Glamour girls go under the hammer

Ryan Hill has made the tough call to sell London’s Image, the filly who helped put his training career on the map. She will go through the ring at tonight’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale, bringing an emotional chapter to a close.

“All the smart people say if we sell her and pay the rest of our mortgage off, it builds the operation going forward,” Hill said. “My heart tells me to keep her, but it’s a business call.”

London’s Image proved a gem for the stable, winning five of her 17 starts and finishing in the placings on six other occasions. She famously led all the way to win the Listed Burgess Queen Stakes and followed up with another bold front-running win in the Breeders’ Classic.

Her form was strong throughout the Ascot Carnival, with placings in the Placid Ark, Lee Steere, and Magic Millions WA 3YO Trophy. A Melbourne placing in the Abell Stakes also added to her value.

“That night at the Valley, the atmosphere was just unbelievable,” Hill reflected. “She’s just been unbelievable, always ran super races.”

She joins a high-profile list of mares at the sale, including Amelia’s Jewel — the ten-time stakes winner and Group 1 Northerly Stakes heroine who earned over $4 million on the track.

“There will be mixed emotions and she’s given us a lot of fun, but I think it’s time she moved on to a good stallion,” said owner Peter Walsh.

As these exceptional mares begin new chapters, punters can follow their next steps — whether in the breeding shed or back in training — with updated odds and specials from top bookies listed on our betting sites page.