Beautifully-bred Lilliburlero is dam of Lot 206 (pic: Steve Hart)

Just like with the climate change 'debate', statistics don't lie. That's why in any robust discussion pertaining to the very top end of the Australasian Yearling market, Cressfield must be central. In 2016, the Inglis Easter Sale average was $243,000. Cressfield averaged $361,000. In 2017 the average grew to $323,000. Cressfield simply grew exponentially – to a whopping $543,000. These numbers are even more salient given the extreme quality of yearlings being offered by the cream of the Australasian yearling market at this sale. 

So what does the 2018 Inglis Easter Sale hold for Cressfield? 

Any analysis has to start with Lot 208, and under any measure he has to be in the frame for potential sale topper. By Medaglia d'Oro, the Gr1-winning sire of Gr1 Golden Slipper winner Vancouver, the colt's a half-brother to hot freshman yearling sires and elite performers Shooting To Win and Deep Field. Pure logic, let alone mathematics, would point to this colt being a potential sire prospect. And the maths at this point has Medaglia d'Oro, in Australia alone, at 28 stakes horses for 10 Group winners and over $17 million in earnings.

Speaking of elite, the colt by Frankel opens the Cressfield draft of 6. He's Lot 6 from Gr3 winning Bahri mare Acts of Grace. This is a serious pedigree. Acts of Grace is a half-sister to Champion Older Male Sprinter and elite sire Invincible Spirit, the sire of high-flying Australian entire I Am Invincible. His 2nd dam Rafha won the Gr1 Prix de Diane at 3. As for Frankel, well all the superlatives have already been used. And he currently has one of the world's leading gallopers in Cracksman as a son, amongst 20 stakes winners.

Coincidentally, Lot 206 is by I Am Invincible. She's from Redoute's Choice mare Lilliburlero, a winner of the Gr3 Triscay Stakes and runner-up win the Gr2 ATC Breeders Classic. The pedigree highlights an interesting dual cross of both Danzig and Canny Lad and this is the mare's first foal which adds additional interest to what is a very talented family. She's also a sister to Vimy, dam of Gr2-winning Lonhro colt Souchez. And the second dam just happens to be Champion Australian Filly and dual Gr1 winner Regimental Girl.

Lot 178 is the first of 2 Fastnet Rock fillies. She's from Stravinsky mare Jeu de Cartes, a Gr2 winner of nine in NZ and with a Japanese winner as her first foal to race. The dam is also a half-sister to Champion NZ Stayer Nom du Jeu, winner of the Gr1 Australian Derby, and sire of Hong Kong boom galloper Ping Hai Star. Second dam Prized Gem was a dual Gr1 NZ winner and Champion Older Female. Key here is that the cross has produced 25 winners from 31 runners for a high 16% W/R and includes four-time Gr1 winner Mosheen.

The second Fastnet filly is Lot 229, from Gr1 Stradbroke Handicap winner Mid Summer Music. A young mare, this being only her second foal, it's a family that includes Irish 1000 Guineas winner Black Satin and her Gr1 Belmont Metropolitan-winning son Czaravich. 

The final lot in yet another superlative Cressfield draft is Lot 402, the colt by Champion Australian Sire Exceed and Excel from dual Gr2 winning Red Ransom mare Thump. Exceed and Excel is foolproof. He's produced Gr1 winners in Australia (Guelph, Flamberge, Helmet, Earthquake, Reward For Effort and Gr1 Golden Slipper winner Overreach, as part of an abbreviated list) as well as Gr1 winners in the UK (Excelebration and Margot Kid), Hong Kong (Mr Stunning) and UAE (Amber Sky). And this nick is tracking at a high 13% SW/R and includes dual Melbourne stakeswinner Reparations.The dam of this colt is also a three-quarter-sister to stakeswinner Noble Red, half-sister to stakes placed Snoopy and half-sister to the dam of Gr3 Frank Packer Plate winner Mongolian Wolf.