Inglis graduates soared into the New Year taking out the feature events on a brilliant day of racing at Flemington in Melbourne.

Decircles proved too good for his opposition in the Group 3 Standish Handicap down the Flemington straight, Averau led home an Inglis trifecta in the 2800m Listed Bagot Handicap, Take Pride kept her unbeaten record intact when winning the two-year-old fillies event, while Robbie Griffith’s runners Pride Rock and The Quarterback saluted in the same colours of part-owner Craig Pearce.

Decircles (Encosta De Lago x Lady Circles) took his earnings to $435,000 when defeating Lord Of The Sky and Reparations in the run to the line in the $150,000 Group 3 VRC Standish Handicap over 1200m.

(Picture: Decircles as a Inglis yearling at Coolmore Stud)
There were plenty of smiles from trainer and managing owner Danny O’Brien who has nurtured Decircles from few setbacks over the past few seasons into a very handy older sprinter.

“We were pretty confident the horse was going as well as he was last year [when third in the Standish] and he’s run right up to it,” said O’Brien.

Danny O’Brien purchased the son of Encosta de Lago for $275,000 from the draft of Coolmore Stud at the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Breeders Frank Tagg and Gary Moffitt bought back into Decircles to race the galloper with O’Brien plus Mr C D Mathieson, Ken Bee Sports (Aust) Pty Ltd, Mr T H Rourke, Mr A C Lennen, Mr M Bellizia, Mr A Andrikopoulos & Mr N J Fay.

Decircles is the 105th stakes winner for Coolmore Stud’s champion sire Encosta de Lago, which will again have yearlings among the highlights of Inglis’ sales this year.

The Listed VRC Chester Manifold Stakes over 1400m back at Flemington stands as the next assignment for Decircles following today’s win.

Melbourne’s staying feature today, the Listed VRC Bagot Handicap over 2800m, was won by Averau ahead of fellow Inglis graduates Tanby and De Little Engine.

Averau (Stratum x Merayaat) has embraced the staying tests set forth for her by co-trainers Peter Morgan and Craig Widdison as she ran away a dominant three and a half-length victor in today’s $150,000 feature.

(Picture: Averau as a Inglis yearling at Grange Thoroughbreds)

"She’s such a fit horse and she just keeps on going. We don’t have to do much with her and she just keeps on keeping on, she’s a very good stayer,” said Morgan

Bred by Burnewang North Pastoral, Averau has passed through Inglis’ sale ring in Melbourne twice. The daughter of Stratum was sold by Burnewang at the 2010 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale for $48,000 to Grange Thoroughbreds, which pinhooked the filly through to the 2011 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale where Averau was snapped up by Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock for $130,000.

Peter Morgan and Craig Widdison indicated that Averau may now head south for the Hobart Cup and Launceston Cup.

Averau is the 26th stakes winner for Widden Stud sire Stratum which is represented by over 40 lots in Inglis’ three major yearling sales in 2015.

Catalogues are available for the Inglis Classic and Premier Yearling Sales, while the Easter Preview magazine is available online at inglis.com.au

Inglis Classic Yearling Sale Summer Book - Sydney - 8, 9 & 10 February 2015

Inglis Premier Yearling Sale - Melbourne - 1, 2, 3 & 4 March 2015

Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale – Sydney - 7, 8 & 9 April 2015