Vendors confident of strong trade at Inglis Ready2Race Sale
A select catalogue of 166 two-year-olds will come under the hammer at Riverside Stables on Thursday for the 2025 Inglis Ready2Race Sale, with strong buyer interest and a polished vendor line-up shaping what is expected to be a good edition of the auction.
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch described this year’s offering as the company’s most accomplished to date, both in terms of quality and intent.
“It’s definitively the best catalogue we’ve put together for the sale,” Hutch told ANZ News.
“Just in terms of the profile of the horses, more than 80 per cent have been sourced specifically for the sale from yearling or weanling sales. It’s not made up of horses that were passed in as yearlings or weanlings, or horses that were attained because they couldn’t make sales. It is full of horses specifically identified with a view to coming to this sale.
“And in terms of the vendors, the buyers and our team, it’s the best prepared we’ve been for a sale of this kind, certainly in my time here, and likely ever. I’m hopeful we’ve got everything in place for the sale to be as good as it can be.”
Last year’s edition produced a record top lot of $1 million and an average of $164,289, but a final clearance rate of 64.2 per cent left room for improvement. With strong international engagement this year, Hutch is hopeful of striking a more balanced outcome between clearance and returns.
“We facilitate the market, we don’t make it but certainly on the evidence of inspections, interest is good,” Hutch said. “There seems to be encouraging levels of domestic interest, international interest is very strong from Hong Kong, China, Malaysia in particular.
“We’re very much beholden to the subjective whims of people…we can’t know what people are going to bid, but for those shopping at each level of the market, it feels like there are plenty of horses there to satisfy that demand and it feels like there’s good demand in each section of the market. So we really do want to try and clear. We cleared 62 per cent at the end of the day last year, which was disappointing.
“We really want to try and do significantly better than that, while at the same time holding our metrics. And if we can do that, we’ll be pleased.”
As the two-year-old market continues to mature in Australia, Inglis remains intent on strengthening its foothold in the space.
“Certainly in terms of the Inglis sale, we haven’t stopped building momentum this year, we haven’t paid the market lip service,” Hutch said. “We’ve actually talked the talk and walked the walk. We’ve spent money, backing our vendors, developing the concept over an extended period of time, this hasn’t been a flippant move on our part.
“This is something Inglis has been investing in for more than ten years and we’re encouraged by the signs that we’ve seen from it, even in terms of the sale last year, already a number of high class three-year-olds in Australia who’ve emerged from last year’s sales. Signature Scent and Rosberg, two particularly good horses, and a number of others.
“We see this sale taking an ever increasing significance in the context of our sales calendar and we’re determined to work with vendors and buyers to try and facilitate that progression, and hopefully the next step is Thursday.”
Ryan confident in balanced draft
Blake Ryan’s draft topped the 2023 Ready2Race Sale by aggregate ($2,080,500) and sold the top lot that year in the form of a Capitalist (Written Tycoon) colt who was bought as a yearling at the Classic sale for $70,000 before making $400,000 when selling to Hong Kong.
Last year his operation sold eight of its 12 offered lots for a total of $951,000, with a top lot of $550,000, and Ryan told ANZ News he was encouraged by the level of engagement throughout inspections this week.
“Inspections have been consistently steady, there’s been a good flow of people through,” he said.
“Inglis have done a good job in getting a wide range of buyers here and good numbers. I actually think the feel around the place is better than last year – I’ve been happy all week. The right people seem to be here too, so we’re looking forward to Thursday. If the market is still there, the right people are here and we can sell a horse.”
Ryan’s 13-strong diverse draft includes horses by 11 different sires both emerging and established, which was a conscious decision in order to meet all levels of the buying bench.
“We always try to do that every year, have a good mix of the proven and the new and try to give people a horse at every level,” he said.
“It’s all well and good trying to sell top lots but you’ve also got to provide for your lower buying bench, so we’ve got 13 horses here by 11 different stallions, colts, geldings, we’ve even got a filly to sell, so very pleased with how they’ve come up and they have been parading well all week, presenting themselves well. Fingers crossed we can find them all a home.”
Among Ryan’s chief lots is Lot 80, a chestnut colt by Toronado (High Chaparral) out of the Listed-placed winning Written Tycoon mare Nags To Riches, a $180,000 Gold Coast yearling purchase, who breezed a slick 10.57 on the course proper at Warwick Farm.
“He’s a standout for sure. He’s a lovely colt with good leg and good rein,” Ryan said. “He’s the first foal out of a stakes-performed mare by a stallion that works everywhere and he’s going to keep developing as he gets older. I’m sure he’ll make a nice racehorse.”
Added intrigue comes via a colt and a filly by first season-sire Wild Ruler (Snitzel) who both boast significant pedigree updates courtesy of Manikato Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) heroine Charm Stone (I Am Invincible) and Northwood Plume Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) winner She’s Bulletproof (Shooting To Win) respectively.
