The Gold Riband, which saw 57 horses offered in a frenzied two-hours of
selling, was a concept created in an attempt to find the yearlings the Inglis
bloodstock team believed would be competitive in the elite 2YO races.In what can only be described as a staggering success, the Gold Riband averaged $130,200, with a clearance rate of 88%.
Its aggregate was $6,510,000.
In a record-breaking night:
*The top Lot was a colt knocked down to Carmel Size (on behalf of Mr Bon Ho) for $400,000, Lot 73 (Not A Single Doubt x Pinocchio). It was the second-highest price ever at a Classic Yearling Sale
*10 lots sold for $200,000 or more on opening night, eclipsing the nine sold in last year's entire record-breaking Classic Sale.
*Five lots sold for $300,000 or more in the Gold Riband Session, a great endorsement for the Inglis innovation that has captured the imagination of buyers wanting to exceed in the elite 2YO races.
*The overall sale average was $90,845, well ahead of last year's $57,053.
Of the vendors who sold three or more horses tonight, Yarraman Park enjoyed the greatest aggregate of $982,500 from seven sales, while Tyreel Stud had the leading average of $323,333 from three offerings.
Tyreel also enjoyed the thrill of being the vendor of the two highest-priced Lots of the evening.
Darby Racing was the leading buyer with six purchases. In total, there were 88 different individual buyers for the 119 Lots sold.
Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster was staggered with the results.
"We were hoping to work up to an average of $100,000 for the Gold Riband in the first two years. To get an average of $130,000 in the first year is beyond our wildest expectations,'' Webster said.
"It was a new idea, we were trying something fresh and those things don't always work, but thanks to the support of our vendors and a strong buying bench here tonight, we're delighted with the results all round.
"I must give a special mention to Linda Monds at Tyreel. To get the two highest prices of the night is a fantastic achievement and I'd like to congratulate her and her husband Lawrence and thank them for their confidence in their support of the Gold Riband concept.''
Carmel Size took the honours of buying the top lot, a Not A Single Doubt colt from Tyreel that will be trained by Les Bridge.
"He's a really athletic colt, very neat, I liked the way he got around, he's a really great mover,'' Size said.
"He's still got a lot of improvement in him physically so he won't be rushed.''
Boomer Bloodstock and Murray Thoroughbreds teamed up for the second-highest Lot of the evening in Lot 106, an I Am Invincible filly out of Family Crest.
"I Am Invincible, I'll be honest, he's a sire I want to get my hands on as many of his progeny as I can. He's flying,'' Craig Rounsefell of Boomer Bloodstock said.
"I rated this filly the filly of the sale and on par with any filly I've seen this year.''
To view all the statistics from tonight's opening session of the Classic Sale, CLICK HERE.
The remaining two days of the 2017 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale will again be broadcast live on Inglis Sale Day Liveplus Online Bidding and Make An Offer will again be available.
Bidding on Sunday and Monday begins at 9am, one hour earlier than the original advertised time.
To view the catalogue, CLICK HERE
