By Kit Gow/Dane McLeod/TTR AusNZThe 2026 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale concluded on Monday with another day of dazzling results, hugely successful pinhooks, and a noticeable dominance by super sire Extreme Choice, who averaged a record-breaking $1.56 million across the sale.At A GlanceThe clearance rate for the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale decreased to 76% (86%), and the aggregate decreased to $145.7 million, below 2025 ($150 million) and 2024 ($151.8 million). 314 horses sold this year compared to 332 in 2025.The average lifted to a record high of $464,108 ($451,913), while the median dropped slightly in 2026 to $350,000 ($360,000).18 lots sold for $1 million or more on a strong day of trading, making 26 in total for the sale, compared to 25 in 2025, 18 in 2024 and 26 in 2023. This year's sale topper was sold on Day 1 for $3 million, while the top lot of Day 2 made $2.2 million, a colt by Too Darn Hot (GB) who was sold by Widden Stud to Watership Down / McKeever Bloodstock / Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing.Top Buyers: Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ) was the sale's top buyer by gross, spending $8.775 million on 15 yearlings. Tom Magnier topped the averages (two or more bought), spending an average of $2 million each on two yearlings.Top Vendors: Arrowfield Stud headed the vendors by aggregate, selling 46 yearlings for $19.4 million. By average (two or more sold), Newgate Farm ended the sale with an average of $867,778 across 18 yearlings sold.Top Sire: Snitzel led the stallions by gross across the whole sale with $19.2 million from 32 lots, while Extreme Choice topped the averages (2 or more sold) at $1.56 million across nine lots sold.Lot 288 – Too Darn Hot (GB) x Enbihaar (Magnus) (colt) – $2,200,000The strong sale for Widden Stud kept on building as they topped the day when Lot 288, a powerful Too Darn Hot (GB) colt, was purchased for $2.2 million by Watership Down, McKeever Bloodstock and Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing.No stranger to the Riverside Stables ring, the colt was secured for $775,000 by the Equine Growth Fund at last year's Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, making this return, just under 12 months later – an extremely lucrative figure of $1,425,000 profit.The colt is the fourth foal out of the smart juvenile Enbihaar (Magnus), a two-time winner at two, including the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (f), and also placed in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes.Enbihaar has since developed into a high-class broodmare, producing Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Too Darn Lizzie (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who sold for $2.4 million to Ciaron Maher Bloodstock at last year's Inglis Chairman's Sale. Enbihaar is also a full sister to the talented Miss Celine (Magnus), the winner of the Listed Debutant Stakes on debut.Adding further depth to the page, Enbihaar herself sold for $1.6 million at last year's Chairman's Sale and is now in the hands of Yulong.“I just didn't want to lose him, because our whole sale centred around him. But having said that, I knew it was asking Simon and Madeleine (on the phone) a lot and I knew it was a big ask,” Johnny McKeever said.“But, you know, when we bought Too Darn Lizzie, we had one more bid… I was on my own that day, so I didn't have Simon (Marsh) to even ask, so in that respect, maybe it's a good omen that the market pushed us to make it a little uncomfortable.“At the end of the day, there's nothing to worry about with the horse, he is simply the best yearling on the grounds, I thought.”Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, who were part of the buying team, will train the colt.“Yes they're going to train him, and I know that Adrian and Gai loved him as well. We're absolutely delighted,” McKeever continued.“We've had so much success with Watership Down in Australia. All I've got to do is be so grateful that Simon (Marsh) has asked me to help work a Watership Down in Australia.“Because it's given me a completely different stratosphere to live in. Before, I was coming down here, as a bloodstock agent, getting a few little horses to buy here and there. Now here I am now, thanks to Watership Down, Madeline and Simon. I'm playing with the big boys and it's, yeah, I'm a bit overwhelmed.”Enbihaar also has a Zoustar weanling filly and was served by Alabama Express last season.Lot 451 – Snitzel x Ms Bad Behavior (Can) (Blame {USA}) (colt) – on account of Arrowfield Stud – $2,000,000There was little doubt Lot 451, Arrowfield Stud's Snitzel colt out of the star-producing mare Ms Bad Behavior (Can) (Blame {USA}), would attract significant attention, and it duly delivered, selling for $2,000,000 to the James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership, Tony Fung Colts and Tom Magnier.A colt of the highest calibre on pedigree, he is a full brother to G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner and Coolmore Stud stallion Switzerland, and hails from a deep, internationally performed family.The page continues to strengthen. 3-year-old Decorum (Snitzel) has shown encouraging signs having won three races in quick succession, while the 2-year-old full brother St Gotthard (Snitzel) – a $2.7 million purchase by Coolmore from this same draft at last year's Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale – has been impressing at the trials for trainer Chris Waller and shapes as one to follow.“Pedigree aside, we just thought he was an awesome horse, a real beautiful horse,” James Harron said.