The gross, average, median and clearance rate are all up on the corresponding figures from last year, driven by increased participation from both local and overseas buyers.

“Pinhookers from New Zealand have been particularly strong at the top of the market, while it has also been great to see plenty of Australian trainers getting involved in purchasing weanlings,” said Inglis Melbourne Director Peter Heagney.

“Last year’s sale topper nearly doubled his price when selling at the Easter Yearling Sale and today’s Exceed And Excel colt certainly has all the credentials to standout in any select yearling sale,” Heagney commented.

Bred and sold by Makybe, the day’s sale topper (Lot 62) is from well related Dayjur mare With Fervour. The colt was purchased by leading New Zealand pinhookers Lyndhurst Farm for $110,000.

Lot 187 (pictured), a colt by High Chaparral from Infrared, also had plenty of admirers and it took $105,000 to secure the youngster from the draft of Rushton Park.

First season sire Star Witness only had the one offering in the Great Southern Weanling Sale and it was certainly popular. The colt offered by Shadwell Farm as Lot 124 was purchased by Ascot Farm from New Zealand for $80,000.

In all 140 weanlings were traded at Oaklands for gross receipts of $1,558,050.

A further 101 weanlings (Lots 201–289 & supplementary 585-596) are catalogued for sale from 10:30am tomorrow, Wednesday 22 May. They will be followed immediately by 141 Broodmares (Lots 290 – 430).

The remaining broodmares will be offered from 10:30am on the third and final day of this year’s Great Southern Sale. Thursday’s session also includes stallions, yearlings, race fillies, colts, geldings and 62 supplementary entries.

Weanlings that passed in on the opening day of this week’s Melbourne sale are available for sale via the Inglis Make-An-Offer service.

All the action from the 2013 Great Southern Sale will be broadcast on Inglis Sale Day live, with Online Bidding and Make-An-Offer available for those buyers unable to attend the Oaklands complex.

Great Southern Weanling statistics (Day One)

The Stallions Weekly Bulletin will also provide the latest stallion statistics as well as plenty of news and reviews of international racing and breeding.

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Ambidexter (by Commands) is a son of G2-winning mare Dextrous who was recently awarded the Hunter Valley Broodmare of the year. This makes the Darley homebred a three quarter brother to Sidestep, the 2013 Golden Slipper runner up and highest rated 2YO colt in Australia. Ambidexter is also a full brother to G1 winner Skilled.

The tenacious winner of Group 2 Theo Marks over 1400m Ambidexter went on to run a very close second to Fat Al in G1 Epsom Hcp over 1600m. As an early three-year-old Ambidexter won the Listed Ming Dynasty Handicap (1400m) where he defeated eventual G1 VRC Derby winner Sangster.

“We can understand why HH Sheikh Mohammed and the team at Darley did not want to sell this horse. He is such a good looking son of Commands, last year’s leading sire by winners. The female family also has plenty of upside with Sidestep racing this Spring,” Cornerstone’s Sam Hayes explains.

“We are fortunate to have had opportunity knock, not once but twice, leading into this stud season. Standing stallions on behalf of quality breeders such the Aga Khan Studs, Shadwell Stud and now Darley Stud enables us to offer our clients some of the premier bloodlines in the world,” Hayes concluded.

According to Peter Snowden Ambidexter was a “tough competitor who consistently competed against the best of his generation”. He was beaten less than a length in three Group Ones including the Royal Randwick Guineas, Rosehill Guineas and the Epsom Handicap.

Respected Bloodstock Agent and Magic Millions representative Adrian Hancock believes Ambidexter will be an ideal addition to the stallion ranks in Southern Australia.

“Breeders that see him will want to send mares. Attracting stallions of this quality is a credit to Cornerstone Stud and we are already looking forward to selling yearlings by Ambidexter at the Adelaide Magic Millions yearling sale. If they look anything like him, they will be popular,” said Hancock.

Ambidexter joins Dalakhani, Hussonet, Good Journey, Reaan, Barely a Moment and De Beers on the Cornerstone Stud stallion roster along with associate sire Shrewd Rhythm (standing at Stable Hill Thoroughbreds).

