February 19 – Yarraman Park will return to the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale this year for the first time since 2004 when they sold Group Three winner Belmonte, venturing south from the Hunter Valley with a quality draft of six yearlings.
“The Melbourne Sale has proven itself now and has really gone ahead in recent years as Inglis have got right behind it and more and more vendors have added their support,” said Harry Mitchell.
Yarraman Park were the third leading vendor by aggregate at Magic Millions this year selling 23 yearlings for $3.3 million and will consign a further 18 to the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
“We have quite big numbers of yearlings to sell this year so our other reason to go to Melbourne is to spread that draft of horses and make the logistics of preparation more manageable for our staff,” Mitchell added.
First into the ring as Lot 70 is a colt that is easily recognizable as a son of proven Group One producing sire Secret Savings (USA) and is the first foal of slick juvenile stakes-winner Show Us Your Legs.
“He’s a very athletic colt and very much in the Mr Prospector mould of his sire, who was good enough to win a Doncaster,” said Mitchell.
Following soon after is Lot 83, a colt with a major pedigree update as he is a three-quarter brother-in-blood to Group Two AJC Villiers Stakes winner Something Anything being by the Yarraman Park based sire Magic Albert from Snippets’ Dancer.
“He is one of the nicest horses in the draft and his brother Albercheno has won again at Ellerslie since the catalogue went to print,” said Mitchell.
“Magic Albert is one of the most under-rated sires in the country when you consider the results he’s had from the quality of mares and he had another stakes-winner just last Saturday in Marchinski.”
The second day of the sale will start off for Yarraman with Lot 274, a half-brother by Commands to stakes-winning sprinter Cocinero and smart HK galloper Chater de Lago, who won at Happy Valley on Wednesday.
“He is an outstanding colt and we’re happy he is a colt as the mare seems to produce far better colts than fillies as her record shows,” said Mitchell.
Golden Slipper winner Stratum is the sire of Lot 286, an eye-catching grey filly with an impressive Golden Slipper heritage.
The second foal of metropolitan winning Snippets mare Chalkboard, a full sister to Group One winner Akhenaton from the family of Blue Diamond winner Paint, this filly has a tabulated pedigree featuring five Golden Slipper winners, her sire Stratum joined by Canny Lad, Luskin Star, Vain and Marscay.
“She’s a good style of filly and the mare’s first foal, a colt by Danzero, sold well for us last year when purchased by Patinack Farm for $125,000 at the Gold Coast,” said Mitchell.
Classy sprinter Foreplay raced in Victoria throughout his career finishing third in a vintage Group One VRC Newmarket Handicap to Alinghi and Fastnet Rock, so Lot 497, a colt from his first crop is sure to command interest.
He is the second foal of metropolitan winner Mal de Mer, whose dam is a half-sister to champion Brisbane galloper Chief de Beers, a dual Group One winner of 20 races and $1.5 million in prizemoney.
“He’s probably a bit light on pedigree for this sale, but type got him over the line as he is a strong well grown colt very much in the Danehill mould,” said Mitchell.
Rounding out the draft is Lot 577, a powerful bay filly by leading young sire Exceed and Excel from Patagonia, a half-sister to stakes-winners Loving Cup, Laudemio and Vintage Dance.
“She’s a flying machine, a very forward type of filly,” said Mitchell.
