Bissett and Woodford-Smith Bow Out With a Bang

Ashleigh Thoroughbreds' Senga Bissett and Ivan Woodford-Smith's reputation as breeders of high-class horses has been enhanced on the eve of their retirement from the industry, selling the brother to group 1-winning stallion Captivant May 1.

The highest-priced lot on Day 1 of the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale and equal highest in the company's history, the Capitalist colt fetched AU$625,000 (US$413,403, AU$1=US$0.6614) in the final 20 minutes of the opening session.

The three years younger brother to the young Kia Ora Stud stallion, who won the 2021 ATC Champagne Stakes (G1) and ran third to Anamoe in the preceding Sires' Produce Stakes (G1), was bought by the Newgate Farm, China Horse Club, Go Bloodstock, and Trilogy Racing partnership Monday.

The group also raced Captivant and currently has this season's twice group 1-placed juvenile colt Don Corleone, who was an AU$650,000 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale purchase in 2021.

Newgate Farm's Henry Field described the weanling as a "very special colt".

"It's not something we do that often, to buy a weanling colt for our racing syndicate, very rarely, but when a special one comes up you've got to look at them and take them seriously and he was very special," Field said.

"I think the last one we bought was two years ago and it was Don Coreleone, who placed in the (Blue) Diamond and the (Inglis) Sires'.

"They've got to be really out of the box to buy them as a weanling because you're taking that much more risk on board. But, with this particular colt, we obviously had a lot of luck with Captivant, who was a really good horse for our partnership. He won a Champagne and was enormous in the Caulfield Guineas."

The colt (Lot 271) will spend the pivotal next nine months of his development at Newgate Farm before beginning his education early next year.

"He'll grow out in a 60-acre paddock with 15 other colts and he'll be hard and tough, up and down the hills, and raise him like any other horse—raise him tough and raise him naturally, and hopefully we can turn him around into another Group 1-winning 2-year-old like his brother Captivant was for us," said Field who thought he was a sharper version of his brother, the second season stallion co-owned by the Newgate group and Kia Ora's Ananda Krishnan who secured him for stud duties last year.

"Strategically, I'd rather buy these star colts as yearlings because you get more visibility, but when one comes up out of the box you've got to give it a lot of thought. 

"The minute I saw him a few days ago, I thought he's a horse we'll definitely buy."

The sixth foal out of Speedboat, who has also produced Black Opal Stakes (G3) runner-up Warby, the colt was one of 25 six-figure weanlings to change hands yesterday in a session which saw 156 horses traded at an average of AU$50,827 ($33,619) and a median of AU$30,000 ($19,843), the latter two figures on par with Day 1 in 2022. The clearance rate was last night at 71%.

Bissett admitted it had been an emotional week as Ashleigh Thoroughbreds neared its end.

"But I've been so busy, it makes you not dwell on those things," Bissett said. "I've never been busier. I've been doing sales for a long, long time, and I've never been this busy, ever. Parades, it was about 130 per horse over the few days.''

On the sale of Captivant's brother, Bissett was blown away by the result, initially hoping he might make "AU$450,000, possibly AU$500,000". 

"That was a really great result, I couldn't be happier. I didn't expect that much, it's just so exciting," he said.

"The horse has just been an absolute superstar all week, he's a beautiful colt and I just hope he goes on and does a good job for Henry and the team.''

Field acknowledged Bissett and Woodford-Smith's contribution to the industry.

"Senga and Ivan are great people and great friends of ours. Senga has been such a huge contributor to the thoroughbred industry over many years, and we've had a lot of success buying good horses off them, including Captivant," the Newgate Farm managing director said. 

"I think it was very special for her to get such a good result with her last hurrah in the business."

The Ashleigh Thoroughbreds property near Scone was purchased by Riversdale's Nick and Jasmine Hodges late last year.

At the close of trade Monday, Inglis Bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch also took the opportunity to recognize the contribution of Bissett and Woodford-Smith.

"First and foremost, it was fantastic to achieve the result with the brother to Captivant, he was a pretty special horse," Hutch said. 

"Really, it was an honor to be asked to disperse that draft for Senga Bissett and Ivan Woodford-Smith, not because that horse was going to be part of the draft, but they've been fantastic breeders in the Hunter Valley for a long time. 

"It was definitely the highlight of the day."

On the overall day one results, Hutch said: "The reality is, the figures reflect a sale where there was good demand for quality stock with the physical and pedigree criteria that buyers, particularly pinhookers, desire.

"It was certainly more difficult outside of those horses, but by the same token, the clearance rate is fairly consistent with what was a fantastic sale last year.

"There's a lot to be positive about while recognizing the fact that the market has its challenges."

The second session will start at 10 a.m. (local time) Tuesday and the Chairman's Sale will take place Thursday evening.

Sale Results - Day 1

2023—2022—2021  

Cataloged: 280—280—252

Offered: 221—230—220  

Sold: 156 (71%)—170 (74%)—190 (86%)  

Aggregate: AU$7,929,000 (-8%) ($5,244,589)—AU$8,650,000 ($5,721,491)—AU$8,438,000 ($5,581,264)

Average: AU$50,827 (-0.1%) ($33,619)—AU$50,882 ($33,655)—AU$44,411 ($29,375)

Median: AU$30,000 ($19,843)—AU$30,000—AU$24,000 ($15,874)

Top Lot: AU$625,000 ($413,403)—AU$400,000 ($264,578)—$400,000