Ghaiyyath Colt Tops Inglis Classic Yearling Sale

Tony and Calvin McEvoy lodged a ringing vote of confidence in Ghaiyyath (IRE) as the Darley shuttler took another great leap in his burgeoning career by emerging with the auction topper as the third-most successful Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in history wrapped up Feb. 10. Team McEvoy paired with regular partner Damon Gabbedy's Belmont Bloodstock to pay AU$625,000 (US$442,887, AU$1=US$0.71) for the imposing colt, offered as Lot 668 by New Zealand's Wentwood Grange stud, making him Classic's highest-priced lot since 2022 and its equal third-highest this decade. The well-related bay is the fifth foal out of Berg En Dal, a two-time winning half sister to Leigh Valley, a New Zealand group 3 victor but best known as the dam of Valley Girl, who won Te Rapa's Herbie Dyke Stakes (G1) in 2016 before running second in Rosehill's Vinery Stud Stakes (G1) the following month. Team McEvoy's purchase highlighted an auction which showed increases in all metrics on its 2025 edition, with Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch describing Inglis' first sale of the season as "very pleasing." Ghaiyyath has become a hot sire, bursting to prominence last spring in Melbourne with his first four stakes winners in the space of a few weeks. Capped by the VRC Derby (G1) triumph of Ciaron Maher and Godolphin's Observer (AUS), the quartet gave the four-time group 1-winning stallion an 11% stakes winners to runners ratio in Australia from just 36 starters. He also faces the near certainty of a return to Australia this spring after a year off the shuttle, and with a huge fee rise from his 2024 mark of AU$27,500. Tuesday's colt also obliterated the Ghaiyyath's previous top Australasian sale, the Curraghmore filly who sold for NZ$375,000 to China Horse Club at Karaka last month. And, still riding the wave from their 2025 Melbourne Cup (G1) success with Half Yours (AUS), the father and son McEvoys are confident their first foray into Ghaiyyath's stock will stand a strong chance of continuing their stable's success overall, and its strong record at Classic in particular. The stable's recent graduates from the sale have included group 1 winners Veight (AUS) and Coco Sun (AUS). "We love the stallion. He's doing very good things, isn't he? He's got everyone very excited," said Calvin McEvoy, moments after winning a tense bidding duel with bloodstock agent Dean Hawthorne. "We tried to buy a few in New Zealand, but unfortunately, we weren't strong enough. But this is a colt that we've been really trying to piece together since I saw him on Tuesday last week. "He's just a beautiful walker, a good, strong colt off a great farm, a farm with very good stats. So I knew we'd have to be strong. I didn't know I'd have to be that strong, but we're pleased to have him. "He's not fully subscribed yet, so there's certainly positions in him." McEvoy hopes the colt might be the first of a few Ghaiyyaths to enter their stable "with a bit of luck in the next few months," and will develop into a classics type. "He'll be at his best at 3 and 4, but he's so well put together—he was a strong colt with a lot of substance—it wouldn't surprise me if he gets there towards the end of his 2-year-old days," he said. Wentwood Grange's Dean Hawkins was almost lost for words with the sale. Only two weeks after the stud set a personal best with an Anamoe (AUS) colt sold to Bjorn Baker at Karaka for NZ$600,000, they've found a new high-water mark. "That was unbelievable," Hawkins said. "He has been a great mover the whole week, and the staff have done a terrific job. "He was on the market at AU$150,000; he was here to not go home. But he walked so well here. I'm stoked." The sale's Tuesday night aggregate of AU$57.57 million (US$40,795,241) ranks behind only the Classic's booming 2022 edition, which grossed AU$67.23 million, and eclipsed 2023's AU$57.48 million. It also bettered the gross at the same stage of the 2025 sale of AU$54.10 million, with 18 more lots sold (592 to 574). Year-on-year, the clearance rate of 84% outshone the 80% of 2025, the average was up to AU$97,253 (US$68,915) from AU$94,257, and the median was up from AU$70,000 to AU$75,000 (US$53,146).