Inglis Classic Yearling Sale: Five things we learned on Day 3

Cover image courtesy of Inglis

At A Glance

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At the close of trade on the final day the sale company reported that 571 lots (79 per cent) lots were sold, down from 592 lots (82 per cent) in 2024. This resulted in a lower aggregate of $53,883,500 down from 2024’s $55,387,000.

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The average stood at $94,367, slightly up on 2024’s whole sale average of $93,559, which was comparable to 2023’s average of $93,877.

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The median remained static at $70,000 for both 2024 and 2025, and a decline from the 2023 figure of $80,000.

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The top lot on Tuesday was Lot 707, the full brother to Group 1 placed Tulsi (The Autumn Sun), who sold for $520,000 to Magus Equine from the draft of Valiant Stud.

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Much as they had in the previous days, McEvoy Mitchell Racing / Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA) finished the sale as the leading buyer, spending $1.7 millon on eight individual yearlings across the three selling sessions.

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The Autumn Sun finished trade as the leading sire by aggregate with a total gross of $2.56 million from 19 to sell, while Zoustar topped the average (of stallions with three or more lots sold) with $283,000.

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Arrowfield Stud finished as the leading vendor by aggregate with a total gross of $4.2 million, while Valiant Stud were crowned leading vendor by average (with three or more lots sold) having sold three yearlings for at an average of $208,000.

#1. Inglis pleasantly surprised

“If you’d said to me Sunday morning that the sale would transpire the way that it has, I would've been delighted,” Sebastian Hutch said at the end of three days that saw 79 per cent of the yearlings on offer sold for an average of $94,378 and a median of $70,000.

“The challenges in the market are fairly obvious for all to see but it has been a healthy trade with a good buying bench.”

“There were lots of domestic buyers supplemented by a big team of international buyers. Vendors on the whole were satisfied that they had a broad buying bench to sell to.”

As has been the case at recent sales, the top end of the market has been strong with Hutch noting that buyers are prepared to “pay a premium for the horses they consider to be quality stock.”

“We hope to squeeze the clearance rate up a bit over the next few days,” he said, adding that he was pleased that the Classic sale continues to be one in which buyers can be confident of finding value.

He even found a positive in regards to the horses who did not sell.

“I admire breeders who have the faith in their stock not to sell if they are not happy with the price. I think long term that is great for racing, to see those breeders having the confidence to race some of their own horses.”

He also admitted that the sales can sometimes surprise vendors and Inglis alike. “Some horses sell much better than we expected them to, others not. At the end of the day we have a team of people who are expected to be the eyes of hundreds of buyers and that’s a hard thing. But ultimately we were very happy with the catalogue and the sale and with the feedback we have already received.”

#2. 100% clearance for Milburn

Milburn Creek’s Scott Holcombe declared himself “delighted” with the 100% clearance rate achieved over the three days of the Classic Sale, the Southern Highlands farm finding homes for all seven of their yearlings.

“Going on last year’s sale we honed in on the fact that this can be a colts sale,” Holcombe said, making the decision not to target any fillies at the sale.

“It is the sort of sale where buyers have an eye for racing,” he said, mindful of the Classic’s reputation as a ‘type sale.’

With that in mind Milburn chose colts who they thought would appeal to that sort of buyer and it is interesting to note that all seven yearlings were purchased by either trainers or syndicators.

Including their biggest seller, Lot 60, a $240,000 The Autumn Sun colt out of the city placed Belladini (Bernardini {USA}) whose daughter Ballabel (Not A Single Doubt) is stakes placed.

“He is a beautiful colt,” Holcombe said, very happy to see him head to the stables of Lindsay Park.

“He is certainly an impressive looking horse who walked extremely well and he will do well with the Hayes family.”

Lot 118 by Pinatubo (Ire) out of a city winning half-sister to the G1 T.J Smith Stakes winner Sizzling is another heading to Victoria, secured by YLP Racing for $170,000.

“He is a ripper,” Holcombe said, “the type who looks like he will run early.”

“He probably could have gone to the Gold Coast,” he added, “but we thought he would be a stand-out type at the Classic and that worked well for us.”

Enjoying Milburn Creek’s first 100 per cent sale, Holcombe was happy with the overall mood of the Classic.

