A record top of $300,000 was posted for a good-looking filly by Extreme Choice at the Inglis May Yearling Sale at its Warwick Farm headquarters last Sunday.
Supported by the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association, the sale - formerly known as the Scone Yearling Sale and held in Scone, drew a good crowd vying to buy youngsters suiting a wide price range from $1000.
The record sale top was originally tuned for Inglis' February Classic Yearling Sale but a setback close to the sale made for a change of plans, the filly landing at the May auction, and which "stood out from the crowd" for buyer Randwick trainer Michael Freedman.
A clearance of 82% was achieved for the 210 sold lots for an average of $25,499 for gross sales of $5.354 million. This compares to 358 sold lots, which averaged $18,807 for a $5.247m gross at the corresponding sale last year.
This year's record top - which upstaged the $180,000 record set two years ago for a Toronado colt (from Settecento), was a filly from dual winning Dash For Cash mare Dashie Diva, and sold via its breeders Bell River Thoroughbreds near Dungog.
Warwick Farm conditioner David Pfieffer and bloodstock agent Olly Koolman raised their hand to buy the sale's second top at $120,000, for a colt by former Godolphin stallion Epaulette, from winning Sebring mare Rosa's Magic and sold via Kerrie Tibbey's Goodwood Farm, Murrurundi.
Four lots fetched $100,000 each - two via Mane Lodge, Gundaroo (for colts by Harry Angel and Capitalist), another sold from Segenhoe Thoroughbreds, Scone (by Hellbent); and a Divine Prophet colt via Helen and John North's Bowness Stud, Young.
While the latter colt was a feature of the Bowness draft, a highlight - also via the Bowness sold lots, was a filly by its prolific winner-getting sire Bon Hoffa, which sold for $12,000 to long-time Kembla Grange conditioner Louise Dean.
"I wanted to keep training the family and keep the history going," said a happy Louise after the sale.
"I also trained her dam, Elkaydee, which I bought from Bowness at the Classic Sale, and bought and raced Musume, her first foal."
By Frankel's three-quarter-brother Bullet Train, Musume has won for races.
The Inglis May sessions of Warwick Farm live-auctions continues this week with The Chairman's Sale of elite breeding prospects on tomorrow night, and the Australian Broodmare Sale this Sunday.
Vale Rick Freyer
WHILE his Dad - celebrated Corowa conditioner Richard Freyer passed away in 2017, his son Rick who also became a noted trainer in his home town, passed-away unexpectedly recently age 48.
In one of the most successful racing families in the Southern Districts Racing Association (SDRA), Rick was a third-generation member of trainers over about 100 years, his grand-father - Jack Freyer, establishing its successful border racing dynasty.
Rick's father proved a dominant training force in the region from the 1970s through to the mid-2000s, preparing over 2500 winners and which included 16 successive SDRA trainers' premierships.
On a regular basis in the Riverina region a "cup" race was won, the family listing a record eight Albury Gold Cups, 12 Corowa Cups and 10 Berrigan Cups.
Serving for many years as his "right-hand" stable person, Rick was involved in the staying stakes success in Melbourne of the popular Lecia Falcon, a Nothin' Leica Dane gelding which also finished a memorable fifth in the prestigious Caulfield Cup, and fourth in the Melbourne Cup in 2005.
Country Cups
COUNTRY Cups roll on around the State with the hotly contested $200,000 Wagga Wagga Gold Cup, a Listed event over 2000 metres, held tomorrow. It should be noted that the first and second placed horses will be eligible for selection for the $2m The Big Dance, a race scheduled on the Randwick program on Melbourne Cup-day.
The Gooree Cup meet at Mudgee follows this Sunday, then the Scone Cup Carnival its $200,000 Scone Cup the highlight - next Friday May 13.
Saturday May 14 is Scone's "stand-alone" Saturday city meet with a number of black type events including the $200,000 Coolmore Dark Jewel Classic-G3.
The following day will also see the central districts' Parkes Cup run.