Inglis Classic Yearling Sale graduate Bandersnatch (Casino Prince) has turned his $42,500 sale price from Amarina Farm into over $1.3 million and he continues to be their lead runner on the Black Type Premiership. The farm's long list of graduates, at value prices, make them a must inspect for the 2025 Classic Sale. Amarina Farm will present seven yearlings at Riverside next week, five colts and two fillies. Leading the draft is Lot 373, the half-brother to good 3YO Public Attention, by Tarzino. Public Attention won on debut at two, then ran second in the Gr3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude before a strong fifth in the Gr1 Caulfield Guineas. He's about to resume for the autumn with more Gr1 targets in mind. This colt's second dam is dual Gr1 winner Katie Lee, who was the Champion 3YO in NZ for her year. Of the five colts, two are by Japanese Gr1 winning miler Admire Mars, being Lot 154 from the family of Gr1 Golden Slipper winner Polar Success and Lot 445, out of a Redoute's Choice mare from the family of Gr1 Caulfield Cup winner Admire Rakti. Widden Stud stallion Anders has his first 2YOs showing promise and his colt, Lot 207 is out of a proven American mare who is a half-sister to Gr1 winner Crisp. Bivouac's first 2YOs have started strongly and his colt, Lot 765 is out of a winning mare whose four winners have won 13 races between them. This is the family of Gr1 winners Bounding and Anthony Van Dyck. The two fillies are led by Lot 185, by first season sire Jonker, and the first foal of good racemare Ellastra (Stratum) who won four races. Ellastra is a three-quarter-sister to Gr1 placed and Gr3 Kenilworth Cape Classic winner Table Bay (Redoute's Choice) and this is the family of dual Gr1 winning sprinter Cape Of Good Hope who stands at Bombora Downs in Victoria. The other filly, Lot 719, has plenty of residual value, being by Trapeze Artist out a full-sister to triple Gr1 winner and sire Turn Me Loose (Iffraaj).
Lot 185 is related to dual Gr1 winner Cape of Good Hope (pic: Mark Gatt)
Arrowfield Stud 2025 Inglis Classic Preview
Tuesday, 4th February 2025
Currently leading the Black Type Vendor Premiership for this season, thanks to graduates like Switzerland, Bittercreek, Snitzanova, and Blitzburg, Arrowfield is bringing a 40-strong draft to the 2025 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale with most of the lots by their own stallions. Admire Mars, who has a Listed winner in Japan from his first crop of 2YOs, is represented by 4 yearlings. Castelvecchio's stud record has bloomed now his first crop have turned three, and Arrowfield have five of his yearlings in their Classic draft including Lot 6, a colt out of Gr3 Widden Stakea-placed Adamina, and Lot 594, a half-sister to Listed placed Berardino. Highly proven sire Dundeel is represented by three yearlings in this draft, including Lot 537, a filly from one of Australia's most exciting families, and her dam is a half-sister to Miss Debutante, dam of Lady Of Camelot, Queen Of The Ball, and Platinum Jubilee. Lot 455 is out of a winning Redoute's Choice half-sister to Gr1 winner Autumn Angel and exciting sprinter Baraqiel. Maurice is back after missing a year due to COVID flight restrictions, and his current crop of yearlings includes five in this draft led by Lot 679, the first foal of Gr3 winner and Gr1 placed Spring Heat; Lot 639 is a filly out of a half-sister to Gr1 winner Aerolithe, and Lot 692 is a filly out of a half-sister to Beauty Generation. Snitzel has two colts in this draft, being Lot 569 out of Gr2 placed Re Edit, and Lot 696, out of a half-sister to Gr1 winner In Her Time from the family of Yes Yes Yes. Fourteen yearlings by The Autumn Sun are a highlight of this draft and all the fillies are bound to be well sought after given his sensational record with 3YO fillies, in particular. Lot 144 is a half-sister to Gr2 winner Dawn Dawn, and Lot 766 is a filly from Listed winner Vona.