“There were plenty of people there and a good buying base, it is a pretty good sale to buy and sell at.”

Another stud faring well in regards to a 100 per cent clearance rate was Eureka Stud who also had all seven of their yearlings sell.

Very happy to have “just ticked over the million dollars in sales,” Scott McAlpine is justifiably proud of the Queensland stud’s strike rate at all sales with 37 of 39 at the Gold Coast finding homes.

“It’s hard to do but with us, we try not to overvalue our horses. We put reasonable reserves on and more often than not we get more than that. We come to the sales with hopes but you have always got to be realistic.”

In regards to the Classic, McAlpine said much thought goes into choosing just the right horses.

“We have our selection process and we are mindful that this is a colts sale,” he said, noting that there was just the one filly in the Eureka draft.

“You need a nice, fashionable horse; you can sell a Spirit Of Boom here but you do better with the BOBS horses.”

McAlpine also said that the timing of the Classic sale has an impact.

“They can really bloom with the extra month,” he said, “they are further into that maturing stage.”

#3. Lucky Vega is hot

Studmasters love it when a young stallion attracts a bigger second book than first, aware that it is a fine indication that breeders are very happy with their foals.

Such was the case with Yulong’s Lucky Vega (Ire) who served 119 mares upon his retirement in 2021, that number increasing the following season to 168.

“A lot of that was us supporting him,” Yulong’s Vin Cox said, “but that is because we have faith in him and we are confident in the job he is doing.”

And it is those yearlings who have been making their way through the sales ring this year, faring particularly well at Classic where eight of the nine presented were sold for an average of $172,500.

That’s a nice figure off a $19,250 (inc GST) service fee and those supporting him in the years since will be even happier as he has stood the last two years at $16,500 (inc GST).

Lot 556 was a highlight for Lucky Vega, purchased from the Yulong draft by Astute Bloodstock, Mystery Downs and Curtis Racing for $340,000.

The first foal for a half-sister to the G1 William Reid Stakes winner Silent Sedition (War Chant {USA}), he caught the eye of Astute’s Louis Le Metayer who has been impressed by the sort of horse Lucky Vega is siring.

“I really like Lucky Vega, he is siring fast, precocious horses.”

Another fan is Intel Racing’s Ash Richards who was happy to secure his “equal favourite colt of the sale,” Lot 393 out of the unraced Love Blossom (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) for $250,000.

Hailing from the family of Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) who Richards said “could end up being the best horse in Australia,” the colt impressed from the get-go.

“I inspected him on day 1 and he immediately caught my eye.”

“He is a neat horse with great natural muscle but not heavy with it. He is a beautiful mover and he vetted well; he is everything I look for in a racehorse.”

Richards was also impressed by the colt’s attitude, saying that “from what I have seen at the sales the Lucky Vegas have unbelievable temperaments.”

“I looked at this colt several times and when the storms came on Monday I decided to give him one last test of temperament.”

Inspecting the colt whilst the weather made the Riverside Stables a rather noisy place, Richards noted that the Yulong-bred colt did not turn a hair.

“He handled it like a boss,” he laughed, “and that gave me the confidence to bid strongly for him.”

“Lucky Vega has got a banner horse in Within The Law and had the runner-up (Vega For Luck) in the Karaka Million; he has really hit the ground running.”

Shane McGrath purchased two Lucky Vegas; a $170,000 half-brother to the stakes placed Aztec State (Pierro) and an $80,000 colt from the Denise’s Joy (Seventh Hussar {Fr}) family.

“He has made a phenomenal start,” McGrath said. “He is a great looking horse and an elite athlete and the signs so far are that he is passing that on. They are sharp, attractive horses.”

Vin Cox was “delighted” to witness Lucky Vega’s popularity and is looking forward to the progression of his progeny.

“They have great brains,” he said, impressed by how his yearlings handled the sales process.

“They eat, come out of the box, eat, come out of the box, eat! They are very easy horses.”

Gallery: Lots purchased by Shane McGrath at the 2025 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, images courtesy of Inglis

#4. A good eye can find a good pinhook

“Harry was smart,” said proud father Scott McAlpine with Eureka Stud raising one of the sale’s best pinhooking results, a St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) colt who sold for $140,000 to the bid of Billy Healey Racing & W Bain.

