Tahnee Tiara, the dam of this season's Queensland Oaks (G1) winner Socks Nation (Sioux Nation), was the headline act at the Inglis Digital July (Late) Online Sale when she sold to Walnut Farm for AU$545,000 (US$358,893, AU$1=US $0.66).
Tahnee Tiara was offered in foal to Newgate's exciting young stallion North Pacific by Milburn Creek on behalf of her owner Ian Millard, and he was delighted with the outcome.
"To be honest I wasn't looking to sell her but I was advised by (Inglis' senior bloodstock consultant) Harry (Bailey) and we decided to test the market and this result is very, very good,'' Millard said.
"It's a wonderful family but I've got three half sisters to her so it's not like I'm out of the family altogether.
"I was delighted with the way Harry and the Inglis team handled everything and I'm very pleased that she's gone to a great home as well.''
The daughter of Commands will be covered by Yulong's new recruit Panthalassa, as will Wednesday's third-top lot Miss Antaeus, who also sold to Walnut Farm for AU$150,000.
The sale's second-top lot, the group 3-placed three-time winner Anagain, will be immediately retired and bred to this season after selling for AU$180,000.
Offered by Joe Pride Racing on behalf of the ownership group, Anagain sold to Ken Reed and Scott Rossow of Double R Thoroughbreds. Reed said he and Rossow wanted to breed with Anagain, hence buying the balance of the partners out who didn't want to go down the breeding path.
"We held 30% of her anyway and the fairest way for everything to play out was to put her on Inglis Digital and see what happened,'' Reed said. "Our intention now is to add her to our broodmare band, which is growing, and we have interests in a few stallions so we'll spend a bit of time now sitting down and working out the best match for her and making that decision down the track.
"We wanted to get her a bit cheaper than we did but it's a fair price, we thought she'd make her $150,000 and above so everyone is happy in the end really."
Tahnee Tiara and Anagain were two of seven lots to realize six figures and the auction closed July 24 with an aggregate of $3,833,051 (US$2,529,814) for the 290 horses sold, an average of AU$13,217 (US$8,723).
Entries are now open for the August (Early) Sale, which will take place Aug. 2-7. Entries will close at midnight July 31.
Despite the overall good results, the 8% share in six-time group 1 winner Mr Brightside did not sell after failing to meet the AU$180,000 reserve. Bidding concluded just after 1:30 pm AEST July 24 and stopped AU$5,000 shy of the asking price after 33 bids were taken. The Inglis Digital reserve puts a valuation on the rising 7-year-old at AU$3.5 million. Mr Brightside has banked AU$13,477,753 in his 34-start career and is due to kick off his spring campaign in the Memsie Stakes (G1) at Caulfield Aug. 31.