Ambidexter will stand at a fee of $6,600 inc. GST

With over 2,050 lots catalogued, the sale has attracted an outstanding line up of weanlings, race fillies, broodmares, stallions, stallion shares and racehorses.

Adding great quality to the auction is the 470 lot Patinack Farm Unreserved Reduction Sale, a draft which subject to any injuries, will go under the hammer in its entirety.

The two day National Weanling Sale kicks off the auction from next Monday (May 27) before the National Broodmare Sale takes centre stage.

Inspections commence on Friday for weanlings and broodmares.

The best ever National Yearling Sale catalogue will be next from June 4 to 6 before the quality packed National Racehorse Sale on June 7.

Yearlings can be inspected at the sales complex from Sunday, June 2.

All sessions of the sale will commence at 10am (Qld time).

“The sale has attracted an outstanding catalogue through all sections of the sale and we look forward to hosting vendors and buyers from all over Australia and abroad,” Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox said.

“There are some outstandingly bred and conformed weanlings and yearlings as well as Group One winners and producers among the fillies and mares and the racehorse sale is without doubt the best presented by Magic Millions,” he added.

To view the catalogues click the relevant link below:

• National Weanling Sale – May 27-28
• National Broodmare Sale – May 29-31
• National Yearling Sale – June 4-6
• National Racehorse Sale – June 7

To view a sale preview click here.

While the KrisFlyer was going to Hong Kong for the third time after Sacred Kingdom and Green Birdie pulled off the feat in 2009 and 2010 respectively, Military Attack became the first horse from the former British colony to land the SIA Cup in its 13 years of existence.

Ridden by Hong Kong-based Australian jockey Zac Purton, the Irish-bred five-year-old by Oratorio more than justified his second favourite tag of $17 by making light work of a 13-horse field widely regarded as the best SIA Cup line-up ever gathered, defeating stablemate Dan Excel (Weichong Marwing) by three-and-a-quarter-lengths to hand his trainer John Moore a most memorable quinella, but more significantly to the six-time Hong Kong champion trainer, a first win in the glamour showpiece he had tried several times to take home.

Choking with emotion at the winner’s dais, the 63-year-old Australian handler who has worked in Hong Kong for more than 40 years said Military Attack’s win in the 13th running of the SIA Cup was the “icing on the cake”.

“I’ve finally got the icing on the cake! I’ve been trying to win this race for years and I’ve finally done it,” said Moore whose previous raiders were runner-ups Zaidan (2012) and Irian (2011) along with attempts at the KrisFlyer with Happy Zero (3rd in 2010) and Inspiration (unplaced in 2009).

“I’ve always liked coming to Singapore from the days I used to ride here for Garnet Bougoure at Bukit Timah in the Pro-Am races.

“I loved my stay here and always had very fond memories of the track and the country. I always told dad (late legendary jockey and Hong Kong trainer George Moore) that Singapore has changed to a very professional racing nation.”

After heaping praise on the host country, Moore did not fail to later toast his resounding success to both Australia and Hong Kong by letting out a loud: “Up the Aussies, up Hong Kong!” and gleefully taking a swig of the champagne after receiving his winning trophy on stage.

The race itself went without any hitch for Military Attack who settled beautifully in fourth, never losing sight of the early pacemakers, first made up of local hope Flax (Manoel Nunes) before he handed up to Russian galloper Meandre (Khamzat Ulubaev) when the latter came whipping around in the backstraight to inject some speed into the race.

After initially dropping back to the rear from his wide alley, $15 favourite Pastorius then circled the field at the 1500m to also show his intentions to keep up a decent tempo to the pace.

The dynamics of the race was given no respite when roughie Mull Of Killough (George Baker) also joined the fray three wide and as the field swung for home, a line of four gallopers could realistically vie for the top prize.

