To racehorse buyers, this nod is as good as a Winx

The Australian

11 hours ago

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Could this be the most valuable thoroughbred yearling offered for sale anywhere in the world next year?
The little colt with the white blaze just happens to be the second foal born from the all-time great racemare, Winx.
His father was Snitzel, the four-time champion Australian sire that sadly passed away earlier this month, which only makes this colt even more valuable when he enters the sale ring at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale next year.
Winx's first foal was sold at the Inglis Easter Sale last year for $10m – a world record for a yearling filly.
It is estimated Winx's colt by Snitzel will at least challenge the Australian record sale price for a yearling colt of $5m.
Winx at the Cox Plate in a scene from the documentary movie A Horse Called Winx.
Debbie Kepitis, a part-owner of Winx, became so emotionally attached to the mare's first foal she bid $10m to buy her back, but she said she was trying to be more pragmatic about Winx's colt.
'You can only do one of those horses (Winx's filly) in your lifetime,'' Ms Kepitis said.
'It was hard to part with the filly, but I have to be realistic with the second foal.
'He's gorgeous. He's cheeky and he has thrown a lot to Snitzel, which is exciting given he was such a good producer.''
Ms Kepitis said Winx's ownership group, which includes Peter and Patty Tighe, and Elizabeth and Rick Treweeke, agreed to offer the Snitzel colt for sale.
'It's not easy to part with these amazing animals but we can't keep everything,'' she said.
'We appreciate this colt and hopefully he can go on and shine for our beautiful mare.''
Peter Tighe, who has travelled to the US where the acclaimed movie-documentary A Horse Called Winx will feature at the Prescott Film Festival in Arizona in July, said he had not ruled out buying back into the mare's colt when he was offered for sale at Easter.
'I would be interested to buy into the colt, depending on the circumstances,'' he said.
'We get regular updates about the colt's progress and he's a nice type, he seems to be doing really well.''
Mr Tighe would not be drawn on how much the colt could fetch at the 2026 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, but conceded the thrill of watching Winx's first foal (by Pierro) sold at the Riverside complete last year was 'indescribable'.
Hugh Bowman rides Winx in the Cox Plate, which she won four times from 2015 to 2018.
'It absolutely blew our minds. The team at Inglis did an incredible job and we think the Snitzel colt will get the attention of investors from right around the world in 2026,'' Mr Tighe said.
Inglis Bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch said it was humbling to be given the chance to offer Winx's latest foal for sale at Riverside Stables in Sydney next autumn.
'To have the first male offspring of the mighty Winx coming to the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale is an absolute thrill and something we're hugely grateful to the ownership group for,'' Hutch said.
'I have been lucky enough to see this colt a number of times through his development. He has always looked like a good horse and I think he is going to present as a very good yearling at the sale.
'He's a handsome colt with great movement and unflappable temperament. He's a special sort of horse. His presence at next year's sale is going to make for a captivating spectacle.''
Winx's first foal, Quinceanera, is a rising three-year-old filly who has just returned to pre-training but won't make her debut until next season.