That was a lovely seven-fold result for Harry McAlpine who found the colt for just $20,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale.

Raised in Victoria, the son of the lightly raced but talented Royal Dress (I Am Invincible) impressed Harry on type, just looking a “bit under-done.”

“We got him to Eureka, got the sun on his back and put him on our feeding programme,” Scott said.

“He is a lovely horse and there was a lot of interest in him.”

Eureka are not specialist pinhookers, but Harry was happy to take the punt when the right chance arose.

“It’s his job, looking for opportunities,” Scott said, “and he could see the value in this colt.”

Tuesday was a good day for pinhookers with a keen eye, and Bhima Thoroughbreds had a successful return from Lot 582, a Proisir colt of a full sister to the stakes performers Live And Free (NZ) (Savabeel) and Clementina (Savabeel), who sold to YLP Racing for $360,000. The colt had been a $110,000 purchase for Kilgravin Holdings and Bevan Smith Bloodstock at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling Sale last year.

Lime Country Thoroughbreds and Kenmore Lodge both turned good profits with colts bought at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale. Kenmore Lodge paid $60,000 for Lot 641, a Farnan colt out of dual winner Shudabeen (I Am Invincible), and sold him for $180,000 to Lees Racing, Bahen Bloodstock, and Australian Bloodstock. Lot 589 cost B Callaughan $70,000 as a weanling, and the son of Tassort sold to MG Price Racing & Breeding for $150,000.

Gallery: Lots that provided impressive pinhook returns, images courtesy of Inglis

#5. Trainers love the Classic Sale

Trainers were a major part of the Classic action, and we had a chat with a few regarding why they target this sale.

Purchasing four yearlings with another handful due to come to his stables, Gary Portelli left Riverside very happy with the horses he had found.

“There is value at this sale,” he said, “and the average is within the budget of the majority of our clients.”

“The smaller farms in particular do a great job at Classic, they bring their best horses here and they are so well prepared.”

“I like the type of horses the Classic sale produces,” he continued, “as a trainer I just want winners, it doesn’t matter where and the sale has such a good strike rate.”

“I think the quality here was definitely up on last year,” he added having bought a Cool Aza Beel (NZ) filly (Lot 579) for $30,000, a Farnan filly (Lot 218) for $20,000, a Rebel Dane colt (Lot 794) for $40,000 and a Too Darn Hot (GB) colt (Lot 175) for $120,000.

It was the latter Portelli was most enthusiastic about, calling the Blue Gum Farm graduate “good buying.”

“There is no better stallion at the moment than Too Darn Hot and this colt is a real athlete. He is not overly big which I like, I like the horses who are really going to furnish.”

McEvoy Mitchell Racing, along with Belmont Bloodstock, also had a good Classic sale, with Calvin McEvoy noting that “it has been a very good sale to us.”

Having purchased the Group 1 winners Veight (Grunt {NZ}) and Coco Sun (The Autumn Sun), as well as the classy 3-year-old Rue De Royale (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) and the promising juvenile Leave No Doubt (Doubtland), through the Classic ring, the stable always look forward to the sale.

“The quality is there if you do the work,” McEvoy said, “and we are very bullish about what we found there, making us happy to be strong in our bidding.”

“The timing of the sale is good,” he said, “and Inglis do a great job getting the right horses to it.”

Amongst the nine purchases for the stable was a $400,000 Wootton Bassett (GB) colt and a $360,000 I Am Invincible filly who were both secured on the first day.

“Everyone knows how hot Wootton Bassett is and we just loved that colt, we think he may have made much more at Easter. And the Vinnie filly has lots of blacktype on her page and she looks like an early runner.”

The McEvoys bought two horses on day 3; Lot 566 a $50,000 Stay Inside colt out of a half-sister to the Group 3 galloper Mosse (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) and Lot 709, a $250,000 North Pacific half-sister to the Group 3 placed Brave Strike (Brave Smash {Jpn}).

Buyers by gross

Buyers by average (3 or more bought)

Vendors by gross

Vendors by average (3 or more sold)

Sires by gross

Sires by average (3 or more sold)

First Season Sires by average