Arrowfield's draft includes 14 yearlings by The Autumn Sun (pic: Joan Farras)
Bell River Thoroughbreds 2025 Inglis Classic Preview
Tuesday, 4th February 2025
The breeders of Extreme Choice and Ace High, both well provebn stallions, Bell River Thoroughbreds continues to breed quality stakes winners from their new farm, led by Chrysaor and exciting homebred 2YO filly Bel Merci. In 2025, they will present seven yearlings at the Inglis Classic sale with six by young stallions. Zoustar colt, Lot 634, is the only one in the draft by a proven sire, and he's an exciting prospect being out of a half-sister to Gr1 Blue Diamond winner and super stallion Extreme Choice. A filly with plenty of residual value is Lot 452, a Farnan half-sister to Listed winner Tashbeeh, from the family of Media, Global Quest and Timbourina. Anders colt, Lot 480, is out of Gr3-placed Northern Glory who is a half-sister to the dam of exciting kiwi 3YO filly Alabama Lass (see below), who ran third in the Gr1 Railway against the older sprinters last week. Proven Lonhro mare Ephoral is the dam of Extreme Warrior filly Lot 193, and this is the family of Haut Brion Her, Karacatis, and Shamillion. Farnan colt, Lot 652, is the first foal of a winning full sister to Listed winner Scorched Earth from the family of Furnaces. Meanwhile, Extreme Choice's Gr1 Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside is represented by a first crop filly, Lot 319 from the family of Generation, Fontiton, and Sartorial Splendour. Another son of Extreme Choice is Tiger Of Malay and his filly Lot 280 is from the family of Wisdom Of Water.
Berkeley Park Stud 2025 Inglis Classic Preview
Tuesday, 4th February 2025
Neale Bruce's boutique farm Berkeley Park Stud will present a draft of five yearling fillies at the 2025 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, with the property having built a good reputation over the years as a strong winner producing farm. This year has been a strong one for the fillies' market, and several of this draft have plenty of residual value. The first foal of dual Listed winner In Good Time, by Capitalist, Lot 318 is a filly who will draw plenty of attention. The second foal of Gr3 winner Quilate is a highlight for those seeking nicely bred fillies, and Lot 560 is by first season sire Jonker. For fans of linebreeding, Jonker and Quilate share the female ancestor, Wycombe, a half-sister to Danewin from the Eight Carat family. A pair of fillies by boom sire Exceedance include Lot 82, out of a winning half-sister to four-time Gr1 winner Blue Prize (see below) and dual Gr1 winner Blue Stripe. Lot 471 is out of good racemare Natural Dancer who won eight races, and this is the family of Astrodame, Mahisara, and Outovstock. Proven sire Zousain's filly, Lot 49 will be fun to name, being out of winning mare Bare Naked Lady from the family of Manner Hill, Dandify and Mannerism.
Bhima Thoroughbreds 2025 Inglis Classic Preview
Tuesday, 4th February 2025
Mike and Kate Fleming's Bhima Thoroughbred's reputation for selling Gr1 winners is well known thanks to Imperatriz, Manzoice, and Militarize, while The Invitation winner Belclare was prepared by them for the mares sale last season. Their Classic graduates include Listed winner West Of Dalby and Group 2 winner Amor Victorious. In 2025, Bhima will present ten yearlings by a range of proven and emerging sires, led by Proisir colt, Lot 109 out of Gr1 Auckland Cup winner Chenille (Pentire), who is a half-sister to Gr2 winner Chintz, dam of Not An Option. Fellow Proisir colt, Lot 582, is from the European family of Polish Princess. Lot 500 is a Russian Revolution filly from Gr2 placed Our Libretto (O'Reilly) from the family of Gr3 Hobart Cup winner Epingle. Brave Smash filly, Lot 128, is a full-sister to Hong Kong winner Super Legends out of a winning Pentire mare from the family of Gr1 NZ Oaks winner Vapour Trail. Out of a half-sister to Gr1 winner and Champion Sprinter in Hong Kong, Ivictory, is Lot 409, a Prague filly, whose family also includes dual Gr1 winner Yippyio and sire Iglesia. A Dundeel colt, Lot 447, is the first foal of winning mare Moppits, a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Nettoyer. This is also the family of recent Gr2 The Ingham winner Robusto. King's Legacy has started well with two city winning juveniles in his early 2YO runners, and his colt, Lot 131, is from a winning Savabeel mare from the sought-after family of sire High Chaparral. This year's Bhima Classic draft also includes yearlings by All Too Hard, Cosmic Force, and Ribchester.
