The weanling sales are fast approaching and you don’t want to be left lamenting this time next year when the youngster that caught your eye has just come out and sold for a fortune as a yearling!
Fairhill Farm is the biggest vendor (35 entries) at the Inglis Australian Select Weanling Sale (May 5,6) and Mike and Debbie O’Donnell are confident there will be money to be made from these horses whether they are sold to end users or with the aim of turning a profit as yearlings.
In recent years, the Fairhill Farm weanling drafts have proven a treasure trove of talent producing Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes winner Hayasugi and a host pinhook winners with their success a testimony to the work and preparation put into these horses prior to sale.
“We prepare our weanlings specifically for a weanling sale and they are not prepped for our pocket, but so they will continue to go forward which is so important,” said Mike O’Donnell.
“They are not boxed for more than a couple of days at a time and all work on them is done from the paddock which keeps them relaxed and confident.
“They are hand walked daily from their paddocks and groomed daily, BUT they are allowed to grow naturally which we have found extremely important for bone and muscle growth.”
The proof is in the pudding and one weanling that was offered last year, but ended up passing in shy of a modest $120,000 reserve has ended up becoming a goldmine when offered at Inglis Easter.
“The Street Boss filly from Fee Dansante was there to be sold as a weanling and we were surprised when there just no interest in her, so we elected to keep her and put her through Inglis Easter in the Willow Park draft,” O’Donnell revealed.
Interest was not lacking the second time around the sale ring for the filly, who was in high demand and sold for $800,000 to Jamie McCalmont Bloodstock / Marcstown.
She is now the highest priced yearling by Street Boss (USA) ever sold in Australia.
“She’s the one that got away from the pinhookers,” said O’Donnell.
“Anybody could have bought her and had that fantastic result for themselves.”
He is the third foal of imported Fastnet Rock mare Fee Dansante, a winning half-sister to stakes-winner Salocin from one of the most revered female families in the world tracing back to Allegretta, the dam of blue hen and Arc winner Urban Sea, the dam of champion racehorses and sires Galileo and Sea the Stars.
“He’s bred on the Justify x Fastnet Rock cross that has been so successful and is a lovely colt,” said O’Donnell.
“He’s all quality and very athletic, quite a refined horse for that pedigree when you think about Justify and Fastnet Rock in terms of type.”
Click here to see the full draft of Fairhill Farm youngsters with additional highlights below:
Lot 167 Colt St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) x Sweet Mary, by Hinchinbrook
From the second Australian crop of 2021 European Horse of the Year St Mark’s Basilica. Second foal of a juvenile winning mare that traces directly back to champion mare and four time Group I winner Mannerism.
Lot 177 Filly Home Affairs x Tantalus (NZ), by Savabeel
From the second crop of Champion 3YO Sprinter Home Affairs. Fourth foal of winning daughter of champion sire Savabeel that is closely related to NZ Horse of the Year Probabeel and Champion NZ 3YO Filly Savvy Coup.
Lot 179 Filly Pinatubo (IRE) x Tapestries, by Fastnet Rock
From the second Australian crop of Champion European 2YO Colt Pinatubo. First foal of an unraced daughter of Group II VRC Edward Manifold Stakes winner Sistine Angel, who was also second in a Group I SAJC Robert Sangster Stakes.
Lot 223 Filly Yes Yes Yes x Without Exception, by Flying Spur
Half-sister to four winners headed by stakes winner Poifect and to the dam of this season’s stakes-placed juvenile Befuddle. Dam is a sibling to Group II winning juvenile Krupt and stakes-winning juvenile Anevay tracing in tail female line to legendary producer Fanfreluche, whose descendants include champion sires Flying Spur, Encosta de Lago and rising star sire Home Affairs.
Lot 422 Filly State of Rest (IRE) x Hebrides, by Fastnet Rock
From the first crop of Cox Plate winning four time Group I winner Star of Rest (IRE) and is first foal of an unraced sister to multiple Group winner Formality from Singapore Horse of the Year Jolie’s Shinju (Jpn).
Lot 452 Colt Too Darn Hot (GB) x Jolie’s Shinju (Jpn), by Jolie’s Halo
By outstanding young shuttle sire Too Darn Hot that returns to Australia this year at a fee of $275,000. Half-brother to seven winners headed by multiple Group winner Formality and is from Singapore Horse of the Year Jolie’s Shinju.
Lot 500 Filly Hellbent x Limbo Down (NZ), by Fastnet Rock
Full sister to this season’s promising Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexious trained 2YO filly In Limbo, who has had just two starts for a third in the $500,000 Magic Millions Debut and a fourth in the Group III ATC Widden Stakes. she is also a three-quarter sister to stakes-placed Joviality from good producer Limbo Down, who has had five winners.
