Tag: Sebastian Hutch

Winx’s First Foal To Be Offered At Inglis Easter

by Lewis Lesbirel/TTR AusNZ

Buyers will be afforded a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity to secure a daughter of Australia's most decorated racemare after it was announced on Sunday that the owners of Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) have opted to sell her first foal at the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

The daughter of Pierro (Lonhro {Aus}) will be offered by Coolmore, the farm on which Winx herself was raised, on behalf of her owners Peter and Patty Tighe, Woppitt Bloodstock, Elizabeth Treweeke and Rick Treweeke on Day 2 of the Inglis Easter sale, which is to be held at Inglis' Riverside Stables complex on Sunday, Apr. 7 and Monday, Apr. 8 in 2024.

In what Inglis CEO Sebastian Hutch believes is a huge coup not only for the auction house, but the bloodstock industry in general, Inglis will set about attracting a buying bench befitting of the queen of Australian racing, and Hutch can hardly contain his excitement at the prospect of selling such a rare collector's item.

“It's as excited as I've been in my time at Inglis and I can't imagine too many times in my bloodstock life that I'd be more excited,” he said. “It's a fantastic opportunity for our business, but generally speaking it's just going to be fantastic for the Australian thoroughbred.

“There is tremendous respect for the Australian thoroughbred internationally and you only have to look at the exploits of the horses that have travelled overseas in the past 20 years to see the significant impression they are capable of making, whether it's as racehorses, stallions or mares.

“This is a horse that we can promote to the world and have the world embrace a filly of this quality.”

Winx, who officially turned 12 by her birthdate on Thursday, hasn't had the easiest of starts to life as a broodmare, losing her first foal by Champion Sire I Am Invincible and missing to Arrowfield Stud stalwart Snitzel last year.

Difficult decision

Winx | Inglis

There are few people more closely associated with Winx than her co-owner Debbie Kepitis, who has enjoyed a huge amount of success as a breeder under both the Ingham Racing and Woppitt Bloodstock banners.

With Winx's first living foal being by Pierro, a Golden Slipper-winning son of the Ingham-bred and raced champion Lonhro, the filly represented a real family affair for Kepitis, who revealed to TTR AusNZ the thought process behind the ownership group's decision to sell the regally-bred yearling.

“It's never easy to come to a decision to sell any of your progeny when you breed them and this decision was not made lightly,” she said. “You ultimately breed what you like to race, so it's always an emotional and difficult decision.

“We had an amazing time with Winx and it would be so easy to have just kept this filly in the ownership group and race her on, but when we had such a beautiful specimen, it just seemed the right thing to let her go and let another group of people enjoy the fun we had.

“Winx has put her heart and soul into this wonderful foal and she deserves to have this amazing product shown to everybody.”

The decision to sell Winx's Pierro filly was in no way affected by Time Of My Life's impressive debut win at Geelong last week according to Kepitis, who reiterated that the prospect of selling the prized offering had been mooted amongst the ownership group for some time.

She is not yet sure what her overriding emotion will be when the time comes for Winx's Pierro filly to enter the sales ring, but Kepitis and her fellow owners are confident that the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale is the right place to showcase such a rare commodity.

“It hasn't been a quick decision and we've been discussing this as an ownership group for a long time, but we are 100 per cent all behind this decision,” she said.

“This is not a simple process. We had to look at every scenario to make sure we were totally comfortable with all the factors. We also had to look at where we should showcase her and that was a challenging decision that we had to go through as well.

“We have two amazing bloodstock companies in Australia. Winx was bought at Magic Millions, so people would say naturally she should go there, but as we all discussed, when you're showing a product of that amazing mare you want them at their absolute best.

“You also want them to be able to cope with it. This is going to be a big hoopla sale, so she has to have the maturity to cope with being on show. It's like when you take a really good racehorse to the races for the first time, the good trainers make sure that their product is going to showcase well, and that's what we as an ownership group believe we needed to do.

“We kept discussing it and this looked like the best way forward with this beautiful little filly. It'll be heart in the mouth stuff.”

One thing's for certain, the eyes of the bloodstock world will descend on Riverside Stables come April 8 as a new chapter in Winx's wonderful story is written.

