The history of the Inglis family horse auctioneering business at Randwick

SOME of the mightiest names in turf, including Black Caviar, have been sold by William Inglis and Sons. The empire is moving, more than a century after selling its first horse at the Newmarket complex.

IF ONLY horses could talk, what a tale they could tell about Australia’s premier thoroughbred sales yard at Randwick, soon to fade into folklore.

Some of the mightiest names of the turf, from Bernborough to Black Caviar, have been paraded, bought and sold at William Inglis and Sons.

But the family empire, now in its fifth generation, is about to make a $100 million move to Warwick Farm, more than a century after selling its first horse at the now famous Newmarket complex.

William Inglis was born in 1832 and died in 1896. He was the founder of the business which began as a livestock and produce auctioneering company. Picture: Inglis family

Inglis family portraits at the Inglis family's Newmarket stables. Picture Mark Evans

The grand family home, originally the Newmarket Hotel, where champion trainers like Tommy Smith would find buyers over a beer for horses he had bought on spec earlier in the day, will remain.

So will the grandest of the old stable buildings, where scenes for the movie Phar Lap were shot.

And so will the iconic fig tree which has stood sentinel over the sale yards for longer than anyone can remember.

The Newmarket homestead in the background of this 1906 Inglis photo will remain under a heritage order.

But most of the rest will disappear, to be replaced by apartments.

Newmarket has welcomed a host of famous racing identities, from Bart Cummings and T.J. Smith to Texan oil magnate Nelson Bunker Hunt, West Australian corporate takeover king Robert Holmes a Court, gargantuan Filipino punter Felipe Ysmael, five times Melbourne Cup winner Lloyd Williams and UAE-based Sheikh Mohammed of the global Godolphin empire.

It has sold many a Melbourne Cup winner along with some 20 Golden Slipper winners including Luskin Star, Miss Finland and Mossfun.

Thomas Inglis was born in Scotland in 1791 and arrived in Sydney in 1815. He died in 1874. He settled at Craigend, The Oaks and the property still owned by the family. Had had two sons, William and Thomas. Picture: Inglis family

Jamie and Arthur Inglis, the fifth-generation family members to run the Inglis family's Newmarket stables. The business is moving from Randwick after 100 years to a spectacular new complex at Warwick Farm. Picture: Mark Evans

Memories of the Australian racing landmark won’t fade, though, especially not for family members like Arthur Inglis, for whom Newmarket has been both an office and a home.

He grew up there, and remembers helping out around the stables as a schoolboy when the big Easter sales were on.

The heritage listed barn will not be knocked down as the site becomes a housing development. Picture: Mark Evans

After finishing school he went to work in the accounts department at an office in Castlereagh St, in the city. He uses Banjo Paterson’s words to describe how he “did the rounds eternal of the cash book and the journal”.

They were in the days before computers when he would add up columns of figures and “hope they balanced”.

“I was earnings $58.20 a week and probably should have been paying them,” he laughed. He went on to complete a commerce degree and now he is the company’s deputy chairman.

The outside of the historic stables at Newmarket.

He says the Randwick area has undergone a transformation since his namesake and grandfather purchased Newmarket for 50,000 pounds last century.

“My father would ride ponies over the sandhills to Maroubra beach. He would sometimes go to school in a sulky. Everyone had horses in their backyards.

“Even the Uni of NSW was Kensington racetrack until World War Two. Now there’s not a horse between here and Randwick racetrack. As much as I am sorry to leave, that’s the world; that’s reality. “

And undated photo of the Morton Bay fig tree taken during a sale at Newmarket.

The pre-sale parade under that famous Morton Bay fig during the 2002 Inglis Easter yearling sales. Picture: Stephen Cooper

His cousin Jamie Inglis, director of rural property, said Newmarket could hold only 600 horses at once and demand had grown.

“We are out of room. It’s a logical move and a sad one,” he said.

The 1909 parade of thoroughbreds at Newmarket, Randwick, which became the centre of the Inglis empire.

He marvelled at the foresight his grandfather had shown in buying the property and switching from work horses to thoroughbreds, reasoning that the motor car was looming and “this horse game is not going to last”.

