The Inglis Australian Weanling Sale record set May 5 was broken only a day later when an immaculately bred colt by sire-of-the-moment Too Darn Hot fetched AU$775,000 (US$502,471, US$1=AU$0.65) on a spirited day of trading at Riverside.
Bred by Rob Cummins and presented by Widden Stud, Lot 367 was bought, after a tense bidding duel, by Stefan Pardi's Equine Growth Fund—which emerged as the sale's biggest buyer in its first year at the auction.
The colt's price eclipsed the sale's previous high of AU$650,000, set 24 hours earlier, for a filly by Stay Inside out of group 1 winner Sheidel.
Tuesday's record breaker is a brother to group 2 winner Too Darn Lizzie out of Enbihaar, the group 2-winning mare who finished second in the 2018 Blue Diamond Stakes (G1). The colt's second dam Charm's Honour was also a black-type winner.
The sale was timely given both Too Darn Lizzie and Enbihaar will be offered at Thursday night's Chairman's Sale.
It also helped Too Darn Hot—returning to Darley this spring at a fee of AU$275,000 after a year off shuttling duties—end as leading sire of the sale by aggregate and average (with three or more lots sold). The 9-year-old had seven foals sell for AU$1.8 million at an average of AU$260,714.
Stay Inside ranked second by aggregate, with 13 weanlings yielding AU$1,281,750, while Ole Kirk was second by averages with three lots sold at AU$190,000.
Having been tipped by Widden owner Antony Thompson as the weanling sale's likely top lot, the Too Darn Hot-Enbihaar colt fetched more than double the price of Tuesday's equal second-most-expensive offerings. Both of those were knocked down for AU$340,000 and marked a bumper sale for new concern Alma Vale Thoroughbreds, who emerged as top vendor through their first draft at this auction.
Nine weanlings fetched AU$200,000 or more Tuesday, up from seven on Day 1, as the sale closed with a robust set of numbers that delighted Inglis, especially given some softness in areas of the yearling market in the preceding months.
Late Tuesday night, the average stood at AU$53,980 (US$34,998)—slightly down on last year's record mark of AU$55,167 despite a far larger offering of weanlings, with 465 put through the ring compared with 373 last year, and 356 sold compared to 292.
The median was unchanged—for the fourth straight year at AU$30,000 (US$19,450), amid a record gross for the sale of AU$19,216,950 (US$12,459,308), up from AU$16,104,000. The clearance rate was 77%, but set to rise, compared with 78% in 2024.
"Each and every year we come away feeling like there was an opportunity to sell more nice foals here, or sell more foals well here, and it's been a source of frustration for a number of years," said Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch.
"So to be here today having turned over in excess of AU$19 million, and selling over 350 foals, is very satisfying.
"For the clearance rate to be where it's at and the median and average to have held solid with 12 months ago, given the larger catalog, is pleasing."
