10 October 2024
Classic Rewards Then & Now
5 February 2019
We would not be described a “frequent flyer” in buying at the January Inglis Classic sales however in our past attempts rewards have flown.
DGR purchased one horse at the inaugural Inglis Classic in 1991 for $7,000. That horse became known as Shoeshine Henry and he won the inaugural classic race in 1992, then worth $353,000 under Mick Dittman when run at Canterbury. Shoeshine also ran second in both the Breeders Plate Gr3 & Silver Slipper Gr2 as a two year old and at three ran third in the Caulfield Guineas Gr1 & BMW Vase Gr3. In conjunction with the late Bart Cummings DGR purchased God’s Own at the same sale in 2004.
He cost a bit more than Shoeshine Henry and was the sale topper at $220,000, a price that would now barely raise an eyebrow. God’s Own did vindicate his price winning among other races a Caulfield Guineas Gr1 and second in a Lightning Stakes Gr1 by a head to Takeover Target. Those performances saw him subsequently syndicated as a stallion for millions of dollars. 2019 DGR purchased just one horse at the Classic. In partnership this time with John Sargent we acquired Lot 225 for $80,000.
By the interesting and very good looking first season sire Bull Point from a full sister to multiple Group 2 winning two year old Into The Mist. Into The Mist has gone on to produce her own Group 2 winning two year daughter and now it is sister Countess Delago’s turn with our equally good looking Bull Point colt.