Strong Inglis competition to continue at HTBA Sale
The Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale this Sunday provides a proven opportunity to buy bargain-priced colts and fillies now that the big players have already done their shopping at the majors.
While inspections began building at Riverside Stables on Thursday, Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch was guarded about making predictions but was positive the 215-lot catalogue will continue the strong competition that has been a feature of the Inglis Yearling Sales Series this year.
“The prize-money they win will dramatically outweigh the cost on Sunday,” Hutch said. “The HTBA Sale gives everyone access to commercial yearlings, whether they are looking for horses to breeze in the spring, trial and trade, or just race for our tremendous prize-money in Australia.
“We have a broad cross-section of stallions and vendors represented in the catalogue. That’s pleasing and so is the fact that part of the commissions help the important work being done by the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association.”
The 2025 HTBA Yearling Sale grossed $4.55 million at an average of $21,900 off an 83 per cent clearance rate. That was an across-the-board increase in all three statistics from 2024 ($3.03 million – $18,700 – 80 per cent). A similar rise will be welcomed by the industry at a time when the economy is facing significant headwinds.
Established Hunter Valley studs Vinery, Widden, Newgate, Segenhoe, Amarina and Kingstar are represented and so are relative newcomers like Scone-based Forge Thoroughbreds.
Vinery Stud has a draft of 18 and they’re straight out of the blocks with an Exceedance (Exceed And Excel) colt catalogued as Lot 2, who is out of the placed Aga Khan-bred mare Sagamiyna (Azamour) – herself a half-sister to French Group 1 winner Sagawara (Shamardal).
Exceedance sired his sixth stakes winner last month when Cristal Clear scored first-up in the Ajax Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m) at Rosehill for Group One Thoroughbreds and Annabel and Rob Archibald.
Her half-sister Sass Appeal (So You Think) was a black-type winner of the Kewney Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) and their second dam Bollinger (Dehere) was successful in the 2003 Coolmore Classic (Gr 1, 1500m).
Exceedance also improved his two-year-old strike-rate last month with She’s Extra (ATC All Too Hard Hcp) at Warwick Farm for Kris Lees and Hard To Exceed (BRC Maiden Plate) at Doomben for Peter Robl.
The consignment finishes with colts by Hellbent (I Am Invincible), Supido (Sebring) and Headwater (Exceed And Excel) and Vinery’s Harry Roach believes it will pay buyers to keep some of their powder dry until the last hour of trade.
The Hellbent colt (Lot 194) out of unraced mare Play Suit (Al Maher) is from a black-type family going back to South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) winner English Wonder (Twig Moss) and her two Group 1-winning foals Dr Grace (Sir Tristram) (AJC Derby) and Asia (Danehill) (SAJC Oaks).
“He’s one of the standouts,” Roach said. “He’s a sharp, quality individual and could attract the Hong Kong trade.”
Hellbent is going great guns in Hong Kong with ten winners of 20 races headed by Inglis graduate Invincible Ibis who won the 2026 Hong Kong Derby (Listed, 2000m) for Aussie-expat Mark Newnham.
The Supido colt (Lot 196) out of winning mare Pocket Power (Giant’s Causeway) is a half-brother to Ramornie Handicap (Listed, 1200m) winner Sha Of Gomer (Shalaa) and they’re from a half-sister to the dam of multiple Group 1 winner Artorius (Flying Artie).
He’s being sold as agent for Greg Perry who dissolved his interest in Vinery, along with good mate Neil Werrett, in 2025.
“It’s an active family and one that we know well,” Roach said. “Sixties is a younger half-brother to Artorius and he’s won a Group 3 at Flemington and Group 2 at Rosehill this season.”
The Headwater colt (Lot 206) out of Perfectly Ready (More Than Ready) mare Ready To Order will be targeted by trainers and traders looking for a bargain.
“He’s a good-sized, strong colt,” Roach added. “And he could be a value buy parading so late in the day.”
Kingstar Farm has ten yearlings going under the hammer on Sunday and their draft also has an Artorius connection with his first-crop colt from Kiwi-bred mare Azarose (Azamour) (Lot 71).
“He’s a strong, attractive colt and the dam is a half-sister to Artistry,” Kingstar manager Adam Cook said.
Azarose is a half-sister to Artistry (Shamardal), who was a Group 3 winner of the Maybe Mahal Stakes (1400m) at Flemington, NJC Newmarket Handicap (1400m) and Maurice McCarten Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill for Peter and Paul Snowden and her first son Hopper (Snitzel) also won for the Snowdens at Warwick Farm.
Kingstar is represented by another first-crop sire with the In The Congo (Snitzel), who has a colt (Lot 158) out of the winning mare Left Reeling (Dundeel).
“He’s the mare’s first foal, too,” Cook said. “She’s a Randwick-winning daughter of Dundeel and the colt is a nice type with a good action.”
Kingstar owner Matthew Sandblom has supported Coolmore Stud sire Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) and that will prove a sound investment when his second-crop colt from Gwader Bay (Thronum) (Lot 130) parades on Sunday.
Home Affairs’ first-crop colt Guest House won the $5 million ATC Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Rosehill last month and his filly Gin Twist added the Redoute’s Choice Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Caulfield last Saturday.
Kingstar’s Home Affairs colt is a good looker, a good mover and, being a November foal, he’s growing all the time.
Scone-based Forge Thoroughbreds owners Mitch Hamilton and Zoe Baylis have seven lots catalogued for the HTBA Sale and are hoping it’s just as rewarding as their first drafts to the Adelaide Magic Millions and Inglis Classic.
Before branching out on their own, Mitch worked as a farrier for Widden and Baramul Studs while Zoe was based at Widden and Bhima Stud.
“We had 100 per cent clearance rates at both sales this year and our Showtime colt sold for $110,000 at the Classic Sale,” Baylis said.
“We have some great clients and they helped by meeting the market.”
Forge Thoroughbreds has the only yearling by Coolmore shuttler St Mark’s Basilica (Siyouni) in the HTBA Sale and his first Australian crop is headed by unbeaten Tasmanian Aristopolos.
The John Blacker-trained colt’s five-time winning run includes Listed victories in the Elwick Stakes (1100m) and Gold Sovereign Stakes (1200m).
The St Mark’s Basilica colt (Lot 41) is out of the Kiwi black-type mare Upscale (Tavistock) and Baylis rates him a strong, forward type for the new season.
He will receive another update on Friday evening if Aristopolos makes it six straight in the Alfa Bowl (1200m) at Launceston.
The pick of the Forge Thoroughbreds consignment is Lot 120, a Capitalist (Written Tycoon) filly out of Irish-bred mare Fleeting Fancy (Galileo).
“She’s a stunner,” Baylis said. “A well grown physical and beautifully balanced”
Meanwhile, the Wild Ruler (Snitzel) colt (Lot 150) out of winning mare Kiss In The Rain (Manhattan Rain) is a half-brother to Hong Kong winner Happy Horse (Zoustar) and Baylis rates him a “straight-forward strong type who looks a get up and run two-year-old next season.”