New Record Price in Easter II Caps Positive Week at Newmarket

A new mark of $320,000 was set during Session II as the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale concluded with all major indicators well up from last year’s figures.

The first Session was highlighted by a significant increase in average, as the clearance rate reached 81% late this afternoon.

The average of $239,484 represents a 9% increase on last year’s figure, while the $180,000 median was up 12.5% on 2010 figures. Overall, the total gross has now gone beyond $74million on the 310 horses sold.

In Session II, a new record price was set when Tony Bott went to $320,000 for Goodwood Farm’s Street Sense colt from Desert Ibis, eclipsing the previous mark of $275,000 set in 2008.

Session II closed with an average price of $78,203, up slightly from last year’s figures.

In all, the total aggregate for the three days has surpassed $80million.

International buyers once again were a driving force behind the sale with Ireland, United Kingdom, France, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Macau all appearing on the results sheet.

“One of the most pleasing aspects of the sale was the depth of the buying bench,” Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster said.

“We are not relying on one or two major buyers to boost the figures and it was pleasing to see so many different names among the top buyers this year. In particular, we have had very good overseas representation over the past three days.

“Similarly, the broad strength of the stallions also has to be viewed as a positive sign for the industry. While Redoute’s Choice and Encosta De Lago are still the benchmarks, others like Fastnet Rock and More Than Ready have also emerged, along with exciting new stallions like Street Sense and Bernardini, providing top end buyers with more options.

“It was also very satisfying to see a new mark set during Session II. This section of the sale continues to produce great racetrack results and vendors should be very confident knowing they can send a good quality horse to this section and be well rewarded for it.”

Today’s final part of Session I attracted great competition from buyers, with the average soaring to $261,222, headed by three yearlings fetching $800,000 or more.

Peter Moody gave $850,000 for the Redoute’s Choice-Park Esteem colt to top the day. The colt (pictured) is from the family of Dubai World Cup winner Moon Ballad and Melbourne Cup runner up Central Park.

It gave Redoute’s Choice four of the top five priced lots of the sale, of which two came from the Cressfield Stud draft.

James Harron secured four lots during the first session, with three of those being for Dr Edmund and Belinda Bateman. The highest priced of those was today’s More Than Ready-November Flight colt from Kitchwin Hills for $810,000.

“I looked at Elite Falls (More Than Ready’s G2 winning Golden Slipper placegetter) eight or nine times last year and didn’t buy her, so we were keen to make sure we got this fellow,” Harron said.

The James Bester/Demi O’Byrne combination continued their buying spree and an $800,000 purchase of the Encosta De Lago-Pinezero colt took the pair to the top of the buying list at the sale, with six secured for $3.51million. Bester also signed for another 11 yearlings in his own right for a further $3.22million during Session I.

Horses passed in during the sale can be purchased via the Inglis Make an Offer service.