Toronado pinhook tops Scone Sale

Above: Lot 223. Toronado – Settecento colt. Picture: Inglis

An excellent pinhook result from Jazcom Thoroughbreds proved the highlight of the 2020 Inglis Scone Yearling Sale, which followed the Easter Round 2 sale.

At A Glance

>> The clearance rate was 81 per cent, only slightly down from 90 per cent at the same sale last year

>> Hawkes Racing struck to secure the top two lots , with the $180,000 top lot a record for the Sale

>> The sale gross of $2.26 million was only slightly down on the total of $2.685 million last year

>> The sale average was $17,652, up from $15,797 in 2019

>>The median was $10,000, a slight fall from $12,000 in 2019

Pinhook pays off

The top lot was Lot 223, a colt by Toronado (Ire) out of Settacento (Nadeem), the half-sister to Listed winner and Group 1-placegetter Citirecruit (Citidancer {Ire}) from the family of champion filly Savana City (New Regent {Can}).

Hawkes Racing paid $180,000 for the colt, from Jazcom Thoroughbreds, who purchased him as a weanling from last year’s Great Southern Sale for just $10,000.

“I’d made it quite clear to people close to us that I thought he could top the sale, I thought he’d bring $60,000 but wouldn’t be surprised if he bought $100,000 so to get that great result, it really pays off for what Meagan and I do with the pinhooking investment,’’ Jazcom’s Colin Branthwaite said.

“He’s a quality horse, he’s got a lot of presence, an aura and demeanour that good judges like.’’

He was the clear top lot, with the next highest price the $70,000 Hawkes Racing paid for Lot 220, an Exosphere colt, offered by Waylon J Stud.

He is out of Save A Penny (Exceed And Excel), making him a half-brother to stakes-placed Excess Funds (Rubick) and the winner Cobra (Poet’s Voice {GB}).

Above: Lot 220 – Exosphere x Save A Penny (colt)

Hawkes Racing ended the top buyer for the Scone sale, spending $325,000 across three lots.

The top filly of the sale was Lot 278, a Nicconi filly out of Chaste (Lonhro), offered by Middlebrook Valley Lodge and sold for $65,000 to John Thompson Racing.

Chaste, a half-sister to stakes-placed pair Epic (Stratum) and Mighty Maverick (Snitzel) is a granddaughter of G1 Newmarket H. winner Ruffles (Zeditave) and has already produced the winners Desirable Miss (Snippetson), Ibini (Commands) and Purest (Stratum).

Above: Lot 278 – Nicconi x Chaste (filly)

Vinery Stud had two lots sell for $60,000, Lot 217, a filly by All Too Hard who was purchased by Belhannah Stud, and Lot 292, a colt by Vancouver which went to Wattle Bloodstock.

Vinery’s seven sales for a total of $236,900 was enough to put it second on the vendors’ list, behind Jazcom, which sold eight yearlings for a total of $332,000.

Nicconi was the leading sire on both aggregate and averages (more than 3 sales), with three sold for a total of $120,000.

“The Scone Sale was particularly pleasing, the sale held up very well setting a new record price for a top lot,” Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster said.