Cover image courtesy of Inglis
The second last Australian in-person yearling auction of the season will run on Sunday, April 27, at Riverside Stables in Sydney; the Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale will commence for one day of selling with 299 yearlings (before withdrawals) catalogued to be sold.
A total of 94 sires, 14 of whom are first season sires, will be represented by 134 colts and 165 fillies, offered by 51 vendors from across New South Wales and Victoria.
Bowness Stud, home of D’Argento, will present the largest draft with 21 in the catalogue, and Blue Gum Farm will travel a draft of 17 up from Victoria to attend the sale. Hunter Valley-based trio Riversdale, Vinery Stud, and Kingstar Farm round off with top five vendors by draft size with 16 catalogued each.
| Bowness Stud | 21 |
| Blue Gum Farm | 17 |
| Vinery Stud | 16 |
| Riversdale | 16 |
| Kingstar Farm | 16 |
Table: Top five vendors by number of yearlings catalogued
Healthy sales year on year
A sale renowned as a place for value late in the season, the HTBA Sale has not suffered as hard from economic swings as some other sales. While there has been a slight downturn in clearance over the last two editions of the sale, clearance has still remained above 80 per cent for the past five years, enjoying a high of 87.3 per cent during the post-pandemic boom of 2022.
| Aggregate | $3,034,500 | $4,500,500 | $5,582,250 | $5,247,250 | $2,409,000 |
| Average | $18,731 | $20,550 | $25,033 | $18,807 | $17,584 |
| Median | $10,000 | $12,000 | $17,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Catalogued | 224 | 300 | 287 | 358 | 176 |
| Withdrawals | 22 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 18 |
| Passed In | 40 | 49 | 34 | 49 | 21 |
| Sold | 162 | 219 | 233 | 279 | 137 |
| Clearance | 80.2 | 81.7 | 87.3 | 85.1 | 86.7 |
Table: Aggregate, average, and clearance rates for the past five editions of the Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale
Book sizes have changed slightly in this time; 2020 was a much smaller sale, reflective of the sale’s shift to Riverside Stables from its previous base in Scone (when it was named the Scone Select Yearling Sale) and the uncertainty of lockdowns. The sale more than doubled in size of the catalogue the following year, resulting in the sale being run over two days. This means it is not particularly useful to directly compare aggregates year on year.
A sub-300 lot book this year allows the sale to be neatly wrapped up in one day.
While the average has fluctuated somewhat over the last five editions, the median has seen less change; an expected spike was seen in 2022, where the average was also affected by the $300,000 record-setting lot, a filly out of Dashie Diva (Dash For Cash) by Extreme Choice, sold by Bell River Thoroughbreds. Otherwise, it has remained around the $10,000 mark.
The $300,000 Extreme Choice filly sold at 2022 Inglis HTBA yearling sale | Image courtesy of Inglis
The record price for the sale was almost broken again in 2023, when Darby paid $280,000 for Enter The Dragon (Capitalist) from the draft of Kingstar Farm; the now 3-year-old has won four, including three of his last four starts.
D’Argento and Russian Revolution lead offerings
Bowness Stud’s flagship stallion D’Argento and Newgate Farm stalwart Russian Revolution share the top spot for most represented sire, with 15 yearlings each in the catalogue. They are followed by Vinery Stud’s Exceedance with 10 yearlings, and Yes Yes Yes and first season sire Profiteer fill out the top five with nine each.
| D'Argento | 15 | $16,500 |
| Russian Revolution | 15 | $71,500 |
| Exceedance | 10 | $33,000 |
| Profiteer | 9 | $16,500 |
| Yes Yes Yes | 9 | $38,500 |
Table: Top five sires by number catalogued and fees (inc GST) in year of conception
Winner of the G1 Epsom Handicap as a 4-year-old, D’Argento’s first two crops on the track have delivered Listed winner Statuario and five stakes performers, as well as a total 20 winners. His daughter All Kinds Of Folk, who was third in the G3 Auraria Stakes, will head to Morphettville on Saturday to contest the G1 Australasian Oaks.
Lot 19 from Vanderville Thoroughbreds is among D'Argento's top offerings; a filly who is the second foal out of four-time winner Pendolin (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), whose first foal is a three-time winner. Pendolin is a three-quarter-sister to Listed-winning Prosecution (Pentire {GB}) and a half-sister to Listed Eclipse Stakes winner Mae Jinx (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), dam of Group performer Dubai Diva (Pride Of Dubai).
Lot 19 - D'Argento x Pendolin (NZ) (filly) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Champion First Season Sire and Second Season Sire of his generation, Russian Revolution has amassed 12 stakeswinners and 221 winners to date, with his oldest crop due to turn six in August. Among his offerings in this year’s sale is Lot 193 from the draft of Blue Gum Farm; a colt from G3 Ethereal Stakes winner Dawnie Perfect (Big Brown {USA}), who has already produced G3 South Australian Fillies Classic placegetter Great Mystery (Redoute’s Choice).
Spoilt for choice with young sires
Fourteen first season sires will be represented with offspring in the catalogue, including two - a filly and a colt - lots by Coolmore Stud’s popular Home Affairs. Newgate stand three of the top five most represented stallions, led by Profiteer with nine yearlings, with Wild Ruler and Tiger Of Malay presenting seven and six each.
| Profiteer | 9 | $16,500 |
| Acrobat | 7 | $13,750 |
| Wild Ruler | 7 | $38,500 |
| Tiger Of Malay | 6 | $16,500 |
| Captivant | 5 | $27,500 |
Table: Top five first season sires by number catalogued and fees (inc GST) in year of conception
From a first crop of 91 foals, Profiteer has attracted the attention of some of racing’s most astute judges, with buyers to date including Michael Freedman, Darby Racing, and Mick Price, and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA). Among his draft in the HTBA sale is Lot 55 from Kingstar Farm; a filly from Listed-placed Shamurt (Murtajill), whose juvenile Crown The King (Time To Reign) was second on debut in October and only beaten 3.28l by Rivellino (Too Darn Hot {GB}) in the R. Listed Inglis Millennium.
Second most represented sire Acrobat, who stands beside Home Affairs at Coolmore, has impressed at the sales, with his top lot selling for $300,000 to Ciaron Maher at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale this year. Glenbeigh Farm offer Lot 22, his son out of Phylicia (Pierro), a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Cosmic Endeavour (Northern Meteor) whose first two foals are both winners already.
Lot 22 - Acrobat x Phylicia (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Outstanding value
“The HTBA Sale continually produces outstanding value for buyers who do the work and this year’s catalogue is arguably as strong as it’s ever been,” is how Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch described the 2025 edition of the sale.
“The HTBA Sale continually produces outstanding value for buyers who do the work and this year’s catalogue is arguably as strong as it’s ever been.” - Sebastian Hutch
The HTBA sale remains a place to find value as sales season draws to a close; of the current 3-year-old crop, there are 53 winners that originated in this sale, and a further 123 winners in the 4-year-old crop. Last year’s sale has already produced two winners; No Limitation (Exceedance) is a metropolitan winner and Stay Cosmic (Cosmic Force) ran second in the Listed ANZAC Day Stakes on Friday.
Sebastian Hutch | Image courtesy of Inglis
This is also the sale that has previously produced the likes of Group 3 winner Tintookie (Winning Rupert), a $30,000 purchase for Brad Widdup who made just shy of $500,000 in prizemoney, stakes-placed seven-time winner Shezanalister (Star Turn), whose career earnings are over $490,000, and $2.8 million earner Rocketing By (So You Think {NZ}).
