The Inglis Great Southern Sale commencing at Oaklands Junction this Sunday contains the largest catalogue of foals in Australasia this year.
The largest and, according to Inglis Victorian bloodstock manager Simon Vivian, possibly the strongest.
Comprising 416 lots over the first two sessions, Vivian believes quality will go a long way to matching quantity. “I reckon the Great Southern will be a super sale,” he said. “Consider this for a minute. There are 11 weanlings by Written Tycoon and 7 by Street Boss. They are two of the hottest stallions in the country at the moment and you would find it very difficult to get a nomination to either of them this spring.
“And with over 100 stallions represented, there are also sons and daughters of Not a Single Doubt, Snitzel, Medaglia d’Oro, Magnus, Choisir, Hinchinbrook and More Than Ready.
“Promising young stallions Foxwedge, Poet’s Voice, Moshe and So You Think are in the line-up and there’s plenty of freshman sires, too – Declaration of War, Shamus Award, Fiorente, Zoustar, The Factor, Sizzling, Dundeel, Unencumbered and Fighting Sun are among 18 stallions with first-crop foals.
“Pin-hooking is definitely on the increase in Australia and you only have to cast your mind back to last year’s sale with Steve and Ceri Jostlear of Ampulla Lodge buying the Exceed And Excel – Common Smytzer colt for $300,000 and then on-selling him as a yearling for $800,000.
“And who can forget ‘Roger’ the Teofilo colt that was snapped up by Three Bridges yearling manager Karen Sinclair for $32,000 before making $340,000 at this year’s Melbourne Premier.
“It really does serve to illustrate what’s on offer for the astute buyer at a sale like this. Teofilo hadn’t done that much in Australia by the time Karen’s weanling was purchased, but since then he’s been represented by Kermadec and an Australian Guineas winner in Palentino.”
Inglis reports there have been 118 supplementary entries added to the Inglis Great Southern Sale, taking the total number of lots to be offered at the four-day auction to 905.