The post Winx’s First Foal To Be Offered At Inglis Easter appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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American-Sourced Mares Churn Out Results at Easter

It was a stunning couple of days of trade at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, held this past Tuesday and Wednesday at the auction house's Riverside complex at Warwick Farm in Sydney. The event averaged A$371,236, a 5% increase on the last comparable sale in 2019 (last year's sale was held virtually) and was the highest since 2008. The median price of A$280,000 represented a healthy 7.9% bump over 2019 and seven out of eight horses to go under the hammer changed hands. Turnover for the sale was A$132 million, led by an A$2.5-million Snitzel (Aus) colt out of G1 Australian Oaks winner Rising Romance (NZ) (Ekraar) that was bought by Hawkes Racing, one of 22 seven-figure yearlings that were acquired by 17 different buying entities.

“We wanted to try and put together what was fair and effectively a lucrative market for vendors and buyers to operate in, and it's hard to escape the conclusion at the end of the Sale that that has happened. It feels very healthy,” Sebastian Hutch, Inglis's General Manager of Bloodstock Sales and Marketing told TDNAusNZ.

As is frequently the case at Easter, the progeny of bloodstock sourced in the U.S. proved popular and to follow is a brief recap of some of those sellers:

Lot 102, c, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Stormy Lucy, by Stormy Atlantic
Purchased by Tasman Bloodstock for A$475,000

This is the second produce for Stormy Lucy, who won her maiden for $30,000 in 2012 and scaled the heights to upset the 2015 GI Matriarch S. at 65-1. A half-sister to the dam of GSW turf sprinter Big Runnuer (Stormy Atlantic), Stormy Lucy fetched $575,000 from SF Bloodstock at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Horses of All Ages Sale and was sold with this colt in utero for A$775,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

Lot 213, c, I Am Invincible (Aus)–Beat the Benchmark, by Speightstown
Purchased by Rosemont Victorian Alliance /Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA)/David Redvers Bloodstock for $525,000

A $300,000 FTSAUG yearling, Beat the Benchmark made a winning debut and was third in the GI Natalma S. in 2016, and was purchased by Anthony Penfold for $400,000 at FTKNOV in 2017. This is the first foal for the half-sister to SW & GSP Abraham (Distorted Humor) from the family of GSW/GISP Miss Isella (Silver Charm).

Lot 283, c, Written Tycoon (Aus)–Dream Play, by Hennessy
Purchased by Tom Magnier/James Bester B'stock for A$1,100,000

Winner of the 2009 GII Comely S. for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, Dream Play–a half-sister to GISW Diplomat Lady (Forestry)–was sold to James Bester for $460,000 at FTKNOV later that fall. The mare's Southern Hemisphere produce include GSW & G1SP Zululand (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and GSP Chicago Bull (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}).

Lot 332, f, Exceed and Excel (Aus)–Heart Ashley, by Lion Heart
Purchased by Freedman Bros/China Horse Club for A$500,000

Heart Ashley, the 2009 GIII Cicada S. winner, was purchased by Bester for $500,000 at the 2010 Keeneland November sale and the half-sister to GISW Cupid (Tapit), GSW Ashley's Kitten (Tale of the Cat) and SW Indianapolis (Medaglia d'Oro) has been responsible for Fiano Romano (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), a multiple Group 3 winner in Japan, as well as Spendthrift Australia's Group 3-placed Ameristralia (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), both Easter grads.

Lot 334, f, I Am Invincible (Aus)–Helena's Secret, by Five Star Day
Purchased by IRON/George Moore Bloodstock for A$420,000

A maiden winner from five starts, Helena's Secret wa a $200,000 purchase at KEENOV in 2011. The half-sister to SW & GSP Tears I Cry (Chester House) from the family of Street Cry (Ire) and Shamardal, is the dam of GSW & G1SP Thronum (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) from five Australian foals to race. Click for more on IRON from TDNAusNZ.

Lot 351, c, Deep Field (Aus)–Invading Humor, by Invasor (Arg)
Purchased by A R Bell Racing for A$380,000

New York-bred and half-million dollar winner Invading Humor was a three-time restricted stakes winner before being scooped up by SF Bloodstock & Newgate Farm–home of the successful Deep Field–for $100,000 at FTKNOV in 2016. This is the second foal for the full-sister to MSP New York-bred Distorted Beauty.

Lot 405, c, Capitalist (Aus)–Ma Can Do It, by Majesticperfection
Purchased by George Moore Bloodstock for A$725,000

Third in the 2015 GI Darley Alcibiades S. and runner-up in the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. in 2016, Ma Can Do It was knocked down to SF/Newgate for $300,000 at FTKNOV that fall. This is also her second produce.

