Some of the most extraordinary theatre ever witnessed in a sales ring anywhere around the world unfolded at Riverside Stables tonight when star 2YO filly Chayan (I Am Invincible) sold to Coolmore for an incredible $5.6m.
Two global powerhouses Coolmore and Yulong locked horns in a remarkable bidding duel, which saw Chayan circling the Riverside stage for an unthinkable 10 minutes and 36 seconds.
But it was Coolmore that won the battle, securing the G2 Reisling winner and eventual G1 Golden Slipper favourite for $5.6m, making Chayan the most expensive lot to ever sell at a Chairman’s Sale and the second most expensive race filly or mare to ever sell in Australia.
Chayan (pictured) was offered in the Newgate Consignment tonight on behalf of her owner Eric Koh, who had flown to Sydney to witness his filly’s sale.
And he couldn’t believe not only the final result but the incredible bidding duel that played out in front of his eyes.
“Unbelievable. I came here thinking maybe $3.6m would be the absolute top for her so to go beyond four, beyond five, five point six, unbelievable,’’ a stunned Koh said.
“It’s an amazing result. It got to a point when I cried a little myself and thought ‘stop already’. But they just kept going. It was unbelievable.
“This is obviously the biggest result and achievement for myself. I’m very happy, very satisfied and like I said, heavy hearted to lose her but happy for Coolmore, for Tom [Magnier] and I think she has huge potential ahead.’’
Magnier confirmed Chayan would remain in the stables of her existing trainers Rob and Annabel Archibald.
“When there’s a filly as highly rated and highly thought of as she is, you expect to have all the top people on her and that’s clearly how things played out,’’ Magnier said.
“I’m delighted for Eric, he’s a really good guy and he’s done very well out of her. Yulong are always very strong and that was some duel.
“Rob and Annabel have been calling me all week about this filly and in fairness, they do a great job. Rob was our racing manager once upon a time so I said ‘we’ll give this filly back to you if we buy her’.
“Hopefully with a bit of luck she’s lucky on the track and keeps going but at the end of her racing days, I think she’d suit a stallion like Super Seth but there’s a lot of racing upside there yet, it’s over to Rob and Annabel now.
“It’s a great night, Inglis get the good mares here every year, as you saw again tonight, so fair play to everyone at Inglis.
“We’ve done well out of this sale…and when you have a stallion roster like we’ve got, you’ve got to be buying these sorts of mares and race fillies.’’
The result marked another incredible achievement for Michael Christian’s Longwood Thoroughbred Farm, who bred and raised not only Chayan but also last year’s sale-topper and then-record breaker Bella Nipotina, which realised $4.2m on this night 12 months ago.
Tonight’s second-top lot was the G1 Goodwood Hcp winner Benedetta, which sold to Yulong for $1.9m.
Bendetta was offered in the Widden draft on behalf of Laurence Eales and the mare’s connections, many of which were at Riverside tonight to experience their first Chairman’s Sale.
“It’s a bloody fantastic sale,’’ Eales said.
“It’s my first experience at a Chairman’s Sale, it’s been done very well by the Inglis team and it’s a fitting end to Benedetta’s racing career for myself and the other owners involved.
“We bought her from Inglis as a yearling for $70,000, to see her do the full circle and come back here through Inglis to be sold, it’s very fitting.
“It’s a very well put together auction, we’re very happy, she’s won us $2.5m on the track plus what she’s made tonight, it’s been an unbelievable experience.’’
Yulong’s Sam Fairgray was unsure if Benedetta would race again before her breeding career began later this year.
“She’ll definitely go to stud this spring. It’s likely she will head up to Segenhoe to let down and then be ready for the breeding season, we’ll decide soon enough if she has a run in Brisbane or if she’s had enough,’’ Fairgray said.
“We look at the physical and the performance and try to pick which stallion they’ll be suitable for and she’s a mare we thought Devil Night would love to see at his first year at stud. She’s a quality mare with a great turn of foot, she’ll make a really nice broodmare.
“It’s such a good build up to The Chairman’s Sale, everybody gets behind it, it’s a great atmosphere, Inglis do a fantastic job in getting buyers here and the quality of horses in the sale.’’
Chayan and Benedetta were two of nine lots to realise seven figures tonight alongside:
Provence ($1.8m)
Philia ($1.4m)
Kiki Express ($1.2m)
Snow In May ($1.05m)
Hazlebrook ($1.05m)
Moldova ($1m)
Arabian Summer ($1m)
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch described tonight as an “incredible spectacle’’.
“The Chairman’s Sale is without peer as the most enjoyable session of horse selling of the year in this part of the world, maybe even anywhere in the world,’’ Hutch said.
“The atmosphere in the room from the preamble, culminating in the sale of Chayan at the end of the sale, was electric – it felt really special to be a part of it.
“I think our team has reason to be incredibly proud of what has been created with this sale – it is a wonderful night and the result of a huge amount of work by any number of people.
“The theatre surrounding the sale of Chayan was incredible, I think with the exception of the Winx filly at Easter 2024, that was the most amazing atmosphere I’ve ever experienced at a sale in my time in the industry.
“There were some incredible results throughout the catalogue and I think anyone who attended will have loved the experience from start to finish.
“As ever with breeding stock, there were plenty of instances where the valuation of buyers didn’t align with the expectations of vendors, but we’ll continue to work to facilitate further sales into tomorrow and through the next few days.
“There are so many positives for us to take out of the night and, as ever, we are incredibly grateful for the support of the sale by both vendors and buyers.”
To enquire about a passed in lot from tonight’s sale, contact Will Stott on 0408 126 952.
Buyers’ attention now turns to Inglis Digital and the May (Early) Online Sale, which will open for bidding tomorrow afternoon, Friday May 8.
The sale will include the second and final Australian Broodmare Sale Session for 2026, a designated catalogue for race fillies and broodmares.
Lots offered through the Australian Broodmare Sale Session will have the added benefit of edited pedigrees being available on the Inglis Digital website and Inglis catalogue app.
Already confirmed for the sale is a draft of 43 Godolphin broodmares and 13 Godolphin racehorses as well as exciting drafts from the likes of Arrowfield, Yulong, Newgate, Tyreel, Aristia Park, Alma Vale etc.
The regular May (Early) catalogue will close out for bidding this coming Wednesday, May 13 like usual while the Australian Broodmare Sale Session will close out the following day, Thursday May 14, both from 10am.
2026 CHAIRMAN’S SALE STATS (2025 in brackets)
Offered: 108 (89)
Sold: 79 (77)
Clearance: 73% (87%)
Average: $494,747 ($706,883)
Median: $300,000 ($400,000)
Gross: $39,085,000 ($54,430,000)
