Estriella and Royal Merchant among latest Inglis Chairman’s Sale entries
Group 1-winning mare Royal Merchant (Merchant Navy) and Group 2 scorer Estriella (I Am Invincible) have been announced as the latest entries for May’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
Estriella is a three-time stakes winner of the Caulfield Sprint (Gr 2, 1000m), Peter Le Grand Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) and Sunlight Classic (Listed, 1100m) and, having been purchased for $750,000 by her trainer Ciaron Maher as a yearling at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, is a five-time winner with earnings of $1,381,490.
She is being offered in the Ciaron Maher Racing draft at the Chairman’s Sale as a racing and breeding prospect.
“The speed Estriella possesses is extremely rare and one of her most emphatic traits,’’ Maher’s head of bloodstock Will Bourne said.
“The data she records within training and on the racetrack is of Group 1 standard and while she hasn’t won at the elite level yet, I have every confidence that a Group 1 win is absolutely within reach for Estriella this season or beyond.”
Meanwhile, Royal Merchant, who won the 2023 Goodwood Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) by 0.3 lengths over Another Award (Shamus Award), is also set to be offered as a racing and breeding prospect through the Maher draft.
A winner of five races – including the Tobin Bronze Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) – and more than $800,000 in prize-money so far, the mare finished second in a barrier trial at Scone on February 26.
“Royal Merchant is such a strong mare, a really good type that buyers will fall in love with,’’ Bourne said. “Her 2023 autumn preparation was unbelievable, culminating in her Group 1 Goodwood win and then she drew wide in the Stradbroke and things just didn’t go to plan.
“She’s come back in great order, her trial the other week was very encouraging and she has so much to offer both as a racing prospect and then eventually a broodmare.’’
As well as the Group 1-placed mare Semana (Winning Rupert) – who was announced last week – Estriella and Royal Merchant will be joined in the Ciaron Maher Racing draft by the likes of Futatsu (Shalaa) – a half-sister to dual Derby winner and Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) hero Hitotsu (Maurice) – the northern hemisphere Group 3 winner Honey Girl (Mayson) and Sausedge (Shamus Award), the dam of this season’s dual Group 2-placed juvenile Wiltshire Square (Wootton Bassett), in foal to sire-of-the-moment Wootton Bassett.
Chairman’s entries must close soon so to enter, contact a member of the Inglis bloodstock team or click here. The Chairman’s Sale will be held at Riverside on the evening of Thursday May 8.