The post American-Sourced Mares Churn Out Results at Easter appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Australian Way of Life For Hutch

In 2008, Sebastian Hutch was presented with an opportunity to spend three months in Australia working at Coolmore's Southern Hemisphere base. The Irish native, who hails from Co. Cork, admits that Australia was not high on his list of must visit destinations, but some 13 years later Hutch has become ingrained into the fabric of the Australian industry and now holds the position of General Manager in Bloodstock Sales & Marketing at Inglis, whose forthcoming Easter Yearling Sale is a highlight on the bloodstock calendar.

Hutch's experience prior to his trip down under involved stints with John Oxx and Neil Drysdale before spending a summer under the tutelage of Richard Henry which ultimately forged the way for Hutch becoming an integral member of the Coolmore Australia team.

“It was a fantastic place to work,” said Hutch upon reflection of his 10 years spent with the operation. “I was there at a time when Encosta De Lago (Aus) was champion stallion and I was able to be part of Fastnet Rock (Aus) becoming a champion stallion too. There were a lot of good horses bred on the farm at that time as well. The likes of Winx (Aus), and Vancouver (Aus) are two good examples. It's hard not to learn in that kind of environment.”

In 2018, Hutch's time working for the company came to an end as he left to take up his current role with the powerhouse sales company Inglis.

“There was an opportunity to come to Inglis in a bloodstock orientated role,” said Hutch. “I hadn't really given any consideration to it in a proactive sense but when the opportunity arose, it seems to me I would have been very naive not to consider it.”

On the appeal of working for Inglis Hutch said, “It's a company with tremendous history, a fantastic reputation, not just domestically but internationally. A lot of what I discussed with people prior to coming to Inglis, in terms of any particular role, was very stimulating. I was going to be joining a team that was very knowledgeable, very competent and effectively they were more people that I could learn from. Also, there was going to be the opportunity for me to contribute in a constructive manner as well.”

Although it cannot have been an easy decision to leave Coolmore, Hutch has not looked back citing, “I was at a stage in my career where there was an opportunity for me to make a change and I haven't regretted it. I'm really enjoying my time here.”

Of course Hutch is not the first to leave the Emerald Isle for a 'short stint' in another country and then extend their trip to the point of never leaving.

When asked why Australia proves to be such a popular country for expatriates Hutch said, “I think there are probably a lot of factors involved in that. I think a massive thing is that the racing spectacle is year round here. If you're passionate about racing there's not really a month of the year where the racing isn't engaging. The participants in the sport are really, really accessible in this part of the world too. Whether it's the top trainers, the jockeys, owners, breeders, for a young person looking to immerse themselves in the industry, it would seem to be a really easy thing to do as those kind of people are really forthcoming with their time.”

Aside from those influences the Australian industry appears to go from strength to strength and in the 13 years that Hutch has been there he credits the “narrative of racing” and the increase in prizemoney each year as the driving forces to the successful model in place.

Of course with the increase in prize money and race initiatives such as The Everest combined with the successful ownership model of syndication the bloodstock industry continues to thrive. The forthcoming renewal of the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale boosts some 42 siblings to Group 1 winners and has progeny by prominent stallions from both hemispheres represented, including the last crop by the deceased Japanese stalwart Deep Impact (Jpn). Aside from that, the sale also offers yearlings that were bred by the late Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Stud who announced in February that they were disbanding their operation in that part of the world. Those yearlings will be offered by Yarraman Park Stud.

“It's just a fact traditionally that each and every year the best yearlings Australian breeders have to offer end up at Easter, certainly a greater percentage of them anyway,” said Hutch. “The catalogue looks really strong this year. I've been up and down to various farms over the last few weeks just trying to check in with certain drafts and the standard would appear to be tremendously high.

“Certainly the feedback from buyers who have been doing farm inspections in advance of the sale has been hugely positive. It's hard not to be excited about the sale. Obviously it comes with huge responsibility when you're selling people's best yearlings but it's very exciting and we're very much on track for a good sale.”

Although Australia has been hit with catastrophic weather in the last two weeks, leading to the postponement of the Golden Slipper, pre-sale inspections have continued to take place. Over the years those yearlings who have lit up the Inglis bid board have gone on to dominant at the top level on the racecourse with graduates including multiple Group 1 winners The Autumn Sun (Aus), Loving Gaby (Aus), Merchant Navy (Aus) and Russian Revolution (Aus) to name a few. For any bloodstock enthusiast, Inglis Easter provides a stimulating exhibition and Hutch has every reason to be looking forward to this year's sale.

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Q&A: Inglis’s Sebastian Hutch

Within the backdrop of a global pandemic, the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale Round 1 was staged as a virtual sale in early April. At the time, Inglis made a decision to also offer vendors the chance to sell their yearlings at a live sale in July. TDN’s Gary King caught up with Inglis’s Sebastian Hutch to find out more about Easter Round 2.

