Pinhookers were out in force as day one of the Sydney Inglis Weanling sale unfolded on Sunday in Australia.
The top price was paid by Coolmore representative Colm Santry who went to Aus$320,000 (U.S.$266,700) on behalf of a client for a filly by Encosta de Lago from the stakes placed Langfuhr mare Shalang.
"I thought she was better than her full sister who sold at this very sale for $300,000 last year," declared Santry who purchased here for longtime and successful client Michael Crishmail.
Said Crishmail, "we watched the weanling sister sell last year and just last week at the Easter Yearling Sale she fetched over half a million dollars, so we are hoping something similar happens with this filly too."
The $320,000 was the highest price paid on the day where anything without a solid Magic Millions or Easter pedigree was punished.
Next best was a Redoute's Choicefilly which was passed in for AUS$245,000 but sold privately for that amount. She was presented by Riverslea Farm in New South Wales and was from the Rory's Jester winning mare Fatina whose two babies to date had both won. This was the only Redoute's Choice in the sale.
Connections would have been bouyed going into the sale by the news which was released just one hour prior to the start of the sale that Redoute's Choice is now the most expensive stallion in Australasian history. His part-owner and studmaster John Messara of Arrowfield Stud announced that Redoute's Choice will stand for Aus$300,000 ($250,000) this year while his barn mate Flying Spur who got the group Is are expected to attract close to 200 mares each.
New boy on the block Elvstroem (Danehill-Circles Of Gold), who won five group l races and is a half-brother to Australia's champion 3-year-old colt Haradasun, himself the winner of two group I’s, had his first weanlings sell and they created a huge impression. Two of them topped Aus$200,000 off a $33,000 initial service fee. They were both colts and were purchased to be resold as yearlings in January next year.
Among other new sires with offspring to sell at the auction were group I winner Charge Forward ( by Red Ransom), who was very popular, as was Lonhro's group 1 winning younger full-brother Niello, who had two of his sons fetch Aus$110,000 off a Aus$16,500 service fee.
Overall the gross was Aus$3,898,350 ($3,248,670) with an average of a healthy Aus$23,204. "It was a great sale, and a great result," said managing director Jamie Inglis. "The new stallions were strong, especially Elvstroem and we are all very impressed, particularly as the clearance rate was a good 85%."
Day two of the weanling portion of the sale continues Monday followed by four days of broodmare selling.