“The Wild Ruler colt [Lot 92] is a beauty, he’s got a ripping pedigree on him underneath and Charm Stone has jumped into that pedigree over the last 18 months [through the second dam] ,” Ryan said.
“Even the little Wild Ruler filly [Lot 76] – her half-sister [Cosmic Vixen] had her first start on Tuesday at Ballarat and won on debut, and She’s Bulletproof, who’s in the third dam, won the Northwood Plume Stakes last Saturday at Caulfield.
“We’ve got active pedigrees for all sorts of levels and budgets and hopefully we can get them all sold on Thursday.”
Ryan also has the only Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) in the sale in Lot 142, a colt out of winning Lonhro (Octagonal) mare Tennessee Gold. The youngster realised $130,000 at the Gold Coast in January to the bid of JCG Thoroughbreds and Andy Williams.
“He’s a lovely colt with a good attitude, I’d say he’s probably six to 12 months away which is good because you want to sell horses that are going to go on and improve,” Ryan said. “He is a really clean moving horse, he vets really well so here’s hoping he can be a standout as well.”
Ryan was happy with the way his draft breezed up and explained that his focus is on how the horses go about it and maintaining their mental balance so that they can slot right into training.
“I’ve evolved myself as a preparer, I think I’ve been doing it eight years now and I definitely do things a lot differently to when I started,” he said.
“I’m more so about having them travel well and use their action. The clock is almost insignificant to me, I think if you’ve educated them properly the clock will take care of itself. The main thing is to show the horse off, and to be able to have a horse that maintains his brain.
“The main thing to grow these sales is getting trainers to want to come back and buy from you again after these horses go to them. Repeat business is the key. We put them all on the grass because that’s what we race on and I’m happy with the way they breezed.”
Ryan said this year’s consignment features a healthy mix, with some retained by their breeders specifically for the Ready2Race format and others sourced with clients for the sale.
The approach, he explained, reflects a focus on matching horses to the right environment and sourcing quality types that will appeal to buyers across different markets.
“I think there’s always a market for a nice horse,” he said. “The lower end at any level – yearling, our level and even mares now with the way the market’s going in somewhat difficult times – is always the harder end.
“But I find a good horse will always sell itself; the key is just trying to source the right horses and doing the right thing by them, and bringing the product people want to buy. If you do that, the rest just takes care of itself.”
Fast breezes fuel confidence for Burnet’s DSB Thoroughbreds
Back with its third draft at the Ready2Run sale is Darrell Burnet’s DSB Thoroughbreds who are set to offer five lots, all of whom broke 11 seconds for their 200-metre breeze up on the course proper at Warwick Farm.
Their 2024 draft averaged $203,333 across three lots, topped by a Written Tycoon (Iglesia) colt who made $420,000 to the bid of Hong Kong trainer Caspar Fownes after being sourced for $75,000 at Inglis Premier.
Burnet, who trains out of Wagga, reported increased interest across his draft this year, fuelling a positive outlook ahead of Thursday’s auction.
“Compared to previous years, I think across the first few days we’ve had a lot of inspections, a lot of second views and interest, so the general feeling is pretty good,” he told ANZ News.
“The horses are taking it good, all have been parading well and they’ve all been out enough times. I’m not too stressed because I think they all have realistic reserves, so if the buyers are there my draft will hopefully be well received by the market.”
The draft features a trio of colts by emerging young sires Wooded (Wootton Bassett), Hanseatic (Street Boss) and Pinatubo (Shamardal) – each a targeted pinhook purchased with this sale in mind.
Heading the trio is Lot 178, a Wooded colt secured for $160,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. Out of the placed Helmet (Exceed And Excel) mare Analyzing – a three-quarter sister to dual stakes winner Excelorada – he boasts a pedigree that has already produced two winners from as many runners.
The Hanseatic colt (Lot 168) was a $40,000 Inglis Classic buy, out of the Invincible Spirit (Green Desert) mare Zanibar, a winning sister to dual French Listed scorer Enlighted.
Rounding out the group is Lot 126, a Pinatubo colt from Shalfah (Fastnet Rock), a sister to Queensland Guineas (Gr 2, 1600m) winner Rothesay and to the dam of McKenzie Stakes (Listed, 1200m) winner Fast Witness (Star Witness). A $30,000 Classic purchase, he posted the best breeze up time of the draft (10.62).
Burnet noted that there was little separating them at the breeze ups, all colts stretching out strongly and showcasing their natural ability.
“There wasn’t much between them – there’s less than 0.2 seconds between the draft, so it all comes down to what the buyers want,” he said.
