3 minute read

Colt by Toronado headline act on final day of Inglis Premier Yearling Sale

The curtain came down on a record-breaking Inglis Premier Yearling Sale on Tuesday, with the headline act of the final session being a colt by Swettenham Stud shuttler Toronado (High Chaparral) who was purchased by Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Mike Moroney for $460,000 - the most ever paid for a yearling by the stallion in the southern hemisphere.  

Catalogued as Lot 584 and consigned by Stonehouse Thoroughbreds, the colt is the fifth foal out of four time-winning Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) mare Dom Perion, making him a half-brother to 2018 VRC Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) winner Extra Brut (Domesday). 

Meanwhile, the colt’s third dam is French Listed winner Charlotte Amalie (Gay Mecene) - the dam of Grade 2 scorers Esteemed Friend (Gulch) and Badouizm (Sheikh Albadou), as well as Listed score Red Monsoon (Miswaki). 

Mike Moroney said he could see the similarities between the colt and Shelby Cobra - another son of the Swettenham Stud shuttler - who he has saddled to victory on two occasions including the in the Amanda Elliott Handicap (Listed, 1400m) at Flemington last November. 

 "I think he will probably be a bit sharper,” Moroney said. “Toronado himself was a two-year-old winner and was purchased after he showed some really good two-year-old form.

"He was a very good two-year-old and trained on to be a very good three-year-old, so that's what I think this horse will be. He had a bit of zip about him, a bit of strength as well.

"He's very, very strong, like, for argument's sake, Shelby Cobra, who I train, and he's by Toronado. He wasn't quite that big as a yearling but very similar in stature and that.

"We've always been a fan of the horse (Toronado)."

Paul and Mike Moroney teamed up to purchase nine yearlings at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for a total outlay of $1,880,000. 

Toronado has shuttled to Australia for six seasons and he has sired 87 winners in the country, headed by five stakes winners, including Group 2 scorer Affair To Remember. 

Dom Perion was purchased by Andrew McDonald for a mere $6,000 Inglis Great Southern Weanling & Bloodstock Sale in 2015 and this is the good result for the breeder having sold Extra Brut to Gary Mudgway for $52,000 a the 2016 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale while his unraced brother Grinzinger King (Domesday) sold to Danny O’Brien for $380,000 at last year’s Premier sale. 

Stonehouse’s Ryan Arnel said the result represented a good result for Victorian breeding. 

“Victorian sire, Victorian farm, Victorian sale, Victorian buyer, it’s a pretty good local story this colt with a great Victorian flavour,’’ said Arnel. 

“He was a beautiful colt out of a mare that’s been such a fabulous success for her owner Andrew McDonald and I’m sure there’s plenty more success to come for the family both on the racetrack and in the sale ring.’’

During the Premier session, Toronado had 15 lots sell for an aggregate of $2,070,000 at an average of $138,000, a good result for breeders considering this crop was produced off the back of a $27,500 (inc GST) service fee. 

The top lot of the Showcase Session was shared between a colt by Newgate Farm’s Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m)-producing sire Flying Artie (Artie Schiller), who was purchased by Bevan Smith and Kuldeep Singh Rajput, while Byerley Racing Club purchased a colt by Written Tycoon (Iglesia), with both colts realising $175,000.

The Flying Artie colt was sold by Two Bays Farm as Lot 623 and is the sixth foal out of the Listed placed Thorn Park (Spinning World) mare Headsup who has produced two winners to date including the Group 2 placed filly Shezathinka (So You Think). The sale represented a good pinhook result for Two Bays Farm who bought the colt for $15,000 at last year’s Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale from the draft of Newgate. 

Later on in the day the Written Tycoon colt, who was catalogued as Lot 802 in the draft of Milburn Creek, realised that same price. The colt is the first foal out of four-time winner Divine Chills (Artie Schiller) who is herself a half-sister to Group 3 winner Commanding Hope (Commands).