Six Of The Best – Inglis Easter 2026
Here, in lot order, is a look at a magnificent half dozen who’ll be turning heads and raising hands at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Lot 280
b/br c CASTELVECCHIO – EDGY STYLE (Harbinger)
Arrowfield Stud
DOB: 17-09-24
Among its typically sparkling draft, Arrowfield will also offer a potential sale-topper in Lot 451, the colt by Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) out of Ms Bad Behavior (Blame) who’s a full-brother to Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) hero Switzerland.
But the stud is also anticipating considerable attention on the intriguingly exotic Lot 280.
He’s an athletic and scopey son of upwardly mobile sire Castelvecchio (Dundeel), who boasts dual Group 1-winning mare Aeliana among his progeny, and has One Step Closer among the chances to emulate her Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) victory on Saturday week.
But of great interest is that he’s the fourth foal of Japanese import Edgy Style (Harbinger). That makes him a half-brother to Urban Chic (Suave Richard), the Joint Leading 3YO Male on the WBR Rankings of 2024, with two stakes wins among four career victories from 1800 metres to 3000 metres, including the Kyoto Kikuka Sho (Gr 1, 3000m).
Second dam Land’s Edge (Dance In The Dark) also threw the dam of triple Japanese elite winning mare Regaleira (Suave Richard).
And third dam Wind In Her Hair (Alzao) won a Group 1 in Germany and two UK Listed races, before achieving greater fame as the dam of phenomenal Japanese racehorse and sire Deep Impact (Sunday Silence).
“He’s certainly got a stallion’s pedigree,” Arrowfield bloodstock manager Jon Freyer said of the colt.
“But on type, he’s a real stand-out as well. He’s an outstanding colt, very athletic, and with a beautiful, fluid action to him, and great power.
“He’s been doing everything right, taking it all his stride, and we’re expecting he’ll do very well.
“Plus he’s by Castelvecchio, who’s the rising star of the Australian bloodstock industry.”
Lot 293
b f JUSTIFY – ENNIS HILL (Fastnet Rock)
Coolmore Stud
DOB: 18-10-24
Coolmore are expecting big things of this well-bred, superbly built filly by their ex shuttler Justify (Scat Daddy), who’s the first full-sibling produced to former outstanding two-year-old Learning To Fly.
That filly won her first three starts in impressive fashion – including storming home from second-last on the turn to take the Inglis Millennium (RL, 1100m). She was second favourite for the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) but unfortunately lost her rider, but that didn’t stop her claiming Australia’s Champion 2YO Filly honours.
Now Coolmore and partners have gone back to the well to breed a full -sister they feel is built to do justice to her impressive family.
Dam Ennis Hill (Fastnet Rock) won the MRC Chairman’s Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at two and has also borne Learning To Fly’s younger half-sister Free Flying (Snitzel), who’s run second in Caulfield’s Debutant Stakes (Listed, 1000m) among her first three starts this season.
Second dam Hips Don’t Lie (Stravinsky) was another star juvenile, winning three stakes races in her first season including the Reisling Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m).
She’s had two other stakes-winning full siblings to Ennis Hill in Lake Geneva and current Coolmore sire Acrobat, as well as stakes-placed current two-year-old La Gitana (Home Affairs).
“She’s a magnificent physical with great residual value,” said Coolmore’s sales and nominations manager Colm Santry.
“She’s a beautiful type – a filly with great size, strength, scope and quality, and she’s got a great action on her and a wonderful temperament.
“There should be good demand for her from trainers wanting a racehorse, but also from people looking for an elite broodmare later on.
“And the cross is deadly.”
Fastnet Rock (Danehill) is Justify’s best nick of more than ten runners by its SWTR ratio, with six stakes winners from 29 starters at 20 per cent, headed by another former star juvenile turned Coolmore stallion in Storm Boy.
Lot 306
ch f EXTREME CHOICE – FASHION FAUX PAS (Flatter)
Newgate Farm
DOB: 30-09-24
This could go down as the Easter sale of Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt), with Newgate’s sub-fertile sensation represented by five fillies and five colts conceived after his entry to the service fee stratosphere in 2023.
And there’ll be no finer examples than this imposing filly from his farm’s draft.
She’s the third foal of one of the many fast American mares imported by Newgate in Fashion Faux Pas (Flatter), who won two stakes races amongst three career wins from 1200 metres to 1700 metres. The dam’s half-sister begat two more US stakes winners including the four-timer Flash Of Mischief (Into Mischief).
But while there’s plenty of speed on the page in the union of Fashion Faux Pas and the dual 1200-metre elite winning Extreme Choice, Newgate’s Henry Field expects this filly, while going early, will push on to cover longer trips.
In that sense, Field says she’s from the mould of the stallion’s top-ranked performer, VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) and ATC Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) queen She’s Extreme.
“This is a wonderful filly, out of a very fast American mare. She’s really the model of She’s Extreme,” Field said.
“She’s got plenty of size and scope, she should go early, and will train on to be a top miler at three.
“She has great balance, great scope, she looks like she’ll be very fast but will get over some ground as well.”
