Cover image courtesy of Inglis
Five more top prospects, headlined by two electric race mares, have been added to the Inglis Chairman’s Sale catalogue this week; Group 2-winner Estriella (I Am Invincible) is Group 1-bound again this preparation, and G1 Goodwood Handicap winner Royal Merchant (Merchant Navy) aims to enhance her record this autumn ahead of the May sale date.
They are joined by Northern Hemisphere Group winner Honey Girl (GB) (Mayson {GB}), a half-sister to Hitotsu, and the dam of Wiltshire Square (Wootton Bassett {GB}).
A Group 1 standard mare
G2 Caulfield Sprint victress Estriella is offered by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock as a racing or breeding prospect; with three stakes races amongst her five victories, the elite 4-year-old has plenty still to give to her new owners. A $750,000 Inglis Australian Easter Sale graduate, Estriella was a winner on debut as a juvenile, and was narrowly beaten 0.13l in the G2 Silver Shadow Stakes by Autumn Ballet (The Autumn Sun) in the spring of her 3-year-old career.
The autumn was when she really shone; winning the G3 Kevin Hayes Stakes and $1 million Inglis Sprint at Flemington, she was a captivating winner of the Listed Sunlight Classic in her next start, defeating G1 Blue Diamond Stakes-placed Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel {Ire}) by 2.5l and posting a career high WFA Performance Rating of 102.3 with The Ratings Bureau, higher than Group 1 mares Espiona (Extreme Choice), Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}), Zougotcha (Zoustar), and Sunshine In Paris (Invader) at the same stage of their careers.
This past spring, Estriella finished fourth first-up in the G1 Moir Stakes, beaten just 0.81l by Mornington Glory (Shalaa {Ire}) in a finish that saw her come home in front of the likes of G1 TJ Smith winner Chain Of Lightning (Fighting Sun) and $12.8 million earner I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel). She has mixed with the best Victorian sprinters, with five of her last six starts taking place at Group 1 level in addition to her Caulfield Sprint victory, taking her prize money to over $1.3 million. Maher’s Head of Bloodstock Will Bourne firmly believes she can become I Am Invincible’s 16th Group 1 winner; nine of his top flight winners to date are mares.
Estriella | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“The speed Estriella possesses is extremely rare and one of her most emphatic traits,’’ 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.
“You look at a mare like Bella Nipotina - she didn’t reach her peak until she was six, seven and eight years old - and with Estriella headed to the G1 The Galaxy in a couple of weeks, there’s every chance she can win a Group 1 herself as soon as that, and then train on to become an elite race mare and stunning broodmare.
“She was a gorgeous Easter yearling, deep girth and she was that big, strong, imposing Vinnie filly that everyone dreams of having, on the bigger side like Loving Gaby.’’
“She (Estriella) was a gorgeous Easter yearling, deep girth and she was that big, strong, imposing Vinnie filly that everyone dreams of having, on the bigger side like Loving Gaby.’’ - Will Bourne
Estriella comes from the immediate family of Coolmore Stud’s leading sire Pierro; dam Madrigals (Lonhro) is a full sister to Pierro, a G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner. Madrigals is also a half-sister to G2 Wakeful Stakes winner and multiple Group 1-placed Ambience (Street Cry {Ire}), and to the dam of G3 Newcastle Stakes winner Sandpaper (Snitzel). Estriella is just a stone’s throw from G2 ,The Ingham winner Loch Eagle (Lonhro) and European dual Group 1 winner Laverock (Ire).
Daughters of I Am Invincible have so far produced 173 winners of 401 races at a strike rate of 53.9 per cent winners to runners, including eight stakes winners. They are responsible for G2 Silver Slipper Stakes winner Straight Charge (Written By), Listed winner Sans Doute (Not A Single Doubt), electric Hong Kong performer Adefill (Deep Field), and $1 million Golden Gift runner-up Cerda (Snitzel), amongst others.
Ticking all the boxes
G1 Goodwood Handicap winner, Royal Merchant, has already ticked the top flight win box, and, with her autumn preparation about to launch, there is sure to be more in store before her sale date. Also offered by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock, the 5-year-old mare can train on or head straight to the broodmare barn ahead of the spring. A $160,000 acquisition at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Royal Merchant has repaid her investors several times over with earnings of over $800,000.
