3 minute read
Group 3 winner secured for $800,000 during boutique Inglis Digital sale
When the Inglis Digital August Boutique Sale ended on Wednesday the three lots offered sold for $1,210,000 with Group 3 winner Wandabaa (Wandjina) bought for $800,000 by the Tagaloa Syndicate.
The Lucky Vega Syndicate secured the second-top lot Enchanted Heart (Shamus Award) for $295,000 while Three Bridges Thoroughbreds – on behalf of client Pete Murray - took home Lunakorn (Puissance De Lune) for $115,000.
Trained by Kris Lees for Australian Bloodstock, six-year-old are Wandabaa has raced 38 times for eight wins and 16 placings and was last seen finishing second in the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on 6 August. The mare had six different individual bidders over $500,000 and Australian Bloodstock's Jamie Lovett was thrilled with the sale.
"We were thinking and hoping Wandabaa would reach $700,000 and from there it would just depend on how many were on her so to get to $800,000, she's sold super well, they've all sold very well,'' Lovett said.
"Everyone's happy, Luke and I are happy, the owners are happy and I'm sure Yulong and Three Bridges are happy with their purchases.
"Between them these mares cost $183,500 (Wandabaa and Enchanted Heart were purchased for $36,000 and $80,000 respectively from the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale), they won nearly $1.7m in prizemoney and have sold for $1.21m. Outstanding.''
Lovett was especially pleased with how many prospective buyers had been in contact ahead of the sale wanting to inspect the mares.
"There were a lot of phone calls, the reach of the market and the marketing done was outstanding and certainly everybody seemed to know these mares were for sale,'' Lovett said.
"The Inglis Digital platform was super seamless, so easy, really well received by buyers and the end result is there for all to see. You can't ask for much more than that.''
All three mares are bound for Victoria, with Wandabaa and Enchanted Heart set to be served by Yulong stallions Tagaloa (Lord Kanaloa) and Lucky Vega (Lope De Vega) respectively, while Lunakorn has a date with Widden's Russian Camelot (Camelot).
On Wandabaa – who may continue racing before being served later this season - Yulong's Sam Fairgray said: "We had to pay a bit more than I thought we might have had to but with good mares like this, everybody wants to have them in their broodmare band so we're pleased we got her.
"I think she'll be a nice mating for Tagaloa. She's a very consistent mare and her half sister Seewhatshebrings made $800,000 also at the Inglis Chairman's Sale so it's a nice family.
"She may have another run or two, I'll talk to [trainer] Kris [Lees] about that but both she and Enchanted Heart ran so well in the Missile Stakes last week so maybe they could have another farewell run.''
Fairgray was excited by the prospect of Enchanted Heart being served by Lucky Vega, whose first foals have hit the ground in the past few weeks.
"We're thrilled with the first four foals Lucky Vega has thrown, he seems to have thrown a lot of quality into them, a lot of strength, good hip and shoulders and head so we think Enchanted Heart is a great match for him.''
Three Bridges' Toby Liston described Lunakorn's purchaser Murray as a "breeding purist'' who had done his homework on the purchase of Lunakorn.
"John Wheeler bought three nice mares off Inglis Digital last week to send to Russian Camelot and while Pete has a share in the stallion, he believes in the stallion and has bought a mare in Lunakorn who genetically matches to suit the stallion perfectly so hopefully he can breed a horse as good as Russian Camelot himself.''