Lot 420
b c ZOUSTAR – MATRYOSHKA (I Am Invincible)
Widden Stud
DOB: 24-10-24
This is an interesting colt in that there’ll be others – including from Widden’s own draft – with more impressive pages, but none will catch more eyes for their physical presence.
That’s not to say the page is by any means plain. By Widden’s reigning champion sire Zoustar (Northern Meteor), the colt is the fourth foal of Matryoshka (I Am Invincible), who’s the dam of Straight Charge (Written By), who won the ATC Silver Slipper Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) before a 2.41-length sixth in the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m).
The placed Matryoshka is also a half-sister to triple stakes winner and current sire Winning Rupert (Written Tycoon), and to his Group 3-winning full-sister Tycoon Evie.
And Matryoshka’s previous foal Jarbardar (Written By) won his only trial, at Corowa, by 3.87 lengths earlier in March, and is set to debut in Randwick’s Kindergarten Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) on April 4.
But it’s undoubtedly the physical appearance of this magnificently built, richly coloured colt that’s made him one of the most in-demand yearlings at Riverside this week.
“It’s a decent page – he’s a half to Straight Charge out of an I Am Invincible mare. Still it’s not the most obvious page – but he’s just a stonking horse,” says Widden owner Antony Thompson with an almost incredulous laugh.
“You just won’t find a better looking yearling colt than this bloke. He’s got a massive forearm, huge gaskin, he has a lovely beautiful colour – he’s got great skin on him.
“He’s got a lovely big action and a great attitude and he’s the one who’s turning heads out here.”
Zoustar over I Am Invincible (Inivncible Spirit) is performing well from limited exposure, with 12 winners from 18 runners.
Lot 446
b/br c ALABAMA EXPRESS – MONTEFILIA (Kermadec)
Yulong
DOB: 25-10-24
Yulong are of course heavily into the stallion business and they already believe this colt – by Treasurethe Moment’s sire Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice) out of quadruple Group 1 winner Montefilia (Kermadec) – has sire quality about him.
“As someone who’s at a farm with a lot of stallions, I’d say he looks like a stallion already,” says the farm’s sales and nominations manager Harry King.
“When you pull him out of the box, he takes everything in his stride so well.
“You can easily imagine him standing with 400 people around him at a stallion parade, because he holds himself so well and has such great presence, even without knowing the page.”
And that page is bursting with quality, stemming from a fine British family with speed and stamina. Fourth dam Ausherra (Diesis) was a stakes winner at 2200 metres who threw two more black type victors in Strategic Prince (Dansili), who won two Group 2s at up to 1400 metres, and Yorkshire (Generous), who was successful at up to 4000 metres.
Second dam Bana Wu (Shirocco) won at 2000 metres and was Listed placed at Royal Ascot.
And she of course threw the star of the page – Montefilia – whose four Group 1s from 1600 metres to 2400 metres were shadowed by as many elite placings.
“She was excessively good,” King says, “a mare who consistently measured herself against the best, and took on and beat horses like Verry Elleegant, Hungry Heart, Mo’unga and more.
“Sometimes you wouldn’t think she was going to win but she just had that great turn of foot we’ve seen in so many of these good broodmares over the years.
“And she’s done all you could ask in producing a first foal. He’s got terrific balance to him, with amazing angles that an architect would love to be dealing with; a good, free-flowing loose yearling who has a shoulder that moves with him.
“To top it off, he’s got some of those potent Australian and international bloodlines that have been so successful on Australian tracks – a Redoute’s Choice line, and Encosta De Lago line, Galileo, and that lovely middle distance European style in the back end of his page.
“He looks like a colt you could race at two, and as we’ve seen with Alabama Express, they’re sound horses who race on.”
Lot 452
b f REBEL DANE – MULL OVER (So You Think)
Goodwood Farm
DOB: 25-08-24
This yearling’s breeders are hoping lightning can strike twice. She’s a full-sister to Fireburn (Rebel Dane).
That outstanding filly won five races on the bounce as a two-year-old for trainer Gary Portelli – highlighted by her sterling victory in the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) and ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) success – to be crowned Australia’s Champion 2YO of 2021-22.
Fireburn added two more elite placings before scoring again at three in Doomben’s ANZ Bloodstock News The Roses (Gr 2, 2000m) en route to a multi-million dollar broodmare sale to Northern Farm in Japan, where her first foal sold for $3.3 million.
Breeders Laurel Oak Bloodstock have gone back to their former star sprinter Rebel Dane (California Dane) at Widden Stud with their wonderful producer Mull Over (So You Think) – also the dam of dual Group winner Kintyre (Hallowed Crown).
And the result is a very close likeness to Fireburn herself, according to vendor Goodwood Stud’s Kerrie Tibbie.
“She’s a lovely filly – very much like Fireburn,” Tibbie said. “She’s built a lot like her, but perhaps with a little bit more scope.
“The best thing about her is just the way she moves. She’s very athletic, she doesn’t hit the ground hard – just glides along and does everything nicely.
“She’s not complicated. She’s easy to deal with and gets on with the job. I think she’ll go early. She’s got the right brain to go early, and half of that battle is the brain. She’s very laid back, and she scoped and x-rayed well.”