The most expensive yearling ever sold in Victoria, the most expensive yearling sold in the world this year and the most expensive yearling ever by star stallion I Am Invincible.
That was the fall-out from a record-breaking session of the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, when Lot 259 sold for $1.40 million to Ciaron Maher on Monday.
In an extraordinary day at Oaklands Junction, the I Am Invincible – Soorena colt from the Gilgai Farm draft broke record after record. Maher eventually outbid fellow Victorian Robbie Griffiths who trains the colt’s Group 1-winning half-brother The Quarterback.
Bidding started at $200,000, jumped immediately to $500,000 before progressing in $100,000 Lots.
The final $1.40 million price tag eclipsed the former Premier Yearling Sale record of $750,000 (set in 2008), broke the $1.30 million mark for most expensive horse sold in the world in 2017 and eclipsed the $900,000 chart-topper for an I Am Invincible.
Maher first saw the I Am Invincible – Soorena colt almost six months ago when he visited Gilgai Farm. And from Day 1, he knew he was going to buy him.
“I thought then he was a lovely type with a stallion’s pedigree and I’ve loved the way he’s developed. He’s a great mover with a great temperament. He’s got what it takes.
“I don’t always inspect before looking at my catalogue but I did with this particular draft and I quite like that way of doing it. You’re not influenced by pedigrees or fashionable stallions or anything like that.
“Gilgai has done a great job again. They seem to do it year after year. I’m very excited to be able to get him home and I can’t wait to get him into the stable.’’
Gilgai Farm’s Kelly Skillecorn was stunned by the result. “Unbelievable. We were hopeful of a figure in the highish hundreds of thousands, but to see him do that, it’s quite extraordinary.
“During the sale, I was nervous the whole time. I was nervous from when we got him back from Segenhoe as a foal when I saw how good he was. We’re just thrilled that Ciaron is getting him. He’s an extraordinary horseman.”
The record Lot highlighted another overall successful day for the Premier Sale.
“We came into Day 2 knowing we had some outstanding yearlings supported by a vast buying bench,” Inglis Victorian Bloodstock Manager Simon Vivian said. “Undeniably, the highlight was selling Gilgai Farm’s I Am Invincible colt and, overall, quality yearlings realised very pleasing results.”
At the conclusion of Day 2, the average sits at $126,730 with a clearance rate of 82% and a gross of $33.33 million.
Record-breaking colt by I Am Invincible