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Kitchwin Hills finish day one as leading vendor by average.
Kitchwin Hills's Mick Malone was breathing a sigh of relief on Tuesday as the I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) filly out of dual Group 1 winner Srikandi (Dubawi) sold to Andy Williams for $1 million at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
With the sale going online due to the coronavirus pandemic that has swept across the globe, Malone admitted he was 'nervous' heading into the sale and was pleased with the result.
"We are very happy with that - it is wonderful for all the staff who have had to prep them under very strange conditions and hopefully conditions we will never have to see again," he said.
"I was just so nervous and I think everyone selling today [Tuesday] was by no means sitting there feeling very confident, we were all very nervous. We put a strong reserve on her, no way near what she made, but a reserve what we felt was fair."
Andy Williams bought the filly on behalf of Kitchwin Hills for $600,000 at the Inglis Broodmare and Weanling Sale and said he was happy to see Dean Hawthorne as the underbidder.
"We pinhooked her as a weanling so it was important that she sold well, but fillies like that don't come around very often," said Malone. "Well done to Andy Williams who bought her and they tell me that Dean Hawthorne was an underbidder - two great judges. No matter what she is a filly that deserved that sort of money. She epitomises what Easter is about - beautifully bred and good looking."
As was the general feeling for both vendors and buyers on Tuesday, Malone was glowing in his praise for the auction houses ability to put the sale on under enormously hard circumstances.
"I just want to say well done to the Inglis team, they have done a great job," said Malone. "I am so glad we stuck at it and what a terrific result for the guys."
Kitchwin Hills sold Srikandi to Tom Magnier for $2,000,000 at the 2019 Inglis Chairman's Sale in foal to American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) and she has since foaled a filly by the Triple Crown winner and has most recently been covered by fellow Triple Crown winner and American Pharoah's barnmate Justify (Scat Daddy).
Srikandi herself is a half-sister to South African Grade 3 winner Rain Gal (Galileo), while further back this is family of Listed winner Portofino Bay (McGinty) and Group 3 winner Elle Lou (Snitzel).
The filly was catalogued as Lot 223. Kitchwin Hills finished day 1 as the leading vendor by average (with three or more lots sold) selling all three of their offerings for an aggregate of $1,750,000 at an average of $583,333.
