3 minute read
Three Bridges celebrate great result at Inglis Great Southern Sale.
A weanling colt by Darley stalwart Exceed And Excel (Danehill) took centre stage of the Inglis Great Southern Sale on Wednesday - which was moved online due to the coronavirus pandemic - with the Three Bridges Thoroughbreds-consigned colt selling to Wagga Wagga-based breeder Brett Bradley for $170,000 - a record price for an online weanling auction.
Catalogued as Lot 703, htm the colt is the third foal out of winning More Than Ready (Southern Halo) mare Vicennalia, whose first foal by Not A Single Doubt (Redoute's Choice) was purchased by Fernrigg Farm for $225,000 at the 2019 Inglis Great Southern Weanling and Bloodstock Sale.
The USA-bred Vicennalia ended up in Australia having been purchased by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock and Yulong Investments for 80,000gns at the 2016 Tattersalls July Sale and she was then subsequently re-offered the following year at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale with Paul Willets paying $400,000 for the mare who was sold in foal to Frankel (Galileo).
Vicennalia herself is a daughter of Grade 3 winner Silver Reunion (Harlan's Holiday), making her a half-sister to Speaktomeofsummer (Summer Front), who landed the Lake Placid Stakes (Gr 2, 9f) at Saratoga on July 19.
Further back this is the family of three-time Grade 3 winner Comic Strip (Red Ransom) and Group 3 winner Lucayan Prince (Fast Play), who was also placed at elite level.
Toby Liston of Three Bridges said he thought the price for the colt was a fair one.
"I thought it was a very fair price for him, but we put him on the market early. He was a lovely horse and the brother made $225,000 last year, but I guess this year is different with the world the way it is.
"I think it was a fair price, but in saying that I think the purchaser got a lovely colt from a big international family with very few risks. If they want to pinhook it and trade it they will make money, but if they want to race it they will have a nice horse for the future. I think it is a win for us and a win for the purchaser which is a positive."
Given the circumstances with selling horses in 2020, Liston said they had changed their approach to sales to make it easier for the buyers and ensure they had all the right information about all the horses.
"Our online presence has been good and we are pretty good with social media now, so people know what is for sale," said Liston. "I guess it comes back to giving them all the information and making it as easy as possible to select your horse. We have all our x-rays online, we have a report online, with the agent's opinion and Inglis' opinion, a good video and conformation shots."
Liston was also vehement in his praise for the whole team at Inglis: "We only had eight people come to inspect the horse, so to sell it for that is a true testament to where Inglis Digital is currently at. It is a terrific effort by Inglis, the team does a great job and the sales are a terrific example of the change in the industry that is coming."
Bradley said the main draw for the colt was his sire Exceed And Excel and said the plans for him had not yet been decided.
"I was just having a look through the catalogue and came across this colt and really the main attraction was his sire Exceed And Excel, I've always wanted to send one of my mares to Exceed And Excel and it's never worked out for one reason or another," Bradley said.
"This colt was the best weanling in the sale so I knew we had to be strong and I didn't really look at anything else – the photos, videos and reports were very helpful, in fact even at a live sale I find any parade videos to be advantageous, it's like going back for your second and third looks.
"It's a fast, American pedigree – and it was good to see the dam's half sister Speaktomeofsummer win her second Stakes race a few weeks ago – but for me it was all about Exceed And Excel.
"I haven't 100 per cent decided yet one the future plans for the colt, I'll get him to Kitchwin Hills first and have a good look at him, then discuss options with Mick Malone."
Bradley – a director of the Murrumbidgee Turf Club for almost a decade – moved to Australia from the United States 24 years ago and became interested in horses through his wife and friends.
"I honestly just really love horses, it's evolved to an interest in breeding and I have a small collection of broodmares at Kitchwin Hills – while the name Arlington Park Racing comes from the town Arlington in Texas where I once lived,'' Bradley said.
"I'm a fan of the Inglis Digital format, I have used it before and people are definitely getting more used to trading online, it's like working from home how people are adapting – I'm happy with the process and the result.''
