While it may not be the "crème de la crème" of auctions on the national sales' calendar, the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale has proved its worth via a host of outstanding winning graduates.
Last year's Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare is a recent Group 1 winner added to the list via the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale auction ring, while Castelvecchio, Samadoubt and Shadow Hero are other Classic yearlings who each won a Group 1 race last year.
Held at Inglis' Riverside Stables at Warwick Farm, the sale starts on Sunday, February 9 and runs for three days, with its 613 catalogued lots of Book 1. The recently introduced "Highway Session" continues on Tuesday, February 11 with lots 614 to 808 of the catalogue.
According to Inglis' NSW bloodstock manager Chris Russell, the company had an overwhelming demand for places at the Classic Sale.
"We have looked to work constructively with breeders for many months to finalise a well-diversified catalogue that we feel will find favour with the market,'' Mr Russell said.
"Our sales keep producing good horses, 39 Group 1 winners since the start of 2018, more than double our nearest competitor as well as 10 individual winners of $1 million-plus contests in Australia so far this season."
"Buyers know they can buy well at our sales, starting with the Classic, which has consistently proven itself to be Australasia's best-value sale."
Among some attractive lots includes a Lonhro colt, from Beyond Rare, and a Lonhro filly from Snitzel stakes winner Bouzy Rouge.
All yearlings offered at any Inglis yearling sale are eligible for entry into the $8m Inglis Race Series, which includes the $2m Inglis Millennium for two-year- olds and the $1m Inglis Sprint for three-year-olds.
Winner of November's inaugural $1m Golden Gift at Rosehill, the Snowden Racing prepared I Am Invincible filly Dame Giselle is at the top of betting for the $2m Inglis Millennium, a racing highlight at Warwick Farm on Saturday, February 8, the eve of the sale.
Another galloper commanding attention for the event is Sydney placegetter and Classic Yearling Sale graduate Encountabull, a colt belonging to the first crop juveniles by Fastnet Rock sire Bullpoint, who stands at Kingstar Farm near Denman.
A "smorgasbord" of 103 different sires have entries, including two colts by leading US and Canadian sire Into Mischief (by Storm Cat grandson Harlan's Holiday).
Of these 103 sires, there are 31 horses with first crop progeny, including Australian bred Astern (by Medaglia d'Oro), Alpine Eagle (High Chaparral), Capitalist and Winning Rupert (Written Tycoon), Counterattack and Swear (Redoute's Choice), Divine Prophet (Choisir), Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt), Flying Artie (Artie Schiller), Kiss And Make Up (More Than Ready), Odyssey Moon and Sooboog (Snitzel), Star Turn (Star Witness), Stratum Star (Stratum), Under The Louvre (Excellent Art), and Vanbrugh (Encosta de Lago).
New Zealand bred first crop sires include Rageese (Street Cry), Tivaci (High Chaparral), Turn Me Loose (Iffraaj), and Xtravagant (Pentire, who stands at the Kelly family's Newhaven Park, Boorowa).
Sale entries also include progeny by US bred Air Force Blue (War Front), American Pharoah, Bobby's Kitten (Kitten's Joy), Frosted (Tapit); while there are lots by Irish bred Belardo (Lope De Vega), Shalaa and Territories (Invincible Spirit); and Japanese bred Mikki Isle (Deep Impact), and Maurice (Screen Hero).
Bega celebrates
With so many race-meets abandoned, having date changes, or transferred to other tracks, why not support the South Coast and attend the Bega Cup Carnival this weekend.
With local communities suffering through recent bushfires, but now "back in business", the Sapphire Coast Turf Club's Cup Carnival, has two days of country racing that offers over $500,000 in prizemoney. It also boasts great hospitality and fun for the whole family.
While only two and a half hours' drive south-east of Canberra and about six hours from Sydney, the coastal towns of Merimbula (a 15-minute drive) and Tathra (10-minutes) are convenient to the racecourse and offer a variety of accommodation, including boutique guesthouses, luxury resorts ans vintage caravans on the beach.
Saturday night's activities include the Bega Cup Calcutta at Club Sapphire in Merimbula.
