we’d like to have more weanlings in the sale,” he said. “There are a few different factors: we had record numbers of entries for the Australian Weanling Sale in Sydney, there’ll be some Victorian vendors that chose to sell there.
“Also, Yulong sold some weanlings at that sale but have since made a strategic decision not to sell any more weanlings for the balance of the sale season. They would’ve contributed 40 plus weanlings last year, I think that would account for over half of the decline in the catalogue. It’s just the way it lands and you only get context around the significance of at the end of the sale season.
“There will be plenty of weanlings sold online and there will be plenty who take their chances through to sales next year and see if they can find a more favourable market in 2026.”
Despite a slimmer catalogue the sale is littered with quality offspring by proven and emerging stallions, and features a host of weanlings out of stakes-winning mares.
Among the line-up is a Blue Point (Shamardal) filly (Lot 6) out of Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner and recent $800,000 Chairman’s Sale purchase Catchy (Fastnet Rock), whose daughter Floozie (Zoustar) earned her first bit of black type in the Silk Stocking (Listed, 1400m) on the Gold Coast on May 10.
Another highlight by the multiple Group 1-winning son of Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) is a colt out of New Zealand Group 2 winner Belle Du Nord (Reliable Man) (313), while Lot 304 is among a strong contingent of offerings by Swettenham Stud’s marquee stallion Toronado (High Chaparral), this colt by the stallion being out of Group 3-winning Casino Prince (Flying Spur) mare Baccarat Baby.
“I think on paper it’s probably the strongest catalogue per lot that we’ve had for the sale,” Hutch said.
“We have 15 Toronado foals, five Too Darn Hots, some Justifys, Anamoes, Ole Kirks, Alabama Expresses, a Wootton Bassett…obviously the established stallions like I Am Invincible and Zoustar as well but to have progeny of some of those emerging young stallions is very important.
“I think when people see the catalogue they will be surprised and see genuine opportunity in targeting the sale. They will be pleased with what they see when they get to the complex, certainly in terms of mare quality, there seems to be some well credentialed horses in terms of female family – I’m expecting a catalogue that will make people feel inclined to come to the sale and participate.
“History has shown people are happy to sell a quality yearling at the Great Southern Sale and I think there will be plenty there to appease demand.”
The sale has been the source of some genuine stars, including Group 1 winners such as Montefilia (Kermadec), Behemoth (All Too Hard), Extra Brut (Domesday), Gytrash (Lope De Vega) and On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau), among others. In more recent times the likes of Regal Azmon, winner of the Hahn Cummings Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) and Group 3 scorer Megamea (Master Of Design) were both graduates of the Great Southern Sale.
The auction continues to be a proven source for pinhookers, with last year’s edition boasting results like $70,000 into $380,000, $100,000 into $320,000, $30,000 into $240,000, $52,500 into $220,000, and $70,000 into $230,000.
Inglis’ Victorian bloodstock manager James Price said: “There are many vendors who have specifically held back their best weanlings for this sale so before spending any money elsewhere in coming weeks, I strongly urge buyers to look through the Great Southern Weanling Sale catalogue and consider their options first.
“This is a mighty fine collection of weanlings. Having key support from the likes of Yulong, Rosemont, Yarraman, Twin Hills, Three Bridges, Supreme, Stonehouse, Noorilim, Musk Creek, Longwood, Gilgai etc has ensured the strength out of the sale will be as good, if not better, than previous years.
“We are in a phase of the bloodstock cycle where it’s a buyers’ market so there will be countless extraordinary opportunities to capitalise on at Oaklands next month.’’
All weanlings purchased at the Great Southern Weanling Sale are available for registration into the $12 million Inglis Race Series, which features the $2 million Millennium, $1 million Pink Bonus Series and $5 million Xtra Bonus Series.
Supplementary entries for the sale are now open and will remain so until 5pm on Wednesday June 4.
To view the catalogue, click here.