Australian Broodmare Sale Sets Records for Gross, Average

The Australian William Inglis & Son broodmare sale ended on a high note Tuesday, with records for gross revenue and average price from the big catalogue. Seems there are a lot of buyers out there keen to breed now.
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All up 617 lots sold with 211 of them selling on this the third and final day. And the top lot went to a new group from England calling themselves Badgers Bloodstock.

Aussie heavyweight breeder John Messara brought the group together, and they bought some mighty fine mares, none better than Sylvaner the multiple group winning daughter of Danasinga and Isla Bijou. She set the Badgers boys back Aus$625,000 (U.S.$478,100), which was a smidgen more than she won on the race track. Sylvaner was in foal to New Zealand superstar Zabeel. Consigned by B. J. James, she is 8-years-old.

Badgers didn't stop there on day three. It was almost like they came to town and thought, 'Wow, last day, let's go shopping.' The fourth-highest price of the day, Aus$460,000 (U.S.$351,770) , was spent by them to purchase the wonderful racemare Ain't Seen Nothin. She won stakes races, was group I-placed, raced with distinction in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, earned Aus$614,100 (U.S.$467,000) while racing from her eight wins and seven placings, and ended her career a crowd favorite.

Barbara Joseph, the Canberra-based trainer who bought Ain't Seen Nothin very cheaply three years ago as a yearling, then sold parts of her to family friends and trained her to great heights. During that time Ain't Seen Nothin's family blossomed with both Polar Success (Golden Slipper, Aus-I) and Elvstroem (Caulfield Cup, Aus-I) springing from the pages.

"I am very happy with that price and relieved it's all over," said Joseph. "It will be sad to see her go as she has been so good to us, but it is time and we've made good money from her."
Ain't Seen Nothin was not in foal. She's by Danehill's Derby winning son, Nothin' Leica Dane.

Another star lot, was yet another empty mare. And this one fell to the bid of Torryburn Stud for Aus$600,000 (U.S.$459,000). Named Sharp Aunty, she has yet to win a race, but is only three and has been surprisingly a multiple stakes-placed filly. By yet another Danehill son in Flying Spur from the gorgeously-related mare True Blonde, she boasts great sprinting relations in her pedigree like Snippets, Regrowth and the recently retired first stakes-winning son of Redoute's Choice, Not a Single Doubt. She should make a great broodmare if sent to a speed stallion.

The U.S. was not without a victory at this sale either, when De Burgh-Farrington Bloodstock bought Tinaca on behalf of a U.S. client. If she heads to America, it will be a welcome home as she produced Quest Star (by Broad Brush) to win nearly a million U.S. dollars from his four grade II wins. She is in foal to Falbrav and hails from the same family as Giant's Causeway  . Her dam, Immense, is a half-sister to Mariah's Storm, Giant's Causeway's dam. Tinaca is by Manila and cost the lads Aus$150,000 (U.S.$119,000).

All up, the three day sale grossed Aus$49,344,550 (U.S.$37,760,500) with an average of Aus$80,000 (U.S$61,700) and a clearance rate of 87%.