“Obviously the mare's done a fantastic job and we're just delighted to be able to get a horse of that calibre, and it's great to team up with Coolmore and go to Chris Waller and try and do it all again.”Speaking on the partnership Harron said, “You know, we're obviously great friends and we've got a great relationship and I just thought it'd be cool to have a chat with the guys and sort of said, why don't we get together, instead of taking each other on on this particular horse?“It made a lot of sense and it's really good to do it. I used to work there and we've got a great relationship, so hopefully we'll have good luck with this horse.”Lot 327 – Extreme Choice x Giza Goddess (USA) (Cairo Prince {USA}) (colt) – $2,000,000Yulong and Matt Laurie Racing combined to secure Lot 327, a standout Extreme Choice colt, for $2,000,000 from the Newgate Farm draft.Out of American Listed winner Giza Goddess (USA) (Cairo Prince {USA}), the colt appealed strongly on both pedigree and physique, with Yulong hoping to replicate their previous success with the sire.That success was headlined by Devil Night (Extreme Choice), a $1.4 million purchase from the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, who has since gone on to claim the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes and place in the G1 William Reid Stakes at his last start. A valuable future stallion prospect, he sets a high benchmark – one Yulong will be hoping this colt can match.“He ticked every stallion box when we saw him, he moves well and he's got a very strong body and we believe he could be a very good race horse in the future,” Jun Zhang General Manager of Yulong commented.“Also another part is that he is by Extreme Choice and he's a very good sire so he's the one we definitely had to buy.“He's an outstanding colt, we have seen a lot of Extreme Choice colts, and they are not like this one. So he's outstanding.“We are going to work with Matt Laurie with this colt, he will be the trainer for us.”Lot 383 – Snitzel x Laguna Azzurra (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) (filly) – $1,800,000Equine Holdings went to $1,800,000 to secure this Snitzel filly, a full sister to G1 Coolmore Classic winner Lazzura (Snitzel), from the draft of Arrowfield Stud.Out of Laguna Azzurra (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {USA}), a winner in Japan, the filly boasts a deep and internationally flavoured pedigree. Her dam has produced three winners, headed by Lazzura, whose resume includes a Group 1 victory alongside multiple wins at Group 2, Group 3 and Listed level.The page is rich with Japanese black-type performers, reinforcing the filly's significant residual value and international appeal.“Fantastic, I'm just delighted with the result, Equine Holdings purchased her, I've got to find out a little bit more about them. They were bidding online but it was a very spirited bidding duel. I know she was a well looked at horse and there were plenty there that were after her,” Arrowfield Stud's Paul Messara said.“She's a lovely filly obviously, with a full sister Lazzura, winning the G1 Coolmore Classic recently, so she's got a lot of residual value and obviously a lot of racing as well, so I'm very pleased.”Lot 255 – Extreme Choice x Cicatrix (USA) (Violence {USA}) (filly) – $1,600,000Dean Hawthorne continued his strong buying presence, going to $1.6 million for Lot 255, a quality Extreme Choice filly from the Newgate Farm draft.Out of American Listed winner Cicatrix (USA) (Violence {USA}), the filly hails from a proven family. Cicatrix has already produced two winners, including the smart Mayfair (Fastnet Rock), a juvenile winner who has since been placed in the G3 San Domenico Stakes, G3 Ming Dynasty Handicap, G1 Golden Rose and the Silver Eagle.The pedigree is further strengthened by the presence of American Group 1 winner and sire Another Review (USA), along with Group 1 performer Dance Colony (USA) (Pleasant Colony {USA}).“She was probably a pick of the Extreme Choice fillies. He's such a great sire, they don't come along in numbers, so when the good ones come along you've got to take a chance to grab them,” Dean Hawthorne said.“We knew there'd be competition on her and I'm pretty sure I knew who it was out the back. I could see Guy (Mulcaster) hovering. But look, we've beaten a good pair of judges there, but she was lovely and she's from an imported family that's produced a fast horse already in Australia, so we loved her and he's at another level, this sire.”Lot 436 – Extreme Choice x Miss Exfactor (Your Song) (colt) – $1,600,000Extreme Choice's outstanding sale continued when Lot 436, a quality colt out of Miss Exfactor (Your Song), was secured for $1,600,000 by Go Bloodstock, Michael Freedman and Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) from the Newgate Farm draft.Miss Exfactor was a classy, five-time winning sprinter, highlighted by her victory in the G3 Birthday Card Stakes. She is also a half-sister to Boogie Dancer (Sooboog), winner of the G2 Thousand Guineas Prelude and fourth in the G1 Thousand Guineas, adding further depth to an already strong page.“He's a really lovely colt, it's obviously late in the sale, so we've had to wait a little bit, but we really liked him,” Michael Freedman commented.“I actually saw him at the Gold Coast when he was up there originally, and he was withdrawn from that sale to come here.“So, when I saw him on the sale ground earlier, we actually thought he looked better than when he was up there.“Great to have the support of Go Bloodstock, and we're trying to buy some sharper early types in partnership with some other clients.“The brief was to try and find something that could get up and go a little bit early, which this colt very much looks that way.“I'm looking forward to getting him a couple of weeks off and then start breaking him in and go through the process.”The post Too Darn Hot Colt Takes Top Billing On Day Two Of Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.