WHILE there may be several youngsters that fetch the magical million-dollar mark at this year's Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, it should be noted that many successful graduates sell for far less.
In recent years mares Aristia (earned $1.2 million), Nettoyer ($1.7m), Funstar ($1.1m), and stallions Quick Thinker ($1m) and young sire Exceedance ($1.1m) have all been top grade Easter Yearling Sale graduates, and sold for under $200,000.
Scheduled for Inglis' headquarters of Riverside Stables at Warwick Farm, Australasia's most prestigious two-day sale consists of 466 lots over Tuesday and Wednesday April 6 and 7.
The international catalogue includes three youngsters by champion European miler and former Coolmore shuttler Ribchester, a son of Mr Prospector linesire Iffraaj, also sire of sire sensation Wootton Bassett.
A Group 1 winner, Wootton Bassett is the sire of French bred and a New Zealand shuttler Almanzor, a champion European colt whose few first Australasian bred yearlings have sold for huge prices at this year's major yearling sales.
While there are Ribchester half-brothers to Group 1 winners Montefilia and Brutal in the lineup, there is also a grey colt from Sydney stakes winner White Sage, the first of the trio to be offered.
To be offered by the Esplin family owned and operated Tartan Fields, Kulnura, the colt was produced from well-remembered Sydney stakes winning mare White Sage, a winner of five successive wins from her only seven starts.
By Reset, White Sage (daughter of champion New Zealand bred sprinting filly Pay My Bail), is a half-sister to triple Sydney Group winner White Moss, and along with Group 1 winner Plucky Belle are a trio among the Esplin boutique owned broodmares.
There are also four representatives by Siyouni at the sale, a young French bred sire which has been quickly gaining momentum in the European sires' ranks, and which had his fourth Australian winner recently when three-year-old, Le Vizir, won at Wyong.
Standing at the Aga Khan's Haras de Bonneval, at Normandy, France, Siyouni - which commands a 140,000 Euros service fee, was crowned champion French sire last year, and has sired 43 stakes winners. These include French Derby-G1 winner Sottsass, and Sydney Group 2 winning two-year-old Aylmerton, and this season's Sydney Group placed juvenile Direct.
Siyouni introduces an alternative male-line in Australia, being by Nureyev grandson Pivotal, a multiple champion GB sire which has again hit headlines with news of his stud retirement at Cheveley Park near Newmarket, England.
Also bred and raced by Cheveley's owners David and Patricia Thompson, the 28-year-old Pivotal has sired over 153 stakes winners including three in Australia, importantly the Godolophin bred and raced triple Group 1 winner Avilius, as well as last year's dual Sydney Group 1 winner Addeybb.
Among the quartet is a colt to be offered via Bhima Thoroughbreds Scone, the first foal of the unraced GB mare Totally Mystic. A daughter of ever influential GB sire Invincible Spirit (also sire of I Am Invincible), Totally Mystic is a three-quarter-sister to champion European sprinter Moonlight Cloud, the mare that gave Australian racing enthusiasts "heart-palpitations" when she almost defeated Black Caviar in the 2012 Golden Jubilee Stakes-G1 at Royal Ascot.
Wet in country
THEY lost its Mid-North Coast Newhaven Park Country Championship Qualifying race to Scone last month, and last week lost its Coopernook Hotel Hannam Vale Cup also to torrential rain, however Taree Race Club's Helen Sinclair was philosophical.
"At least we got three races in," Helen said. Four-year-old mare, Charmmebaby, won the Mid North Coast qualifier for Taree conditioners Bob and Glen Milligan.
Fastnet Rock gelding, Baileys took the Northern Rivers Racing Association qualifier, while Old Harbour (Your Song) won the Central District's qualifier.
Scone trainer Rod Northam's Spiranac (Magic Albert) won in the Hunter and North-West, and in the Southern Districts Another One took its qualifier for Wagga Wagga trainer Gary Colvin. Other winning qualifiers include the Terry Robinson trained Art Cadeau (Artie Schiller).