Young guns shine at Classic
Group 1 sire Castelvecchio supplied Arrowfield's top-priced yearling at Inglis Classic 2026, the $390,000 colt out of Panzerfaust, purchased by trainer Bryce Heys. (PHOTO: Joan Faras)
Arrowfield has concluded a busy and rewarding week at the Inglis Classic Sale as the Leading Vendor with 33 yearlings sold for $3,820,000 – an average price of $115,758, which is 19% above the overall sale figure.
A satisfying aspect of the result is that Arrowfield’s three top-priced yearlings are by young Group 1 sires Castelvecchio and The Autumn Sun.
The draft-topper was the $390,000 Castelvecchio colt from Panzerfaust (by Redoute’s Choice), a winning full sister to Kebede & Panzer Division, from a family that has produced two Champion 2YOs in Chile. Purchased on Monday morning by Warwick Farm trainer Bryce Heys, he gained a quick pedigree update when his 3YO full brother Are You Kidding won a few hours later at Muswellbrook for Paul Messara & Leah Gavranich.
Bloodstock Manager Jon Freyer said, “This fellow is a lovely colt and he’s been really popular, we had so many inspections on him, as many as I can ever remember at a Classic Sale, and he sold accordingly.”
Another 4 Castelvecchio colts made six figures for Arrowfield, Lime Country & Fairview Park and Sledmere Stud and all up he averaged $120,556 (4.8 x his 2023 fee) for 9 yearlings.
The Autumn Sun’s top-priced lot, the filly from well-related Dubawi mare Memphis, was a $300,000 purchase from Arrowfield by Liam Peters’ WA-based Byerley Bloodstock .
Arrowfield also sold the $290,000 filly out of Pandemonium (by Sebring) to Wylie Dalziel & Peter Moody, seeking to repeat their Group 1 success with Arrowfield graduate Autumn Angel.
Lime Country & Corumbene Stud sold colts for $240,000 and $210,000 among The Autumn Sun’s 9 lots sold for a healthy average price of $175,556.
Hitotsu’s first-crop yearlings continue to be warmly received and he has now had 28 lots sold at Magic Millions & Inglis Classic for an average of just over $105,000 – 5.2 x his fee. His top price at Classic was $250,000 paid by Lloyd Kennewell & Group 1 Bloodstock for Fernrigg Farm’s colt out of Zhaojun (by Choisir).
Davali Thoroughbreds sold the $150,000 colt ex Agrapart (by Exceed and Excel) to Hong Kong interests, and Hitotsu’s trainer Ciaron Maher signed for Alma Vale’s $100,000 colt ex Bel’s in Charge (by Charge Forward).
Arrowfield’s filly by Hitotsu ex Savonia (by Shalaa) was knocked down for $80,000 to Topline, John Sargent & Neil Jenkinson, and the same price secured the colt out of Inari (by Dundeel) for Peter & Rosemary Lewis.
Ottavio & Wendy Galletta, who found Group 1 winner & sire Castelvecchio in Arrowfield’s 2018 Inglis Classic draft, returned this year to pay $250,000 for the Dundeel colt out of Black Lace, a half-sister to Champion Verry Elleegant and already dam of Group winner Belle Detelle.
Arrowfield’s $220,000 Dundeel colt ex Party Girls goes to the McEvoy stable, and Yarraman’s $150,000 filly ex Advance Party goes to Danny O’Brien, who trains Dundeel’s Group 3-winning daughter Litzdeel.
All but two of Maurice’s 16 Classic yearlings found new homes with buyers including trainers John O’Shea & Tom Charlton, Grahame Begg, Chris Munce, Sara Ryan, Jason Coyle & Robert Quinn. His top price of $160,000 was paid by Kilgravin Lodge, Bevan Smith & McKeever Bloodstock for Arrowfield’s filly out of Pretty Elsa.