“I like my horses coming into the breeze probably not flat out at the 200 metres, they all worked through the line really nicely so you could argue a lot went quicker but I just like showcasing them with their natural ability and where they’re at.
“I think they’ve all done themselves justice.”
DSB also offers lots by proven sires All Too Hard (Casino Prince) – Lot 154 – and Hellbent (I Am Invincible) – Lot 211 – both specifically earmarked for Thursday’s sale having skipped the yearling market.
“The All Too Hard is a homebred of Miranda Park’s, and just with how All Too Hards go in Hong Kong, he skipped all the yearling sales to solely concentrate on this,” Burnet said.
“He came to me in January to start his education nice and early, and the Hellbent fits the mould for this sale as well. The stallion is doing a good job, and not an expensive weanling purchase [$26,000] so hopefully they will both find a home.”
With activity from both local and international buyers, Burnet is confident his well-rounded draft will appeal to a wide cross-section of the market.
“There’s domestic trainers here, syndicators, obviously Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, and I feel like each horse would fit into different markets – it all depends what the buyers are looking for,” he said. “There’s something for everyone.”
Just in his sixth year of operating DSB Thoroughbreds, Burnet has enjoyed plenty of pinhooking success already, also turning $25,000 Brutal (O’Reilly) colt In And Out into a $140,000 two-year-old at the 2023 Ready2Run Sale, while $85,000 All Too Hard colt Rotagilla made $100,000 on the same day.
“The past two years have been really good for me selling my own pinhooks,” he said.
“Last year’s draft I don’t think anyone’s raced out of yet, but two years ago I sold a Brutal called In And Out, he won at Kembla the other day and was city placed just last week at Randwick.
“The All Too Hard we purchased for $85,000 and sold for $100,000, he’s won on a Wednesday and on Saturday as well, winning over $200,000.
“They were my first two pinhooks and as much as it gives me satisfaction to see that, it also shows us, if that’s our first year, we’re on the right lines.
“We’ve selected the horses at the yearling sales, one was from Classics and one HTBA, then we’ve prepped, breezed and sold – for them to go on and get the results we envisaged six months prior is very rewarding.”
Formlines key for Baystone
Dean Harvey’s Baystone enjoyed a brilliant result at the sale 12 months ago when a filly by Written Tycoon realised $1 million and the operation will offer 11 two-year-olds (after withdrawals) this year, including three fillies.
Commenting on the number of fillies he will offer, Harvey said: “I just think it’s a really good part of the market. Trying to buy fillies off the track is very, very hard and if we can bring some fillies that are well bred and well credentialed, I think there’s a place in the market.”
This year’s offering includes a daughter of Zoustar (Northern Meteor) out of the winning Fastnet Rock mare Ordos Honor, who not only won her Flemington trial, but, rather unconventionally, will be set for sale having finished a solid fifth in the Debutant Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at Caulfield on Wednesday.
Despite missing out on black type, Harvey still has faith the filly will improve off the back of her effort in the Listed contest.
“I’ve still got full faith in her,” he said. “She raced with her head on the side the whole way. They’d upgraded the track to a three from a four, I think she felt the ground. I’d be very surprised if she doesn’t pull up shin sore.
“Her last 50 was good, she ran through the line well. But so you know, she’s a talented filly, today just wasn’t her day. I’ve got full faith we’ll get black type down the track somewhere.”
She was pinhooked for $200,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale earlier this year and clocked 10.81 in her Wangaratta breeze.
The filly is bred on the same cross Zoustar / Fastnet Rock (Danehill) that has produced eight stakes winners including Group 1-winning trio Climbing Star, Zougotcha and Joliestar, who will shoot for Everest (Gr 1, 1200m) glory on Saturday.
Now named Rachini, the filly will be offered as Lot 89.
She is joined in the draft by another daughter of Widden’s reigning champion sire in Lot 96. A $230,000 purchase for Malua Racing and Bayston at the Inglis Premier sale earlier this year, the youngster is a out of the winning mare Perfect Gem (Iffraaj), herself a sister to Listed scorer Frencee. The pair are in turn out of New Zealand Group 1 winner Calveen (Canny Lad).
The trifecta of fillies is completed by Lot 8, a daughter of Farnan, who was purchased by Baystone, Malua and Matt Houldsworth for $260,000 at the Easter sale. Out of the winning mare Enood (Deep Impact), the youngster hails from the family of multiple Group 1 winner Lankan Rupee (Redoute’s Choice).
Baystone will also offer a colt by Satono Aladdin (Deep Impact) (Lot 48), who goes through the ring having landed a hot Flemington trial, while the farm will also consign a colt by Pinatubo (Shamardal) (Lot 155) out of Group 3 winner Vain Queen (Artie Schiller).
Selling gets underway at Riverside Stables at 12pm (AEDT).