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Tops Inglis Digital June (Early) Online Sale.
Ranch Hand (Fastnet Rock) topped Wednesday's Inglis Digital June (Early) Online Sale when he was bought for $600,000 by Guy Mulcaster.
Ranch Hand will remain with current trainer Chris Waller and Mulcaster is hoping that the three-year-old will develop into a stallion prospect. The colt has won three times to date including the Listed Poseidon Stakes (1100m) last September and won the Culcutta Plate (1400m) at his most recent start on May 14 and he is second emergency for Saturday's Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).
"Right here right now I think he made a very good price that was worthy of what he has achieved so far, I mean his form is very good and we believe he has a lot of upside as a relatively lightly-raced three-year-old,'' said Mulcaster who purchased Ranch Hand for stable clients.
"But if he were to come out and win the Stradbroke, well suddenly he's a Group 1-winning son of Fastnet Rock who is a winner at two, a stakes winner as a spring three-year-old and a Group 1 winner.
"That's obviously the plan with him ultimately, to win a Group 1 and to make him a stallion prospect. Even if he doesn't get a start in the Stradbroke, he'll run in the other race he's accepted in at Eagle Farm on Saturday and then we'll focus on the spring with him.''
Mulcaster also went to $245,000 to purchase three-year-old gelding Naval Seal (Snitzel) in, who will also remain in the Waller stable. The son of Snitzel (Redoute's Choice) has raced five times to date, winning once and placing in a further three.
"He'll be given the time he needs to mature and with the prizemoney going up everywhere, we've got a horse ready to go,'' Mulcaster continued.
"I use Inglis Digital regularly, both as a buyer and seller and it's great, it's a really easy to use platform, everything is there right in front of you and we've had plenty of great results.''
Both Ranch Hand and Naval Seal were offered by Waller Racing, in conjunction with Coolmore and partners.
Coolmore's Racing Manager Rob Archibald said: "Ranch Hand and Naval Seal have both sold really well today, we're very grateful to Chris and his team who have always had a lot of belief in these horses and have backed that up today by purchasing them for stable clients.
"Thanks again to Inglis, we've enjoyed some fantastic success selling through Inglis Digital the past six weeks especially and these are two further positive results.
"We had a lot of enquires about them in the lead-up, the videos and advertising Inglis did seemed to reach a lot of people the past week or so and that's all we can ask for really.''
Other notable lots to sell during the auction include stakes winning four-year-old mare All Banter (I'm All The Talk) who realised $320,000 when bought by Rob Ferguson and Bollinger Rose (More Than Ready) – who was offered in foal to Toronado (High Chaparral) – sold to Simon Raleigh's TJS Bloodstock for $300,000.
Sold by her trainer Richard Jolly, All Banter was a fantastic result for her owners.
"We're all so happy, we thought she'd make in the twos to be honest so to get $320,000, I've already had a lot of texts from the owners who are over the moon,'' Jolly said.
"She's been a very good mare to us, a dual Stakes winner and we thought she deserved to sell well but she's absolutely exceeded everyone's expectations.''
For TJS' Simon Raleigh, third-top lot Bollinger Rose – offered by Three Bridges - the $300,000 price tag was the upper echelon of what he thought he might have to pay but he didn't want to miss her.
"I was happy to pay top dollar for her – and I certainly think it was top dollar – and that's credit to Inglis Digital and the work they do in promoting these horses,'' Raleigh said.
"She'll go to Blue Gum now and foal down but she's not due until December 2 so whether I leave her empty or go again straight away with her, we'll just make a decision when we see what unfolds in six months or so. I've already had Newgate on the phone express an interest in getting her to one of their stallions but there's no rush to make a call there.''
Three Bridges' Toby Liston added: "It's a fantastic result, we're big supports of Inglis Digital and Nick Melmeth and Steph [Carruthers] do a wonderful job, every couple of weeks we have stock on there and get great results, it's just a great way to sell horses.
"There was a lot of competition on her which is always great to see when you offer horses anywhere.
"We're actually offering the Blue Point weanling colt out of the mare tomorrow at Great Southern [lot 186], he's been very popular at inspections this week and somebody will get the chance to take a beautiful colt home with them.''
The June (Early) Sale grossed $4,032,100, the third of the past four Inglis Digital auctions to gross $4m or more.