DESPITE the softening of real estate prices in Sydney the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale has held it’s ground, matching last year’s median price of AUS$200,000. After three sessions 345 yearlings had sold, 10 fewer than 2015.

The sale grossed $98,007,500, averaged $284,080 and had a clearance rate of 83%. Tuesday’s first session saw the top lot go through the ring, the Snitzel half-brother to Winx, out of the Al Akbar mare Vegas Showgirl, herself a dual Listed winner in New Zealand.

Gai Waterhouse and her syndicate headed by Emirates Park’s Hussain Lootah went to $2.3 million to outlast Duncan Ramage.

“He was a lovely type, and Winx and the half-brother’s (El Divino) wins add a lot to the page,” said Hussain Lootah. “We hope he’s in the Golden Slipper next year.”

FRANKEL LEADING SIRE

Nine yearlings made $1 million or greater, one fewer than 2015, including colts by: Redoute’s Choice (3 yearlings), Snitzel (2), Frankel, Fastnet Rock and Hinchinbrook whilst the sole filly to make seven figures was by Fastnet Rock out of the Stravinsky mare Hips Don’t Lie.

Great interest surrounded the five Frankel yearlings offered, and on averages, for three or more sold, he was the leading sire at the sale. With two passed-in, the Frankel colt out of the More Than Ready mare More Strawberries sold for $1.6 million to Chris Waller Racing whilst fillies out of Jeu de Cartes and Chocolicious made $750,000 and $610,000 respectively.

Doing the heavy lifting in the catalogue were Redoute’s Choice (20 yearlings sold), Snitzel (20) and Fastnet Rock (42), who averaged; $573,250, $438,000 and $340,238 respectively. That trio had and aggregate of $34,515,000 accounting for 35% of the sales gross. The leading first season sire was Black Caviar’s half-brother All Too Hard whose 21 yearlings to sell, averaged $244,048.

The leading vendor by aggregate for the sale was Arrowfield whose sold 21 of their 25 yearlings offered for a total of $9,510,000 whilst Coolmore (24 sold), Segenhoe (13), Widden (23) and Newgate (11) all grossed greater than $5 million.

As was the case last year, Shadwell Stud were the leading buyers though they spent $4.4 million more this year, topping out a spend of $10.215 million for 19 yearlings, three more than in 2015.

Gai Waterhouse and Julian Blaxland bought 17 yearlings for $5.602 million whilst Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum bought 11 for $5.395 million compared to the four he bought last year that cost $5.015