Flax, had already shown the white flag before the hometurn, while Mull Of Killough peaked on his run. Singapore’s best hope Better Life (Alan Munro), who had settled at the rear, looked like she had left her devastating turn of foot at the stables as she was not seen making much headway.

It was at that moment that Purton pushed the button and Military Attack just exploded away hard up against the rails.

Such was the blistering acceleration of the Irish-bred up the Kranji home straight that Purton could afford to turn off the gas 100m out, giving two peeks over the shoulders just to make sure nothing else was making a late charge. Dan Excel stuck on well for second after being well placed throughout, staving off the stinging challenge from the first local horse, ex-Australian-based German-bred stayer Mawingo (Hugh Bowman).

Military Attack has now brought up his record to 10 wins from 22 starts for stakes earnings close to $4.8 million after he took home prizemoney of $1.7 million on Sunday. But to Moore, he has first and foremost become the horse who has put him and his family, who is steeped in horse-racing history, on the world map, as the SIA Cup was also his first international winner – and has also whetted his appetite for other faraway goals.

“To travel all the way here and stay in this heat and break the two-minute mark (1 min 59.58secs) shows how much this horse has thrived,” he said.

“Four runs back, there were even some queries about him, but he’s turned the corner and has become a really serious horse.

“Zac wanted to bring about some tactical changes when he started riding him and it seems to have worked. Honestly, I didn’t expect he would win so easily as there were some really strong horses in the field.

“When Pastorius was going nowhere, we were caught behind, and Zac nearly ended up on heels. But he just blitzed them once he found the gap to win easing down.

“I would now love to send him to the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) in October in Australia. I know it’s tough with the two weeks (quarantine) at Werribee, but he has shown he could travel.

“And the Cox Plate would be nice as I would love nothing more than to win a Group race in my own country. I’ve actually already discussed with (owner) Steven Lo and I believe the organisers will soon send all the paraphernalia to him.”

While previous winners of the Group 1 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup such as Presvis have raced in the SIA Cup next up, Military Attack is the first to achieve the APQEII Cup – SIA Cup double.

Purton, who has been riding on an incredible whirlwind of success, first giving perennial Hong Kong champion Douglas Whyte a big fight in the jockey’s championship, then landing big-race wins in England (Little Bridge in the King’s Stand) and Hong Kong (Ambitious Dragon in the Longines Hong Kong Mile among others), not to mention winning a jockeys’ series in Japan, was shaking his head in disbelief at the winner’s circle.

“They said it was the strongest race they have ever been able to assemble and it is scary to think how much he has improved in the last three or four months,” said the former Brisbane champion jockey who moved to Hong Kong in 2007.

“I came here thinking I had a good chance. I would have been happy just to win, but to blow them away like that is a phenomenal performance.

“All night, horses near the speed have been favoured and historically this race is not really run at a fast tempo although tonight it turned out to be a little bit different.

“I just began and put myself in a good position and I let Pastorius come around me at the 1500m and of course I thought he was the right horse to be following.

“My horse was just a little bit unbalanced and I thought if I put him on the fence it will just give him something to keep him more tractable.

“They were going at a good tempo and for a second, I thought it could be his undoing. But then, from the 700m, I was looking once again to get on the back of Pastorius thinking he would drag me into the race.

“But I could see he was gone and Dan Excel was travelling really well and Mawingo was pinching ground and saving time getting runs.

“Then the saloon passage just opened up for me and he did the rest. I couldn’t believe how far ahead he was and in the end I just let him idle to the line.

“The last 12 months have been amazing. I won in UK, then the Hong Kong Mile, the Super Series in Japan, ran a close second to Joao Moreira in the series at Happy Valley, and now this!

“If next year is as good as this, I’ll be a very happy man.”

Moore also spared a special word for his valiant runner-up Dan Excel, who arrived in Singapore on the back of a victory in the Group 1 Champions Mile, given he always knew he would play second fiddle in the SIA Cup.

“He’s a solid Group 2 horse. His last win was a very good effort and I’m proud of his placegetting run tonight,” said Moore who had his son George by his side at the winner’s circle.