Arthur Inglis is sad, too, but practical.

“I try to look more to the future,” he said. “Memories are just that. They will stay with us.”

1867

THE BEGINNING

William Inglis commences business as an auctioneer of livestock and general produce at George St, Sydney, opposite the original Sydney railway station.ody copy in here.

1868

A PARTNERSHIP

William Inglis enters eight-year business partnership with Joseph Butler as “sheep and cattle salesmen, general produce auctioneers, etc.”

1896

THE END OF THE BEGINNING

Death of founder of William Inglis. John T. Inglis takes over the business.

1880

THE HORSE TRADE BEGINS

William Inglis extends his business to 244 Pitt St where he takes over Gibson’s ‘Horse and Carriage Bazaar’, selling utility horses.

1882

A FAMILY BUSINESS

William Inglis auctioneers becomes William Inglis and Son as eldest son Jack (John T. Inglis) joins the business. The firm also sells cattle at yards at Homebush.

1905

MOVE INTO THOROUGHBREDS

William Inglis and Son’s first auction of thoroughbred yearlings. No fewer than 111 yearlings were brought into the ring during the afternoon, and only one failed to elicit a bid.

1918

THE MOVE TO RANDWICK

William Inglis and Son purchases the Newmarket house and stables from Thomas Payten.

1958

A NEW “BOSS”

John A. Inglis (‘The Boss’) becomes Chairman and Managing Director after the death of his father A. Reg Inglis.

1967

A NEW RECORD

Trainer T.J. Smith paid a record $39,900 for High Sierra (Wikes — Blooming).

1981

THE NEW SALE RING

New sale ring building to replace the 1930s structure at Newmarket.

1988

HORSE SELLS FOR $1M

First $1m yearling sold.

2008

BLACK CAVIAR GOES CHEAP

New southern hemisphere record for a thoroughbred sold at auction — $5m for broodmare Milanova. Black Caviar sold as a yearling at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, Oaklands, for $210,000. Goes on to amass career earnings of more than $7.9m.

2017

SHIPPING OUT OF RANDWICK

The company prepares to move its base from Randwick to a larger property at Warwick Farm in a $140m development. *Compiled by historian Andrew Lemon

THE FIRST YEARLING TO SELL FOR $1 MILLION

JAMIE Inglis was the first auctioneer in Australia to fetch a seven-figure sum for a yearling, and though it happened in bicentennial year 1988 he remembers it like it was yesterday.

The horse, by Bletchingly from Verdi, was bred by Sir Tristan Antico and bought by Bart Cummings on behalf of an owner for $1.1 million.

It’s a good example of how hands-on family members have been in building the Inglis thoroughbred empire.

An undated photo of the horses being paraded before a sale.

Jamie Inglis started with the family company as a teenager, working as a clerk in the livestock division, and more than four decades later he is still there, only now as the boss of the livestock, property and rural sales division.

He had been selling sheep and cattle for years at Homebush, later to become the Sydney Olympics site, and Camden and reckoned he was ready for a “natural progression”.

An undated photo of Bernborough, which was sold by Inglis. The stallion was one of the five inaugural inductees into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

So he asked his then boss, uncle John, if he could sell yearlings and got a typically positive Inglis reply: “Yep, bloody oath you can.”

He also remembers the first colt to make 100,000 pounds, and will never forget the day financier Robert Holmes a Court was at the Newmarket sales in person to spend $825,000 on a horse sired by Luskin Star.

“It’s still a very big sum today but back in the early 1980s it was a phenomenal, amount. I can picture the exact image even now,” he said.

The William Inglis Classic yearling sales at Newmarket on January 24, 2000. Picture: Matt Writtle

A TRAINER’S MEMORIES OF INGLIS RANDWICK

The Australasian mile record holder Shannon attracted a big crowd for this one-horse Inglis sale in 1947. Picture: Inglis family

NEVILLE Begg’s memories of the Inglis operation at Randwick go back further than most family members.

