I Am Invincible’s amazing run of success on the track in the sale ring is expected to continue this week with the second Inglis Classic Yearling Sale to be held at the Riverside Stables presenting a huge catalogue of future stars.
The hype around the magnificent complex at Warwick Farm is high and even yearling-sale regulars have found it quite difficult to come up with the likely sales-topper.
Some 1000 yearlings will go under the hammer and Bloodlines has questioned many of the buyers as to the likely star of the show.
State-of-the-art: Inglis's Riverside Stables at Warwick Farm will again be buzzing for the Classic Yearling Sale.
There are many Asia-based connections, particularly those from Hong Kong, in town looking to obtain some Australian-breds. Some of these missed out at the Magic Millions last month on the Gold Coast where competition made it difficult for the Hong Kong trainers to fill their orders.
That also applies to the Hong Kong Jockey Club, who are regular big spenders.
Inglis general manager Mark Webster said there were a high number of bookings from Asia, and other international buyers have also been making inspections at Riverside. He is confident the sale will follow on from last year’s inaugural success.
However, back to the sales-topper and one name kept coming up: the I Am Invincible colt from the Newgate Farm draft, Lot 762, who sells next Tuesday on the final day of the Book 1 catalogue.
The colt is from the Fastnet Rock mare Teardrop Rock, whose dam Satin ‘n’ Silk is a daughter of Zabeel. Teardrop Rock is a three-time Sydney winner, and supplies the colt speed and stamina in his pedigree.
Henry Field, Newgate Farm’s manager, didn’t pull any punches when Bloodlines asked him what he thought about the colt and quickly declared him as the pick of the farm’s massive complement of yearlings selling during Book 1.
‘‘We are very happy with the progress of this colt who has been part of a plan devised by Newgate to have him at his peak for the Classic Sale,’’ Field said.
‘‘We had three colts by I Am Invincible for sale in 2019 and the first was at the Magic Millions when we offered the colt from Champagne Cath. He had done everything asked of him leading into the sale and we were thrilled when he sold to the Chris Waller stable for $1.1 million.
‘‘The first stage of our planning has proven to be a winner and now we are looking forward to selling the Teardrop Rock colt next week and then we head to the Inglis Easter Sale with our third colt who is another exciting prospect.’’
We are very happy with the progress of this colt. [We will have] him at his peak for the Classic Sale.
Henry Field, Newgate Farm’s manager
That colt by I Am Invincible is from Your Life Style, an unraced mare by Hussonet from Monsoon Wedding whose pedigree page hails from one of the best families in the Australian Stud Book.
The mare is a three-quarter-sister to The Broken Shore who is the dam of the multiple group 1 winner Shoals, and last year’s top-priced lot which was by Redoute’s Choice and fetched $2.3 million from the Arrowfield draft.
I Am Invincible’s credentials at the two major sales so far in 2019 have been quite outstanding and he has been the leading sire at the Magic Millions and Karaka sales.
At the Magic Millions he had 56 yearlings sell for a phenomenal $24,645,000 aggregate which averages out at $440,089 per yearling.
Four were seven-figure buys with the top price lot $1.7 million for the colt from Oakleigh Girl who was sold to trainer Lloyd Kennewell.
At Karaka he had three yearlings sell for $NZ1,030,000 ($978,500) which made him leading stallion with three or more sold, heading the averages at $NZ343,333 ($326,166).
I Am Invincible had 20 of his offspring catalogued for the Classic Sale but this has been reduced to 14 with six withdrawals.
On the other hand his rival Snitzel has just four lots selling. The two super-sires’ championship bout will come up at the Inglis Easter Sales at Riverside on April9 and 10 where Snitzel has 37 yearlings consigned and I Am Invincible 31.
In the swing
James McDonald isn’t only a champion jockey. He’s a handy golfer and beat a red-hot team of racing and breeding personalities in an annual event staged by Guy Mulcaster of Winx fame at Queenstown in New Zealand this week.
Mulcaster, the man who selected Winx as a yearling, has put together a strong group of golfing enthusiasts for the past five years and it includes the likes of Bill and Arthur Mitchell, Luke Wilkinson, who is Mick Price’s racing manager, and many of New Zealand’s leading breeding identities.
McDonald played off a handicap of 15 and was too strong for his opposition in a field of ‘‘well handicapped’’ players and is just another jockey who has natural sporting ability apart from his riding talents.
Golden Slipper-winning jockey Mark de Montfort is one of the best jockey golfers Bloodlines has seen and stills plays off eight.
Many of McDonald’s opponents this week claim that his enforced holiday helped him become a respected player rather than your ordinary hacker.
Off the hook
New Zealand’s biggest pin-hooking team of Mark and Shelley Treweek have decided to take a year off from preparing thoroughbreds for the Ready To Run Sales, declaring it was becoming tougher and tougher to make the profit of yesteryear.
‘‘The opposition now has increased considerably and Shelley and myself decided it was time to have a break from the Ready To Run circuit,’’ Mark Treweek said.
‘‘We have had a great run buying unraced yearlings but believe the Asian market isn’t as strong as it was and have decided to have a break.’’
The Treweeks operate Lyndhurst Farm in New Zealand and have a great reputation of producing sellers at all the major sales throughout Australasia.