“I’d also like to thank George and my staff, who have done all the work with them. The two horses came very early last Sunday and they’ve been here right through. Mission accomplished!”

Friday night’s Golden Horseshoe featured each winner of the first five Series races – Rappor, Tashi, Silver Dollar, Peace No War and War Affair, but it was War Affair (O’Reilly x Kristique) who came out on top, producing a powerful finish in the straight to win by a convincing two lengths.

“He’s a pretty exciting horse,” commented Mark Walker. “He’s kept improving with age and he’s got an exciting future in Singapore. Being by O’Reilly, who’s a great sire, I think he’ll go over more ground here.”

To view the full article please, click here.

Bred: Trelawney Thoroughbreds. Offered: Trelawney Stud.Purchased: David Ellis – NZB’s 2012 Karaka Premier Sale – $70,000.

Satin Shoes posted her previous victory at Caulfield in October 2011 but the grand mare finished second in four Group 2 events, including the Challenge Stakes and Premiere Stakes, in the period between her successes.

The Flying Spur (Danehill – Rolls, by Mr Prospector) mare trialled well leading up to the Ortensia Stakes, which was her first run back from a freshen following the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes on April 13.

In-form rider Blake Shinn partnered Satin Shoes, riding her positively to take a forward position on the back of the early leader Zaratone (Zariz – Comeback Queen, by King’s Theatre) before hitting the lead halfway down the long Scone home straight.

Satin Shoes showed plenty of heart to defeat the consistent Anise by a neck while Border Rebel (Johannesburg – Frontier, by Flying Spur) finished strongly for third.

“Jimmy Cassidy used to ride her and said she was better ridden with a sit but I was convinced that she runs her best races when you allow her to roll,” Conners said.

“I told that to Blake and he rode her a treat.”

Satin Shoes fetched $700,000 at the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale but the grand four-year-old’s latest win took her stakes tally past the $800,000 mark.

The daughter of Flying Spur won the Group 2 Silver Slipper (1100m) as a two-year-old while she was also successful in the Listed Widden Stakes and Listed Quezette Stakes (1100m).

The Anthony Cummings-trained mare Arctic Flight (Flying Spur – Scandinavia, by Snippets) started Flying Spur’s successful day at Scone when she claimed the Listed Dark Jewel Classic (1400m).

Already valuable as a sister to Group 1 winner and emerging stallion Magnus ((Flying Spur – Scandinavia, by Snippets) and hailing from the same family of champion sprinter Black Caviar (Bel Esprit – Helsinge, by Desert Sun), Arctic Flight joined Cummings’s Randwick-based stable at the start of her current preparation after beginning her career as part of the Mick Price yard at Caulfield.

Jockey Peter Robl sent Arctic Flight to the lead early in the Dark Jewel Classic before she fought desperately over the concluding stages to beat the Pivotal mare Pipette (Pivotal – Amaryllis, by Sadler’s Wells) to win by a half-head while Miss Stellabelle (Dehere – Sam’s Belle, by Spinning World) was third.

Arctic Flight’s victory left Flying Spur as the sire of 89 stakes winners.

Sir Moments had little luck during his first-up sixth in the Listed Ken Russell Memorial but O’Dea said the gelding would benefit from the use of blinkers. The son of Choisir began only fairly but recovered to settle midfield for jockey Michael Cahill but Sir Moments had to withstand a buffering to improve into the race in the straight.

Sir Moments was bumped heavily passing the 200 metres but the interference failed to stop the two-year-old’s bid for victory over the final furlong as he ran over the top of the front-runners to score a comfortable victory by three-quarters of a length.

“They crawled along early and he was held up behind them I thought he wasn’t going to get the room,” O’Dea told Sky Racing World. “I was a bit worried when he was back on the fence, shades of the Gold Coast a fortnight ago.

“I was worried when he was buried away midfield on the fence and he did get bashed up a bit trying to work into the clear. In the end, it was a good win.

 “I can’t wait to get him to longer races on the bigger track at Eagle Farm.’’

