A trio of colts by Toronado (IRE), Wild Ruler and Anamoe shared top honours at $600,000 at today’s Inglis Ready2Race Sale, which smashed through the $30m turnover barrier for the first time.
On a record-setting day at Riverside, the Australian 2YO market saw its best-ever day of trade, with the gross of $30,721,000 up a staggering 61% from last year’s record-setting renewal.
Today’s average ($169,729) and median ($120,000) were also both records for the Ready2Race Sale and grew 9% and 20% respectively from 12 months ago.
A year ago at the sale Guy Mulcaster signed for a sale-topping Toronado colt on behalf of Hermitage Thoroughbreds and that colt turned out to be Tron Bolt, a G1-winning 2YO for Chris Waller.
Fast forward 12 months and back at Riverside today Mulcaster again signed for a sale-high Toronado colt for Hermitage that will be trained by Waller.
Offered by Matt Vella Racing Services, the son of Showoroses (lot 116) was one of three colts to realise $600,000 on a day when the number of $100,000+ lots (100) and $200,000+ lots (58) rose 49% and 45% respectively year-on-year.
Mulcaster was thrilled to have secured the Toronado colt, conceding the success of Tron Bolt and other purchases from last year’s sale convinced himself, Hermitage and Waller to bid up again today.
“The preparation of the vendors at this sale now is amazing and the horses really took to it last year once we bought them, they had three weeks at The Hermitage and then came straight into work and never put a foot wrong. That’s credit to the vendors and it makes us buy with confidence,’’ Mulcaster said.
“This bloke, he’s a lovely colt, we had to pay $600,000 for him but we’re very glad we got him.
“Obviously there’s some similarities with Tron Bolt, Toronado, this sale, an expensive lot, Hermitage etc so let’s hope he turns out to be as good as Tron Bolt.’’
Vella was equally thrilled, describing the colt that was sourced from Inglis Easter as a yearling for $400,000 as “a star in the making’’.
SALE DAY SNIPPET: @mulcasterBS teamed up with @Thehermitage6 to buy a Toronado colt at last year's #InglisReady2Race, which turned out to be the G1-winning 2YO Tron Bolt. Today they teamed up again to buy another Toronado colt (ex Showoroses), which realised $600k from the @mattvella4 draft.
— Inglis (@inglis_sales) October 15, 2026
The next $600,000 lot was an Anamoe x Really Discreet colt of Woburn Farm, which sold to a partnership between Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, MyRacehorse, Belmont Bloodstock and Kestrel Thoroughbreds.
Bott – who with Waterhouse trains the colt’s half sister Low Key - had been at Riverside in the days leading into the sale inspecting the 2YOs on offer, praising the recent development of the sale.
“Over the years we’ve seen this sale continue to build momentum,’’ Bott said.
“Obviously the success out of the sale, the types that are here, even just the way the horses are prepared, everyone is growing and learning and developing and it’s a great success.
“This colt, having that association with the family is a big plus and a help but we also had to assess this colt on his own individual merits and we were really impressed initially by his breeze up but then his demeanour here as well.’’
The colt was a $180,000 purchase from the Easter Yearling Sale.
“He was a lovely, big, strong-moving colt at Easter and he’s developed into a beautiful horse here,’’ Woburn’s Adrian Stanley said.
“The week’s been great, he’s been really popular, I’ve never had a horse that busy so it’s been great. There’s a lot of Hong Kong buyers here and all the local trainers are here so it’s a sale going places. It’s a great sale to support.’’
Late in the day a Wild Ruler x Icebomb colt of Woodlow Equine sold to Merrick Staunton – on behalf of Lucky Owners – also for $600,000.
“He's a great type, a good shape and good size,” Staunton said.
“(The owner) was happy to pay. He probably paid overs, but there's not many of them about.
“The auctioneer asked for $300,000 when he started the bidding. I knew he'd be more popular than that because of the way he breezed.”
A rapt Shenae Lowings of Woodlow Equine – offering her first Ready2Race draft with partner Sam Woods - couldn’t believe the result with a colt purchased as a yearling from Magic Millions for just $110,000.
“It’s been a great experience but I’ve loved every second of it, it’s really exciting,’’ Lowings said.
“It’s turned out really well and is definitely something we’ll keep doing.
“The Wild Ruler colt has been amazing to deal with, he’s got a great attitude and I see big things for him.’’
WATCH: Olympic eventer Shenae Lowings offered her first #InglisReady2Race draft at Riverside today and sold two from two, including the equal sale-topper at $600,000, her Wild Ruler x Icebomb colt which sold to Lucky Owners late in the day. https://t.co/5RXi5x3KT3
— Inglis (@inglis_sales) October 15, 2026
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch described himself as ‘thrilled’ with today’s results.
“The progression of this market over the past few years for us has been staggering and it’s hard to be anything but pleased with the results of the sale,’’ Hutch said.
“We were well supported by an extremely capable group of vendors with quality horses and that gave us confidence that we could run a good sale.
“To see buyers from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and all over Australia and New Zealand was fantastic and we thank them for their support.
“There is no disguising that there was a selective element to trade in certain parts but such is the nature of most bloodstock markets in this day and age.
“The success of today is built on a strategy of long-term investment in this sale format by Inglis and a number of vendors and hopefully it is a platform upon which we can continue to develop the sale over the years to come.”
To enquire about a passed in lot from today’s sale, contact Inglis’ Darcy Schostakowski on 0499 220 649.
Buyers’ attention now switches to the online sphere with the Inglis Digital October (Late) Sale, which will open for bidding from 3pm tomorrow.
Among the catalogue is the G2 and G3 placed Confederation as well as shares in a recent G1 placegetter and a recent 2YO Stakes placegetter.
Also set to be featured is a share in outstanding young stallion Ole Kirk.
To view the Inglis Digital website CLICK HERE.
2026 INGLIS READY2RACE STATS (2025 in brackets)
Sold: 181 (122)
Clearance: 71% (75%)
Average: $169,729 ($156,180)
Median: $120,000 ($100,000)
Gross: $30,696,000 ($19,054,000)
