A POPULAR feature at the conclusion of the upcoming annual Scone Horse Festival is the Inglis Scone Yearling Sale scheduled for Sunday, May 14 and Monday, May 15.
The demand for the Scone market by breeders has become so strong that Inglis extended the 2017 edition to sell over two days with 200 catalogued yearlings on Sunday, followed with 100 more opening Monday’s session.
Supported by the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association, the sale has advanced in strength since its inception about 30 years ago.
Strength is endorsed by the concentration of Hunter Valley breeding via major operations, as well as much bigger books of mares being covered by the top echelon of sires now available.
The sale begins with a Denman colt from a half-sister to dual group 1 winner Sirmone on offer via Middlebrook Valley Lodge, Scone.
Middlebrook also offers a Nicconi half-sister to this season’s Melbourne stakes winner Farson; and a Foxwedge half-sister to a Sydney and a Melbourne stakes placegetter, all of which should prove attractive to buyers.
Progeny by first crop Australian-bred sires include Albrecht, by Redoute’s Choice; Epaulette, by Commands; Northern Meteor progeny Eurozone, Fighting Sun, and Zoustar; Shamus Award and Sizzling, by Snitzel; Unencumbered, by Testa Rossa; and War, by More Than Ready.
Other sires with first crop progeny includes New Zealand bred Dundeel, by High Chaparral, and Shamexpress, by O’Reilly; Irish-bred Fiorente, by Monsun, and Dawn Approach; Great Britain-bred Camelot, by Montjeu; and United States bred Carlton House, by Street Cry, Declaration Of War and The Factor, by War Front.
All 300 yearlings are eligible for the $5 million Inglis Race Series and which includes the $100,000 Scone Inglis Challenge for juveniles.
Last year the Cameron Crockett, Mudgee, trained Barbass won the Inglis Two-Year-Old Challenge. A gelding by the Queensland based sire Benfica, Barbass cost his owners just $4000 at last year’s Scone Yearling Sale.
Finishing fourth in the TAB Highway Handicap at Randwick last Saturday, Barbass is on route for a start at this year’s $2 million Scone Cup Carnival scheduled for Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13, which is on the eve of the yearling auction.
This year’s running of the Inglis Challenge is among eight events – including seven stakes races over the two days racing.
While prominent Sydney trainers and former Upper Hunter residents Peter and son Paul Snowden will be attempting to make it successive wins in the $200,000 Listed Emirates Park Scone Cup, in-form local conditioner Mary Moses may try to take her first Scone Cup with It’s A Shamozzle.
A home-bred horse by former shuttler Shamardal for Fred and Mary Moses of Kanangra, Scone, It’s A Shamozzle has won his two starts back this preparation including the recent Tamworth Cup Prelude.
The sale begins with a Denman colt from a half-sister to dual group 1 winner Sirmone on offer via Middlebrook Valley Lodge, Scone.
Next on his agenda may be the Tamworth Cup on April 30, as well as the Scone Cup on May 12.
The Scone Race Club’s city conditions stand-alone Saturday eight race meet, includes five stakes the fillies and mares group 3 Dark Jewel Classic its major feature.
Other youngsters who may attract interest from buyers at the sale includes a Hinchinbrook filly from Orange Marmalade, dam of five horses to race, for five winners including stakes winner Most Important ($605,000); a Zoustar colt from stakes winning Royal Academy mare Whisper Bay who had four wins; an I Am Invincible half-brother to Melbourne stakes winner Trevinder, from Kiss Me Sophie; a brother to $757,597 earner Deiheros, by Bon Hoffa; a Pierro filly from Redoute’s Choice stakes winner Tranquility; a Duporth half-brother to stakes winner Born To Fly; a Magic Albert half-brother to stakes winner and Country Championship Final winner at Randwick Artlee; and a Dream Ahead half-brother to $1.8 million earner Under The Louvre.
Wagga hosts two-day racing carnival in May
WHILE racing in the north takes centre stage in mid-May, feature racing highlights the southern districts next week with the Murrumbidgee Turf Club’s two-day racing carnival at Wagga Wagga, on Thursday, May 4 and Friday, May 5.
The $110,000 Wagga Town Plate a sprint over 1200 metres is a feature of the Thursday meet, while the $150,000 Listed Wagga Wagga Gold Cup over 2000 metres is the club’s Friday feature.
The southern district’s capital extravaganza meet attracts not only local gallopers, but talented city class horses from Sydney and Melbourne.
Much focus maybe on large regional racing, but autumn is a busy time for major country race meets also.
The once-a-year meet at Binnaway, just south of Coonabarabran, will hold its cup races this Saturday, April 29, as well as the Tumut Cup. Another on the same day is the later scheduled Bedgerebong Cup picnic races, at a tiny hamlet about 40 kilometres west of Forbes.
These are followed by the $100,000 Tamworth Cup meet on Sunday April 30.
Not to be forgotten is the annual Boorowa Picnic races, the Cobar Miners’ Race Club Cobar Cup and Gooree Cup at Mudgee, all on Saturday, May 6.