Bhima has two of just four Proisir colts in the sale (pic: Rich Hill Stud)
Blue Gum Farm 2025 Inglis Classic Preview
Tuesday, 4th February 2025
Under new ownership, the expansion of highly respected Victorian property Blue Gum Farm includes their first Inglis Classic draft in 2025. Blue Gum Farm currently sit high on the Black Type Premiership this season thanks to Bold Bastille, Oxford Blue, Semillion and Mollyknickers. Those examples are augmented by last Saturday's thrilling undefeated 2YO Group 3 winner Return To Conquer at Ellerslie in Auckland. The collection of nine yearlings specifically targeted at this sale showcase the investment into Blue Gum's broodmare band. Stay Inside colt, Lot 263 is the first foal of good racemare Great News who won five and placed in the Gr3 Toy Show Handicap and Gr3 Tibbie Stakes. Lot 103, a Cosmic Force colt, is out of Gr3 winner Cavalry Rose from the family of recent stakes winner Miraval Rose. Too Darn Hot is on fire at the moment, and his colt, Lot 175, is from the family of Gr1 winners Hauraki, Kidnapped, and Vow And Declare. Wild Ruler colt, Lot 31, is the first foal of eight-time winner and stakes placed Iconic Star from the strong European family of Gr1 July Cup winner Mozart. A Toronado filly, Lot 316, is the second foal of stakes placed Impertinente, a half-sister to Absurde. Lot 11, by Brutal is a filly from an imported half-sister to Gr1 winner Duncan, and Gr2 winners Samuel and Gretchen. The Blue Gum-consigned Star Turn filly, Lot 435, is the first foal of winning mare Miss Sarasota, from the family of Fastnet Rock. Ghaiyyath filly, Lot 600 is the first foal of five-time winner Sadente (Fiorente) who is a half-sister to group placed winners Wheal Leisure and Temple Of Bel. Nicconi filly, Lot 432, is the second foal of tough racemare Miss Norway from the redoubtable family of Black Caviar, All Too Hard and Ole Kirk.
Undefeated Return to Conquer was consigned by Blue Gum Farm (pic: Kenton Wright Race Images)
Bowness Stud 2025 Inglis Classic Preview
Tuesday, 4th February 2025
An initial draft of ten Inglis Classic yearlings is now down to nine with the withdrawal of the lone colt in the draft, but rest assured, James and Joss Daly's Bowness Stud draft still has plenty of appeal. Commencing the consignment is Lot 54, a daughter of Darley's Harry Angel, the sire of 25 international stakes performers highlighted by the G1 winner Tom Kitten while the recent $3m Sunlight Plate winner Private Harry looks a genuine star on the rise. From a well-known Woodlands, now Darley, family of Detours, Aichi, Kinshachi and more, this filly is the first foal of the Brazen Beau mare Beautox. As the sire of two Group 1 winners to date, both fillies, Bowness Stud would be pleased with offering two fillies by Yarraman Park's Hellbent. First out of the blocks is Lot 526, a grand-daughter of Gr3 winner Raise from the family of Group 1 winner Rena's Lady, while the final yearling of the draft is Lot 784, a Hellbent filly out of a half-sister to the Gr2-winning, Gr1-placed Classic Uniform, also from a successful Woodlands family highlighted by multiple elite winner Sports. With Coolmore's So You Think a consistent top ten sire, having produced more than 100 international stakes performers, highlighted by 11 individual Gr1 winners, Lot 749 is out of the placed Sepoy mare Vaishali, herself a half-sister to the Australian-bred, but South African raced Gr1 Durban July winner The Conglomerate. Another of the Coolmore stallions represented in the draft is Lot 612, a filly from the first crop of Acrobat, the fourth foal of the So You Think mare Schifty Thinker, whose two winners are highlighted by the Listed placed Sneaky Sunrise. As the sire of 14 individual winners highlighted by four individual black type performers, Bowness will once again be looking forward to offering two lots by their very own stallion D'Argento. Lot 381 is the fourth foal of the Casino Prince mare Lionel Left Me, a half-sister to the G3 winner Amovatio. Lionel Left Me is the dam of three to the races for two winners including the stakes-placed Pacific Venture, from the extended family of Champion Emancipation. A grey, just like his father, Lot 385 is the first living foal of the three-time-winning Reliable Man mare Livvy Lass, herself a sister to Gr2 winner Reliable Team.
