Hunter Valley-based Kingstar Farm topped the Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale at Riverside Stables April 19 with colts by Artorius (Flying Artie) selling for AU$160,000 (US$114,800, AU$1=US$0.72) and Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) for AU$115,000.
Lot 71, the Artorius colt out of Azarose, was purchased by Stefan Pardi and will be educated by Matt Vella, while Lot 130, the Home Affairs colt from Gwader Bay, was knocked down to Victorian-based trainer and educator Tyler Aitken Bloodstock.
"We sold all eight lots, and it's handy for those yearlings that aren't quite ready for the earlier sales and those that will be traded at the Ready2Race Sales," Kingstar owner Matthew Sandblom said. "The Artorius will go to Matt Vella, and we bought Gwader Bay with a PPT to Home Affairs at the Magic Millions National Sale."
Gwader Bay was purchased from Coolmore Stud for AU$110,000, and she is an unraced daughter of the Bart Cummings-trained Faint Perfume, who was champion Australian 3-year-old filly in 2009-10. Her second dam, Danendri, was the champion Australian 3-year-old filly in 1996-97.
Kingstar Farm, no strangers to success at this sale, having topped the vendor standings on multiple occasions, were again prominent in this year's renewal of the sale, finishing among the leading vendors with turnover of AU$447,500 and an average of AU$55,930 on Sunday. Pardi confirmed the Artorius colt will be re-offered at the Ready2Race Sale at Riverside Oct. 15.
"The hype around the Inglis Ready2Race Sale is already gaining huge momentum, and I want to be involved as a vendor," Pardi said.
"There was a huge Asian and local presence last year at the sale, and I think with Ka Ying Rising running in The Everest again this year, just two days after the sale, there's just going to be so many buyers at the sale, and I think this colt will fit right in.
"He was the best colt on the grounds this week for me, he had real presence about him, yet there's still so much room for improvement, and I think over the next six months leading into the Inglis Ready2Race Sale, he will come on even more.''
The HTBA Sale recorded figures of AU$3.53 million (US$2,532,775) in turnover, down on last year, although with fewer horses offered. The average was AU$23,270 (US$16,696) and the median was AU$18,000 (US$12,915), both seeing year-on-year increases.
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch noted that the sale brought to a close what has been a hugely successful yearling sales series for Inglis.
"Turnover across our yearling sales this year is up over AU$8 million on 2025, which is very pleasing, particularly considering what has been going on in the world over the past couple of months.
"Our team has worked exceptionally hard to market all of our sales effectively and canvass buyers at all levels, ultimately with the objective of delivering a market-leading service and achieving market-leading results.
"To have sold over 1,670 yearlings at a clearance rate of 83% across the series has the team understandably very proud. And we are hugely grateful for the support of breeders and vendors of our sales, and similarly appreciative of the support of each of our sales by a huge range of buyers.
"To have buyers from Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, and then WA, SA, ACT, NSW, Queensland, and Victoria all participate in the HTBA Sale was a reflection of the good work done by our team.
"The selectivity of the market has been a challenge throughout the sales year and is particularly pronounced at a sale like this, but we will continue to work constructively with vendors to identify ways in which we can develop our markets to facilitate improved returns.
"Finally, I must thank the committee of the HTBA and the members generally for the support of this sale and note that there is a shared belief that we can continue to progress this sale further in years to come."
