One of Winx’s part owners has broken down in tears after paying an Australian record $10 million to buy the only living foal of Australia’s greatest racehorse.
Debbie Kepitis bought the filly on the second day of trading at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale at Warwick Farm, smashing the previous Australian record of $5 million for a yearling, paid for a half-brother to Black Caviar in 2013.
Winx’s foal was the subject of intense interest from at home and overseas, with buyers in Europe, Asia and the US all showing interest before she was finally sold to Kepitis’ Woppitt Bloodstock for the mammoth price in front of thousands of onlookers.
“I didn’t come here to buy this horse originally,” said Kepitis, a part-owner of Winx along with Peter Tighe and the family of the late Richard Treweeke.
“We put her up for auction and in the last few weeks, all of the family, we started to miss our daughter and granddaughter. We decided, as best we could, if we could get her we would.
“I’m privileged to have been able to secure this filly on behalf of my family. To hopefully see if she can get to the racetrack, and if she can’t, she will be an amazing mum. She’s Australian forever, and she’s going to be just fabulous.”
Winx’s trainer Chris Waller will prepare the filly for racing.
Her owners agreed to sell her only foal at this year’s Sydney sale, prompting American private equity tycoon John Stewart to vow he would spend up to $9 million to secure the filly by champion stallion Pierro.
Stewart was the underbidder on the filly and told Inglis chief executive Mark Webster, who was bidding via phone, he was out when bidding reached $10 million.
“He asked me to be strong,” Webster said. “When it got to $10 [million], that was it. He said, ‘That’s it. She can have it’. He’s gone back to a party going in Lexington.”
The sale will ensure the filly remains in Australia, with Kepitis – daughter of Bob Ingham, the poultry magnate who co-founded the famous Ingham Bloodstock racing and breeding operation with brother Jack Ingham – essentially buying out her two fellow part-owners in Winx.
“I knew Debbie loved the horse and wanted the horse, but I didn’t know how strong she would be,” Webster said.
“It’s the most outstanding result. It’s the most expensive horse our company has sold and has ever been sold at auction in the southern hemisphere. I thank all the owners of Winx for supporting the sale and trusting us with the filly.”
Inglis had a security guard monitor the filly in her stall around the clock in the lead-up to the sale, which dominates the Australian horse-trading market alongside Gold Coast’s Magic Millions.