TDN: Easter Round 1, highlighted by a AU$1.8-million Snitzel (Aus) colt, was deemed a major success especially considering the circumstances. You must have been pleased with how it went?

Sebastian Hutch: I think it’s fair to say that the version of the sale which was held across the traditional date in April exceeded the expectations of the very vast majority of participants. It was uncharted territory for a major international yearling sale to be held in a virtual format, so there was an element of trepidation in advance of the sale as I’m sure people can appreciate.

However we had outstanding support from vendors, buyers and other industry stakeholders, while our own internal structures, particularly in the case of IT, performed very efficiently. Inevitably we learnt plenty as a collective from the experience and it has helped us find ways of further improving the services that we offer through our auction processes.

TDN: And now Easter Round 2 is set to take the form of a traditional live auction on Sunday, July 5th. What are your expectations?

SH: Easter Round 2 is a concept that was formulated during the period of great uncertainty in late-March, early-April. It was recognized, that despite best endeavors, some vendors just were not going to be in a position to achieve appropriate results through the virtual sale, primarily due to their respective locations. With that in mind, it was agreed to offer an alternative sale that would be scheduled for a time when we were hopeful that a live auction would be possible.

A few days out from the sale, having encountered a number of challenges, we have yearlings on the complex and inspections underway from Wednesday. To that end, it is a relief to have made it to where we are. Understandably given the circumstances, expectations are guarded. Interest in the sale from investors has been encouraging, but we have some restrictions in terms of those who can participate owing to racing authority and state government guidelines which is far from ideal.

However, the stock is of good quality and the consistent success of Easter graduates over the years sets a strong precedent for the likelihood of top-class racehorses emerging from this session of the sale.

TDN: What COVID-19 related precautions have you in place for people attending the sale?

SH: We have a COVID-19 Safety Plan in place which takes into account the prescribed guidelines from the relevant authorities and has been approved by them. We require all attendees at the complex, be they vendors, buyers or staff to register their attendance in advance of the sale through a portal available on our website. We will be implementing social distancing measures and promoting good hygiene as a matter of priority. We are conscious of creating an environment that is safe for our patrons, who we know are excited at the prospect of being able to attend and participate in a series of live sales again.

TDN: As expected for an Easter Sale, there looks to be a strong group of horses on paper. Could you highlight a few that would especially appeal to an international audience.

SH: We are very pleased with how the catalog has come together. It is made-up primarily of horses that were not offered at the sale in April, horses that are effectively new to our buying bench. A huge part of the appeal of the Australian market is that if buyers, domestically or internationally, want access to the progeny of I Am Invincible (Aus) or Snitzel (Aus), two of the best stallions in the world, they have to shop in Australasia.

We are fortunate to have quality offerings by each in the sale, in particular through the Yulong draft. The I Am Invincible/Gypsy Diamond colt, lot 85, is a star, as is the Snitzel/Gypsy Tucker filly, lot 86. The Yulong draft is the highlight of the sale. Yulong is a hugely progressive breeding operation that has made massive investment in quality stock in recent years and this is reflected in the strength of their draft.

In terms of other stallions, it is fantastic to have Frankel (GB) and American Pharoah well represented in the sale. Over 30% of Frankel’s Australasian-bred progeny are black-type horses while American Pharoah, as expected, looks to be making a big impression with his first 3-year-olds in the Northern Hemisphere.

The timing of the sale is also potentially advantageous to some of the younger stallions, a prime example being Vancouver (Aus) who has enjoyed a purple patch with his first 2-year-olds since May, with five individual winners and a stakes winner, pegging him as a really exciting prospect going forward.

From a pedigree point of view, among the most interesting are the Capitalist/Savannah’s Choice filly, lot 39, who is out of a half-sister to the dam of 3 champions in Japan including Saturnalia (Jpn), as well as the I Am Invincible/Miss Atom Bomb colt, lot 95, who is out of a half-sister to the great Winx (Aus).

TDN: What’s the best way for international participants unable to travel to get involved? Will there be an option for online bidding?

SH: As is the case for all of our auctions, we will have our online bidding service available. Interested parties just need to visit https://inglis.com.au/sales/onlinebidding/ and follow the simple process to register.

Additionally, we will have the sale streamed live through our website. The sale will be worked by many of Australia’s leading agents and trainers, while the Inglis Bloodstock Team is always available to assist. I encourage anyone who is considering getting involved in the sale to contact a member of our team and every effort will be made to facilitate any requirements.

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