UNDER severe flooding conditions, a 16 per cent increase in the average to $87,833 was posted by Inglis for its 2020 edition Classic Yearling Sale Book 1 this week.
Inglis's newer "Highway Session" with its inaugural session conducted in 2019, raised its average by a massive 51pc to $38,178.
Book 1 saw a clearance of 85pc for the 473 lots that sold, for gross sales of $41.65 million, while 132 lots sold via the Highway Session, for a total $5m and a 75pc clearance.
Inglis' managing director Mark Webster said he was thrilled with the classic sale overall, especially considering the at-times extraordinary wet weather conditions that clients and buyers faced.
He also said that the buyer market was well diversified, its broad buying bench coming from all over Australia, as well as China, France, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and America.
"The sale was well supported by local and international buyers many of whom bought a significant number of yearlings and, as always, most of the major syndicators such as Star Thoroughbreds, Darby Racing and Triple Crown, have been very active," Mr Webster said.
Leading vendor by average was Mike O'Donnell's Fairhill Farm, Mulbring, at $170,667, which included the fifth top-priced horse at $350,000 for a filly by Australia's hot sire I Am Invincible, from Limbo Down, on Day 1 of the auction.
Scone located Yarraman Park - home of I Am Invincible, was on top for the sale aggregate at $2.425m, and selling all of its 22 lots offered.
Progeny of Northern Meteor stallion Deep Field - who stands at Newgate Farm, Aberdeen, were in demand including the sale-topping lot at $380,000 selling via lower Hunter Valley farm Torryburn.
The colt - produced from Raheights and dam of Sydney Group winner Diddums, sold to Hong Kong buyer Ricky Yiu.
Second sale top at $370,000, was for a bay colt by Widden Stud's Nicconi, from winning Danehill Dancer mare Poison Ivy, which sold to Caulfield conditioner Andrew Noblet, from Newhaven Park.
The Boorowa-located property also stands first season Pentire sire Xtravagant, his first yearling progeny being well received with buyers. Ten Xtravagant yearlings sold for an aggregate of $672,000, his top at $120,000.
Coolmore Stud's high-profile shuttler American Pharoah topped the first season sires list by averages at $151,000 with five youngsters selling, his top at $250,000 for a filly from To Please A Lady, which sold via Geoff Harris's Toolooganvale, Scone.
In total 168 youngsters fetched $100,000 or more, up from 150 at last year's sale, and this being despite there being 200 less horses catalogued for the sale.