Gr1 Durban July winner The Conglomerate is a half to the dam of Lot 749
Catalogue Online for Leading Aus Incentive Sale
Tuesday, 4th February 2025
The 2025 catalogue for the sale that provides more incentives to buyers than any other, the Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, is now online. Comprising a quality packed 380 lots, the 2025 catalogue is revealed hot on the heels of the sizzling Queensland Summer Carnival where past sale graduates starred. Tony Gollan's Hidden Wealth, Lee Freedman's Encoder and Liam Birchley's Amosu were all feature race winners across the $14.5 million The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions meeting this January. That trio were purchased for $110,000, $40,000 and $60,000 respectively and they scooped $2.5 million worth of races on one of the world's richest cards. Graduates of the Gold Coast March Yearling Sale have a proud history of producing on the track and that looks set to continue with another quality line up for the 2025 auction. Yearlings by 73 individual sires will be represented in the two day auction on March 10 and 11 including 55 youngsters by the state's resident star sires Better Than Ready and Spirit of Boom. Barbaric and Jonker, with 27 lots each, lead the charge of 14 stallions with members of their first Australian crop. Every lot in the sale is eligible for the $20 million plus Magic Millions Race Series. Additionally, the entire catalogue is either QTIS Fully Paid or QTIS 1st Payment and eligible to run for over $13 million in QTIS bonuses as well as exclusive races such as the $1.5 million Racing Queensland Magic Millions QTIS Open and $500,000 QTIS Jewels for two and three-year-olds. Buyers at the Gold Coast in March will benefit from a reduced Magic Millions Race Series Nomination fee of $4,752 - 28 per cent less than other sales. "The Gold Coast March Yearling Sale provides buyers with incredible incentives alongside quality yearlings," Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. "Season after season graduates of the sale star for their connections around the state, country and abroad - from the likes of Buffering, Apache Chase and Spirit of Boom to recent million dollar race winners Encoder and Hidden Wealth and Magic Millions Debut winner Amosu." To view the catalogue for the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale click here or download via the Equineline Catalog App on your iPad.
Snitzel Blitzes 2YO Trans-Tasman Features
Tuesday, 4th February 2025
Three weeks after posting the highest yearling sale average of his extraordinary career, many-times Champion Sire Snitzel has boosted his status as Australia’s dominant active sire of stakes-winning juveniles with a trans-Tasman Group 3 double. It is Snitzel’s 38th same-day stakes double and takes his tally of 2YO stakeswinners to 59 on his overall lifetime record of 154 black type winners. Te Akau Racing’s 2YO colt Return To Conquer, already a Listed winner, stepped out at Ellerslie in the NZ$120,000 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic 1200m G3. Ending up three wide without cover made his task more difficult than expected, but he proved well up to the challenge, quickening smartly when asked to score by a half-length from Tajana with Vittoria third. Bred by Mike Howard with former Blue Gum Farm owners Philip & Patti Campbell, Return To Conquer is the second and sadly, final foal of Vaujany, an unraced daughter of Lonhro and dual Group winner Portillo, and full sister of Ghisoni (Surround S. G2), from the family of Group 1 winner Snowland. The Snitzel/Lonhro cross has produced 4 stakeswinners and three other stakes performers, including Group 1-placed Love Poem, from only 23 named foals. A $1.3 million purchase from Blue Gum Farm at Magic Millions 2024, Return To Conquer is one of 8 Snitzel yearlings that Te Akau syndicator David Ellis signed for in 2024. Three have raced, with He Who Dares (ex Rondinella) & To Bravery Born (ex Milunka) also winning on debut in New Zealand to join Snitzel’s 2022 crop record of 10 winners from 16 runners so far this season. Return To Conquer is the second million-dollar Snitzel colt to star this season, after brilliant Coolmore Stud S. G1 winner and Arrowfield Inglis Easter graduate Switzerland.
Rosehill Treble for Snitzel Icing on The Cake
Tuesday, 4th February 2025
A couple of hours after Return To Conquer’s Group 3 success at Ellerslie, 2YO colt Blitzburg, a winner and city-placed from his first three starts, led all the way at Rosehill to win the $250,000 ATC Arrowfield Canonbury S. 1100m G3 by 1.2 lengths from Hillier and Pariah’s son Peleus. Promising 3YO filly Art’s Alive & talented 4YO Yorkshire subsequently completed a Rosehill treble for Snitzel, while his 2YO daughter Snitzel Miss was a super-impressive debut 3rd in the Widden S. G3 - won by The Playwright, from a Snitzel mare.Arrowfield’s 10th yearling sale graduate stakes-winner this season, Blitzburg (ex Sierra by Japan’s 2011 Horse of the Year Orfevre from US Grade 1 winner Golden Doc A) was purchased for $500,000 from Magic Millions by TFI and the colt’s trainers Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou, with Kia Ora Stud (also a co-owner of Return To Conquer) & Arrowfield joining his racing ownership. Blitzburg (pictured) & Return To Conquer were among 13 Snitzel yearlings sold for $500,000 or more at Magic Millions 2024. Ryan, who trained Snitzel to Group 1 success, has now prepared 15 winners by the Champion Sire of 39 Group & Listed Races, with the latest 4 stakes victories achieved in partnership with Alexiou. Sierra has a yearling colt by Snitzel, a 2024 colt by The Autumn Sun and is in foal to Maurice. Snitzel has 4 lots (inc. two colts in Arrowfield’s draft) on offer at the Inglis Classic Sale, 8 lots for the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale and 45 lots for Inglis Easter, including 7 colts & 3 fillies offered by Arrowfield, among them Lot 161, Blitzburg’s full-brother.
