Biggest Number of Buyers Yet

THE Inglis Classic this weekend is shaping up to the best yet, with the highest number of buyers in town ever seen for the sale.

The sale is often referred to as the ‘horseman’s sale’, with boutique to medium sized breeders selling their best yearlings.

“I am Invincible” from Yarraman Park has 30 progeny for sale at the Inglis Classic this weekend.

Johnathan D’Arcy, director of bloodstock for Inglis said the sale was shaping up to be the biggest to date.

“It has been chaotic, it has been so busy, probably the biggest number of buyers we’ve seen for a Classic sale and we are still probably 30 hours away from kicking off,” said Mr D’Arcy.

“There has been really good interest, a lot of people from interstate and overseas, so I think the vendors are pleasantly surprised at the strength of the market,” he said.

Buyers are present from Europe, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and a group of almost 40 from New Zealand.

“A lot of those buyers are looking to pin-hook horses for the ready to race sale in New Zealand later in the year, to buy them as yearlings and sell them again as two year olds,” said Mr D’Arcy.

“We saw really good growth last year from an average of $35,000 in 2014 up to an average of $42,000 last year, I think we can see a rise again this year, we’ve got some good quality stock to sell I’d be hoping for another increase of ten percent,” he said.

“We’re very happy with the quality of horses the breeders have given us to sell and anything ten percent and above is going to be a tremendous result and a good return for breeders from the Hunter Valley that are supporting the sales,” Johnathan D’Arcy said.

Vendors from the Upper Hunter are well represented and stand to do well at the sale.

“It’s great to have all those boutique Hunter Valley farms supporting the sale and I think they are going to get a very good result,” he said.

“The smaller breeders who have sent their very best yearlings to the Classic sale are going to have an excellent result,” Johnathan D’Arcy said.

I Am Invincible, which stands at Yarraman Park, is one of the leading sires in the country has 30 progeny at the sale and is the most highly represented horse at the sale.

Other horses that are expected to perform well are Snitzel, Not a Single Doubt and Star Witness.