A dual winner as a spring 3-year-old, Royal Merchant started to show glimmers of brilliance early in the following autumn, finishing second by just 0.1l to Shuffle Dancer (I Am Invincible) in the G2 Angus Armanasco Stakes, with a gap of 1.75l back to third place.
Royal Merchant | Image courtesy of Coolmore America
The late autumn was when her brilliance really shone; heading south, Royal Merchant won the G2 Tobin Bronze Stakes, defeating fellow Chairman’s catalogue entrant She Dances (Street Boss {USA}) and the talented G2 Reisling Stakes winner Seven Veils (Shalaa {Ire}), who is currently in foal to Native Trail (GB).
Her stunning performance in the Goodwood at her next start secured Royal Merchant’s position as an elite race mare; in winning, she defeated a field containing Zapateo (Brazen Beau), General Beau, Kementari (Lonhro), and Lofty Strike.
“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 G1 Goodwood win and then she drew wide in the Stradbroke and things just didn’t go to plan.”
“Royal Merchant is such a strong mare, a really good type that buyers will fall in love with.’’ - Will Bourne
Royal Merchant has been back on top since, prevailing over fellow catalogue entry Semana (Winning Rupert) in the Magic Millions Wyong 3YO & 4YO Stakes in December, and recording a strong third in the G3 The Nivision behind high calibre race filly Olentia (Zoustar).
“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.’’
Royal Merchant is the jewel of her immediate family; she is the first foal of metropolitan winner Seventhchic (Seventh Reason), a half-sister to consistent city performer and juvenile Listed-placed Alburq (Rubick). Her close family also includes G1 Schweppes Oaks-placed La Zuma (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), and the pedigree descends directly from blue hen Eau D'Etoile (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}), dam of stakes winner and producer Bint Marscay (Marscay).
Will Bourne | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
“All these race fillies have been very good for the stable, the team has done an amazing job with all of them, and I have no doubt whatsoever they’re going to make quality broodmares,’’ Bourne added.
Further tempting offerings
Three more entrants have been confirmed, and among them is Futatsu (Shalaa {Ire}), a half-sister to Arrowfield Stud’s triple Group 1-winning young sire Hitotsu, whose first foals arrived in the spring. A $250,000 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale graduate from the draft of Kulani Park, lightly raced Futatsu has been a consistent performer on the track to date; the 4-year-old has recorded one win and six placings from her eight starts, and could potentially return to work or head straight to the broodmare barn.
Dam Love Is Fickle (Redoute’s Choice) is a half-sister to multiple Group-winning stallion Love Conquers All and Listed-winning She’s Meaner (Falvelon), dam of Lean Mean Machine. This is a deep family of stakes-producing mares whose progeny far exceed their own racetrack performances, and Futatsu could be next in line.
Alongside her is Honey Girl, who collected multiple Group placings in Great Britain and Ireland on her way to winning the G3 Athasi Stakes over 1408 metres, bringing speed with her when she was imported to Australia. Having trialled last month, she is ready to launch into the autumn and hopefully add Group performances in the Southern Hemisphere to her page ahead of the sale. Her immediate family is rich with top tier performances; close relations include Champion Older Female in Ireland Rebelline (Ire) (Robellino {USA}), multiple Group-winning sire Quws (Ire), and Group 3-winning Highgarden (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}).
Sausedge | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Last to join them is Sausedge (Shamus Award), dam of multiple Group performer Wiltshire Square and - most excitingly - carrying another positive pregnancy to Coolmore Stud’s star shuttler Wootton Bassett (GB), that promises a full sibling to Wiltshire Square in the spring. Second on debut in the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes, the 2-year-old filly followed this up with electric performances in the G3 Blue Diamond Preview (fillies) and the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (fillies), finishing third in both. She will no doubt return an impressive filly in the spring as a more furnished 3-year-old.
Sausedge was no slouch on the track herself; the winner of six races including on debut as a juvenile, she was unlucky to not clinch any black type in her career, finishing fifth by just 1.74l in the Listed National Sprint. The cross with Wootton Bassett has already been proven, so a buyer is assured to have a high calibre, in demand foal in the spring.
The Chairman’s Sale will be held at Riverside Stables on the evening of May 8.
