The Inglis Easter Sale proves a resounding success setting a record lot average

American John Stewart has parted with $2.6 million to secure the top lot on Day two of the Inglis Easter Sale.

Records have tumbled at the 2025 Inglis Easter Sale

The Inglis Easter Yearling Sale enhanced its reputation as the most important yearling auction in the southern hemisphere after a record-breaking two days at the Riverside complex on Warwick Farm racecourse.

A total of 24 yearlings sold for $1 million or more during the sale including the sale-topper of $3 million for the Home Affairs-Shout The Bar colt that was purchased by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott on Sunday.

Day Two of the Easter Sale produced more frenetic bidding with 14 yearlings selling for $1 million or more.

The highest priced yearling during Monday’s session was the $2.6 million American buyer John Stewart needed to bid to secure the yearling filly by Widden’s super sire Zoustar out of The Actuary, herself a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Zougotcha.

Inglis managing director Mark Webster was taking phone bids from Stewart, who is based in Kentucky.

Stewart also joined forces with Dean and Adam Watt’s Dynamic Syndications to purchase I Am Me’s half-sister by champion sire Too Darn Hot for $675,000 on day one of the sale.

The Zoustar-The Actuary filly was the highest-priced yearling sold on Day Two of the Inglis Easter Sale.

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“John purchased the top filly of the sale today, a Zoustar filly who is a three-quarter sister to Zougotcha,’’ Webster said.

“She was a beautifully bred filly but also the highest-rated filly on type in the sale.’’

Lot 217, Zoustar x The Actuary from the @widdenstud draft sells for $2.6 million to @resracingky!!!
Massive congratulations to those involved! #InglisEasterpic.twitter.com/MGmzT1brt0

— Inglis (@inglis_sales) April 7, 2025

Arrowfield Stud’s super stallion Snitzel sired no fewer than seven yearlings that sold for $1 million or more including the $2.7 million Coolmore’s Tom Magnier paid for the second top lot of the sale, a colt by Snitzel from Ms Bad Bahavior.

Magnier also paid $1.8 million for the I Am Invincible colt out of Covent Garden, a half-sister to the mighty mare Winx.

Webster said he was surprised the yearling auction was so buoyant given the level of economic uncertainty both in Australia and overseas.

“I guess, generally speaking, the top end of the market is a little bit shielded in a sense the people we are selling to realise the product we are offering, particularly these fillies, are quite scarce and hard to buy,’’ Webster said.

“In other parts of the world the leading breeders don’t necessarily sell their fillies.

“We are a bit different in Australia in our breeders are prepared to sell these well-bred fillies and for the astute buyer, this is their chance to buy these fillies because they become very valuable broodmares later on.’’

Inglis reduced the Easter catalogue to 421 yearlings, reserved for the best-bred yearlings in the southern hemisphere.

“What we do at Inglis is because we have three major sales, Classic, Premier and Easter, we maintain a standard for this sale,’’ Webster said.

Inglis boss Mark Webster was glowing about the success of the Easter sale Picture: Tim Pascoe

“If the yearlings aren’t good enough for Easter, they go into the other two sales.

“This sale is for the best of the best. If we have a yearling that doesn’t have the pedigree it can bring the whole sale down.

“But clearly the Australian buyers themselves love the product, the New Zealanders are buying it, there are plenty of Asian buyers, and some North American investors, too.’’

In total, 329 yearlings were sold for a gross amount of $149.6 million including a record average of $453,591 per yearling.

This compared to last year’s sale when 356 lots were sold for just over $151 million at an average of $426,447 per lot, including the $10 million for the Pierro-Winx filly, a world record for a yearling filly.

Originally published as The Inglis Easter Sale proves a resounding success setting a record lot average