Inglis Releases ‘Strongest Ever’ Ready2Race Catalog

Inglis released a 185-lot catalog for their upcoming Ready2Race Sale, set to take center stage Oct. 12 at Warwick Farm, with a collation of juveniles that Inglis' general manager of bloodstock and sales Sebastian Hutch described as their 'strongest ever.'

The burgeoning sale broke new ground in 2020, grossing a record AU$11,642,000 (US$8,229,876) from 120 lots sold, with three juveniles soaring past the half-million dollar barrier, headlined by a AU$610,000 ($431,217) son of Deep Field that sold to Louis Ho and the Macau Jockey Club from the Lime Country Thoroughbreds draft.

"It's a format we've invested considerable time and resources in and it's shown tremendous progress. As a sale format across Australasia the last 10 years, and our sale's been at the forefront of that," Hutch said. "Certainly in terms of investment made by vendors in the sale, going to this year's sale you'd have to think it's the strongest catalog we've ever put together for it."

Pinhook traders have been confronted with a record yearling market throughout 2021, a fact that has in part contributed to an increase in outlay from yearling buyers sourcing horses for the breeze-up market, with more than one third of this year's Ready2Race catalog having been purchased for a figure of AU$50,000 or above and more than 20 consigned lots having broken the AU$100,000 barrier when sourced as yearlings. 

Among those is Lot 151, the Iffraaj  colt out of Danness, dam of the stakes-placed Rocknrolla, who was purchased for NZ$170,000 ($122,062) at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale this year and features as part of the Regal Farm draft. 

Furthermore, three Inglis Easter graduates make their way into this year's Ready2Race sale, including Lot 157, the only Zoustar in the sale, who is the first foal out of grade 3 winner Diva Express , a AU$130,000 ($99,639) buy for Tal Nolan, who has a consignment of eight yearlings cataloged, and Bevan Smith's Medaglia d'Oro   colt (Lot 87) out of grade 1-placed Stopshoppingmaria , already the dam of stakes-winning fillies Always Shopping  and Mo Shopping .

Lots by leading sires I Am Invincible , Snitzel , Exceed and Excel , Fastnet Rock , as well as a colt by last season's champion sire Written Tycoon  feature among the consignments, in addition to first season sires Hellbent, Merchant Navy, Impending, and Invader.

The sire with the highest representation is Newgate's Deep Field, who has 15 lots set to feature in the breeze up auction.

"In terms of money spent leading into the sale, there's been a massive outlay," Hutch added. "And a huge proportion of those horses have cost six figures. Whereas that would have been a rarity in times past, it's very much the norm now. Guys going out and acquiring quality yearlings for this format are competing with agents and trainers to try and buy the best stock and horses they believe can gallop to an elite level as 2-year-olds. 

"It's a very brave pursuit on their part, but they back their judgement in their ability to buy athletes and time and time again they see their judgement vindicated."

Hawkesbury horsemen Matt Vella and Blake Ryan present the largest consignments of yearlings to this year's sale, with the former preparing 19 juveniles set for the breeze ups while Ryan has a string of 18.

Among Vella's Glenn Haven consignment is the Hellbent colt out of group 1-winning New Zealand mare Planet Rock (Lot 42), a horse he purchased for NZ$30,000 ($21,567) out of the New Zealand Karaka yearling sale. 

Vella sold last year's second top lot, the Capitalist gelding out of Lady Sniper, who sold to Bon Ho for AU$550,000 ($388,802) after a furlong breeze in :10.17. 

"The standard of work done by the people who prepare horses for this sale is exceptionally high, and I think there's an ever-growing respect for that," Hutch continued. "We've made a conscious effort to work with the best people because they are the people who generate the best results."

A feature of last year's sale was the depth to the domestic buying bench, with purchasers such as James Harron, who went to AU$260,000 ($183,798) for a Vancouver  colt out of Anatole, as well as trainers such as Annabel Neasham and Bjorn Baker, while syndicators Blueblood Thoroughbreds secured a flashy chestnut by Zoustar for AU$100,000 ($70,692) from the JCS Thoroughbreds draft. 

Now named Lightsaber, winner of last season's MSS Security Sires Produce Stakes (G2), he is one of two stakes winners to come out of last year's sale so far, along with See You In Spring with the pair adding to previous success for graduates, which includes dual group 1 winner Nettoyer.

"Last year's sale was fantastic In many respects because the sale was conducted under a hugely changing set of circumstances, where effectively we only had NSW-domiciled persons at the sale. But we had engagement right across Australia and in South East Asia, which is very encouraging," said Hutch. "The success of graduates out of that sale has been really fantastic. And it's not just about identifying the headline horses like See You In Spring and Lightsaber. Bjorn Baker has a promising horse called Akahata."

Hutch urged buyers to take heed from previous editions of the sale, where not only have graduates that sold gone on to achieve success for their new connections, but horses that didn't make their reserves have gone on to make windfalls for their owners, both on the track and through subsequent on-sales. 

Given the current climate with lockdowns prevailing in local government areas across New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, as well as the continued absence of an international buying bench present at the sale, Hutch expressed a need to be flexible.

"At the moment the situation is very fluid," he said. "The sale is six weeks away and we've dealt with a variety of different scenarios with respect to sales over the last 18 months. And if that period has taught us anything then patience is hugely important in terms of preparing for any sales under these conditions. 

"We'll work with the respective authorities, whether they be racing or local state authorities, and we'll look to conduct the sale in the best possible conditions. It's just going to be a case of establishing what's doable at the appropriate time and executing it as best we can."

Breeze ups for this year's sale will take place at Seymour Sept. 10, Eagle Farm Sept. 15, Warwick Farm Sept. 17, and Cambridge Sept. 20 in the lead-up to the sale, while there will be a final session at Warwick Farm on the Friday prior to the auction.