Arrowfield has a full-brother to Blitzburg (pictured) at Easter (pic: Georgie Lomax)
Baker's Unbeaten Filly Takes Out Trial
Tuesday, 4th February 2025
With a host of potential Autumn stars sent to the Rosehill Gardens barrier trials on Monday, the third heat of the day held plenty of intrigue. Settling in the one-two position throughout the 900m heat, the Bjorn Baker-trained Dance To The Boom (Exceedance-Bim Bam Boom, by I Am Invincible) always had the better of the G Waterhouse & A Bott-trained Gr1 Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon-Miss Debutante, by Fastnet Rock). The winner of three from three, the Cambridge Stud raced Dance To The Boom was last seen winning the Listed Gosford Guineas (1200m) before accepting for the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas but after drawing extremely wide, she was withdrawn. Making her seasonal return in the $3m Sunlight, Lady Of Camelot started the favourite but was unable to match the finishing burst of the eventual winner Private Harry (Harry Angel) who maintained his unbeaten record, going four from four. Tracking the leading duo throughout, the A Neasham & R Archibald-trained Sunshine In Paris (Invader-Zenaida, by Zabeel) was given an easy time under James McDonald to finish third. Not seen since winning the Gr1 Champions Sprint down the Flemington straight, it was the second elite level victory for the 5YO Aquis Farm-bred mare who looks to have another good campaign ahead of her. Having his first trial since an aborted stud career, and a gelding operation, the C J Walle- trained multiple Gr1 winner Militarize (Dundeel-Amerindia, by Dubawi) was given an easy time to finish in sixth, a half-length behind stablemate Olentia (Zoustar-Mabkhara, by Anabaa). Last seen running third in the Gr1 Doncaster before retiring to Newgate Farm, it was announced in October last year that after only getting a few mares in foal, that he would be gelded and returned back to the Waller stable who trained him to three Group 1 race victories as an entire.
Benedetta Takes Home SA Breeders HOTY
Tuesday, 4th February 2025
Held on Saturday night at the Wolf Blass Function room at Morphettville racecourse, the South Australian Thoroughbred Breeders awards highlighed excellence in the local industry for the season 2023/24. With twelve finalists for the Horse of the Year award, seven of which were either raised at the famed Mill Park Stud or were sold as yearlings by the Watson family, it was no surprise to see the Horse of the Year award go to Gr1 Goodwood winner Benedetta, with the daughter of Yarraman Park Stud’s Hellbent bred by Brenton and Liz Parker before being sold at the Inglis Premier yearling sale through Mill Park’s draft. Trained by Jason Warren and raced by Eales Syndication, the highly talented mare not only claimed her maiden elite level success during the last season, but also captured the Gr3 Cockram Stakes and Gr3 R N Irwin Stakes. In what was a coup for the breeding connections of Benedetta, her Domesday sired dam Whatalovelyday was presented with the Claude Haigh Memorial Broodmare award. A leading top ten vendor on the Black Type Australian Vendor Premiership table, Mill Park rates as one of the leading breeders and vendors in the country year on year, and with the support of Harry Perks whose mares board at the farm with their progeny consigned through Mill Park’s drafts at yearling sales, the farm clearly shows that to breed a top class racehorse you don’t need to go to the top shelf stallions. Perks was also justifiably recognised at the awards, taking home the trophies for Leading South Australian breeder by individual winners and also by stakes performers, as well as being recognised as the Racing Rewards Breeder of the season.
Brenton Parker accepting his SA Breeders HOTY award (pic: Terry Hann-Atkins Photography)