O’Dea will give Sir Moments a chance on the spacious Eagle Farm circuit when he runs in the Group 1 JJ Atkins over 1600 metres in two starts time, which will follow his next assignment in the The Phoenix (1400m) on June 1.

Proven Thoroughbreds paid $40,000 for Sir Moments at the 2012 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale. The juvenile’s win earned connections a $64,000 winner’s cheque took his earnings to more than $85,000.

The Anthony Cummings-trained Diamond Earth (Choisir – Face Of The Earth, by Strategic) became Choisir’s 53^rd stakes winner when the filly claimed the Listed Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m) at Scone.

Diamond Earth settled fourth, just off a smart tempo, early in the Denise’s Joy Stakes before powering home to beat Omniscnient (Exceed And Excel – Omens, by Octagonal) and She’s A Stalker (Ferocity – Vintage Class, by More Than Ready) by a length.

Diamond Earth has proven a terrific money-spinner for connections. The three-year-old cost Cummings $60,000 at the 2011 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale but her latest success took Diamond Earth’s earnings to more than $600,000 despite the Denise’s Joy Stakes being her maiden Stakes victory.

Farhh chased superstar Frankel home twice, in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes and Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes, in a 2012 campaign that reaped five placings at the highest level but the entire took only one outing in 2013 to become a Group 1 winner.

Farhh’s conquerors Frankel, So You Think (High Chaparral – Triassic, by Tights) and Nathaniel (Galileo – Magnificent Style, by Silver Hawk) have all started stud careers, leaving the Godolphin-owned stallion with the chance to assume a place at the top of the older brigade in Europe this year.

Silvestre De Sousa was aboard Farhh in the Lockinge Stakes, positioning the lightly-raced performer midfield before taking his mount to the front two furlongs from home. Farhh sprinted brilliantly at the two furlongs to assume control of the race before striding to a comfortable four-length win over Sovereign Debt (Dark Angel – Kelsey Rose, by Most Welcome) and Aljamaheer (Dubawi – Kelly Nicole, by Rainbow Quest).

“It is fantastic, particularly after the problems we have had over the past few weeks. It is a major boost to the stable,” Godolphin’s racing manager Simon Crisford told the Racing Post.

“He won really well and it did surprise me as he has been difficult to train and (trainer) Saeed (bin Suroor) has had to tiptoe with him but he has done that impressively.”

Farrh became the 21st Group 1 winner and 103rd stakes victor for the top Cheveley Park-based stallion. Farrh is the third of Pivotal’s stock to win the Lockinge Stakes, following Virtual (Pivotal – Virtuous, by Exit To Nowhere – 2009) and Peeress (Pivotal – Noble One, by Primo Dominie – 2006).

Pivotal’s sire Polar Falcon (Nureyev – Marie d’Argonne, by Jefferson) won the Lockinge Stakes in 1991, when the event carried Group 2 status.

The weight-for-age event appeared a ‘two-horse race’ between Solzhenitsyn and Transporter. The duo battled all the way down the Doomben straight with Solzhenitsyn (St Petersburg – Tri Victory, by Victory Dance) defeating Transporter (Commands – Portrait Collector, by Sir Tristram) by a short neck while Epic (Stratum – Thunder Belle, by Thunder Gulch) was third, a further 1-1/4 lengths away.

“I’m glad it’s over, it was a bit exciting,” Solzhenitsyn’s trainer Robert Heathcote told Sky Racing World. “That’s what good racing’s all about. Good keen competitive racing.

“A couple of Group I jockeys aboard a couple of really good promising horses. It was a genuine weight-for-age race and he’s a genuine weight-for-age horse.

“A lovely ride from Michael and I have to give credit to (jockey) Michael Cahill. He gave up the lead and then took him on at the 600 (metres) and it was a two horse war. “

Solzhenitsyn will have his next start in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) on June 8 at Eagle Farm.

Solzhenitsyn’s sire St Petersburg now stands at stud in South Africa. Solzhenitsyn is his only Group 1-winning son, earning $749,615 in prizemoney from 30 starts.