Nimalee in the ring at the Inglis Chairman's Sale
Nimalee and Montefilia smashed Inglis Chairman's Sale records May 4, with the group 1-winning mares selling for a combined AU$7 million (US$4,665,990, AU$1=US$0.6665) during a select offering which captured the attention of some of the world's biggest bloodstock investors. Ring Die Pellet Mill
International powerhouses Coolmore and Yulong, two studs with major domestic breeding and racing operations, ensured that Nimalee—AU$3.6 million (US$2,399,652) and Montefilia—AU$3.4 million ($2,266,338) would remain in Australia despite immense competition from buyers in Japan, Europe, and the U.S.
Yueshang Zhang's Yulong also paid AU$2.3 million ($1,533,111) for another group 1-winning mare in Icebath at the 109-Lot, four-and-a-half hour evening Chairman's extravaganza in Sydney.
Queen Of The Turf Stakes (G1) winner Nimalee (Lot 42), the third of the three highest-priced lots to go through the ring under the lights at Riverside Stables, has already been earmarked by purchasers Coolmore to this year visit either Wootton Bassett or Justify , while Golden Slipper (G1)-winning colt Shinzo could also be in line once he retires to the Jerrys Plains-based farm.
The sixth most expensive mare ever sold at public auction in Australasia, the former Matthew Smith-trained, Letmar Investments-owned Nimalee eclipsed the Chairman's Sale record set just seven lots earlier by Montefilia, with both surpassing the AU$2.7 million Shout The Bar made at the sale a year ago.
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"The Magnier family loved her physically and she was one of the highest-priced yearlings of her year by So You Think when (Randwick Bloodstock Agency's) Brett Howard purchased her for Lester and Margaret Durney (for AU$270,000 in 2018)—and they're great clients of the farm," said Coolmore Australia's Colm Santry.
"We can really utilize her and what we're really hoping for is to breed a stallion out of her and she was probably the best mare in the sale to possibly achieve that."
Yulong Add Prized Mares to Collection Yulong is likely to keep four-time group 1 winner Montefilia (Lot 35) in training next season, targeting the Melbourne spring carnival with the rising 6-year-old, after outbidding Japan's Katsumi Yoshida for the daughter of Kermadec .
Photo: Courtesy InglisMontefilia in the ring at the sale
Zhang has been a buying force in recent years, amassing a vast and quality broodmare band which numbers more than 600, and it was the underbidder on Montefilia who Yulong's chief operating officer Sam Fairgray referenced when asked about the business model.
"Mr. Zhang has been strong about wanting to support our stallions… so I'd say when she retires she'll end up at the farm here (in Australia)," said Fairgray.
"When you're trying to get mares like her you have to front up and pay, and I think Northern Farm were underbidders.
"When you see what they've done with their elite broodmare band in Japan—they improved the gene pool greatly by going around the world and pulling mares out of Australia, America, and Europe."
Montefilia was trained by David Payne at Rosehill to win six of her 27 starts and AU$3.2 million in prize money, but Fairgray said they were yet to decide which stable she would enter.
Earlier in the session, Yulong signed for Icebath (Lot 20), winner of the Empire Rose Stakes (G1) and more than AU$5.2 million in prize money, for AU$2.3 million. She was one of eight mares Zhang purchased on Thursday night, a collection which also included Lot 109, Berimbau , the dam of recent William Reid Stakes (G1) winner Imperatriz , for AU$1.8 million. Berimbau is in foal to I Am Invincible , while Zhang also paid AU$1.1 million for Bob Peters' group 1 winner, Lot 102, Inspirational Girl .
Fairgray said: "She's a nice physical mare and obviously with a pedigree behind her. She's got some really nice blood in her family going back to Savabeel and Centaine, good broodmare sires, so we're really delighted to get her.
"At this stage she'll go to either Written Tycoon or Pierata, so we'll just get her home and assess what we do with her.
"We followed her for a bit and thought we might buy her as a race filly, but we still ended up with her once she retired."
Both Montefilia and Icebath were offered through the Newgate Consignment, who ended the sale as leading vendors with receipts of AU$11.52 million. Yulong spent AU$7.225 million on Thursday night, with associated buyers the Tagaloa Syndicate, Team Pierata, and Chatsworth Farm spending a further AU$5.315 million.
For more Australia and New Zealand racing, sales, and bloodstock news, visit ANZBloodstockNews.com.
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