Record-breaking triple G1 winner's first-crop weanlings steal the show

Helmet leads all sires by average at Inglis Great Southern Sale in Melbourne

First-crop weanlings by Exceed And Excel’s triple G1-winning son Helmet were in huge demand at the Inglis Great Southern Sale in Melbourne, June 23. Such was the popularity of the Helmet weanlings, he led all sires by average, with his six weanlings sold averaging $56,667.

Helmet’s top-priced lot was the Basinghall Farm-consigned colt out of Flemington-winning Jeune mare Take All Of Me (pictured). Sold as lot 242 the colt, who looked strikingly like his sire, was knocked down to William Inglis as agent for $100,000.

Shortly after lot 254, a Helmet colt out of imported mare Umoya consigned by Yarran, was purchased by Ascot Farm for $90,000. Umoya is an unraced half-sister to Canadian Champion Miss Keller.

Helmet’s highest-priced filly was the Supreme Thoroughbreds-consigned lot 127, a daughter of unraced Encosta de Lago mare Lindy Lets Go, she was knocked down for $78,000.

Standing alongside Helmet at Darley’s Victorian farm is Skilled who was also represented by his first weanlings at the Great Southern Sale. Lot 39 was a Skilled colt out of unraced Octagonal mare Camomile whose first three yearlings to go through a sale ring had not reached beyond $10,000. Her fifth foal, the flashy dark brown Skilled colt proved very popular, eventually selling to Damien Gleeson’s Phoenix Broodmare Farm for $26,000.

Helmet is standing the coming breeding season at Northwood Park at a fee of $33,000 inc. GST alongside another son of Exceed And Excel in Kuroshio, whose fee for his debut season at stud is $8,800 inc. GST. Skilled is also at Northwood Park at a fee of $6,600 inc. GST.