The 86-year-old, inducted last year into Australian racing’s hall of fame, recalls the sale of mighty horses like Bernborough and Shannon through the Inglis sale yard in the 1940s, as well as Melbourne Cup winner Delta in the 1950s and champion mare Wenona Girl in the 1960s.

Champion mare Wenona Girl wins at Rosehill on March 3, 1961. Picture; News Corporation

Before becoming one of Australia’s top trainers, Begg learned many a racing lesson as a strapper and later stable foreman working frequently around the historic Inglis complex.

He once looked after the highest priced yearling ever sold, Nargoon, which cost 6,500 pounds.

But money is no guarantee of success.

Neville Begg with his trainer son Graeme Begg after Graeme’s horse won at Royal Randwick.

“It eventually won a maiden at Newcastle,” he laughed.

As Jamie Inglis says: “When horses line up in the barriers, the don’t know how much they cost or how much any of the other horses cost.”

Heroic, Australia’s top sire for seven successive years, at the Inglis Easter sales in 1926. Picture: Inglis family

Legendary racehorse trainer Bart Cummings, who died in 2015, during the Inglis Easter yearling sales, at Newmarket in 2000. Picture: Phil Hillyard.

Begg also remembers the lunches and entertaining at the homestead with lavish, ticketed lunches put on for breeders and buyers.

“They did it so well,” he said.

“That place has been a way of life for so many people for so long.

“It’s a wonderful old property

“My kids learned to ride there. They used to race their ponies around the car park, which is all bitumen now.

John Inglis Snr was born in 1859 and died in 1914. Known as Jack, he joined his father William Inglis in the business in 1882. In 1905 he was the auctioneer at the earliest Inglis thoroughbred yearling sales in Newmarket, at Randwick. Picture: Inglis family.

“The Inglis family is an outstanding family renowned for integrity and stability. They have weathered a lot of storms and had quite a few ups and downs in their life but they still stood up straight.

Arthur Reginald Inglis, known as Reg, was born in 1890 and died in 1957. He was the son John Snr and was managing director from 1914 and chairman from 1921 to 1957. He was Chief auctioneer until his retirement. Picture: Inglis family

“I have been going to Inglis for many years and dealt almost exclusively with the Inglis family as a trainer, breeder and buyer.

“I first dealt with Arthur’s father John, and his word was his bond.”

John Allan Inglis was born in 1917 and died in 2006). He was known as “The Boss” and was a director of the business from 1948, chief auctioneer from 1955 and chairman and managing director from 1958 to 1988. Picture: Inglis family.

INGLIS INDUCTEES IN THE AUSTRALIAN RACING HALL OF FAME:

1921

THE FIRST HERO

Heroic. A striking racehorse who went on to notch seven successive years as Australia’s top sire.

1922

HE BEAT PHAR LAP

Amounis. Beat Phar Lap in two of their five encounters.

1939

A TURF LEGEND

Bernborough. Turf legend with 15 consecutive victories before being exported to the US to become a successful stallion.

1940

A TOP TWO-YEAR-OLD

Flight. A top juvenile winning five of her eight two-year-old races in 1943.

1941

BROKE SEA BISCUIT’S RECORD

Shannon. World class performer who set an Australasian record for the mile and in America broke Sea Biscuit’s record for the 1900m.

1957

AUSTRALIA’S MOST SUCCESSFUL MARE

Wenona Girl. Won 15 races in Australia now classified as Group One, a statistical record unmatched by any other mare.

1993

A POWERFUL HORSE

Might And Power. The only horse to have led all the way to win both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

1999

BEATING THE MOTHER COUNTRY

Choisir. The first Australian horse in modern times to win at Royal Ascot, in 2003.

1999

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPION

Takeover Target. His 41 starts produced 21 wins and 10 placings, with nine Group One wins spread over four countries.

2006

SUPER-SPRINTING MARE

Black Caviar. Her feat in being unbeaten with 25 consecutive wins constitutes a world record for the modern age.

Artists’ impression of the entrance to a hotel to be built at Inglis’ Riverside Stables, at Warwick Farm Racecourse. Image: Inglis family

An artist’s impression of a typical parade area at Inglis’ Riverside Stables, at Warwick Farm Racecourse. Image: Inglis family.