NEWMARKET, UK—The most expensive yearling colt sold in the world this year was the highlight of a lively first day of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, as a Dubawi (Ire) half-brother to Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) elicited a Godolphin-Coolmore duel in which Sheikh Mohammed came out on top with a bid of 3.6-million gns. Dubawi provided all three seven-figure lots on the day, with a pair of colts each earlier bringing 1-million gns apiece.
Figures showed that the session wound up relatively on par with the same day last year. From a catalogue that grew to 184 from 173, 164 were offered and 136 sold, compared to 133 sold last year. The clearance rate dipped slightly to a still-respectable 83% (it was 85% on this day last year). The average was down 2% to 260,353gns, while the median climbed 6% to 180,000gns.
By the time the session-topping lot 148 took to the ring, two Dubawi colts had already sold for 1 million gns apiece but the Hazelwood Bloodstock-consigned son of Alina (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) quickly swept past that figure as first Alastair Donald took on the might of Godolphin and then the Coolmore team joined the fray.
Sun Bloodstock will certainly not regret the purchase of Alina, a daughter of Group 3 winner Cheyenne Star (Ire) (Mujahid), in the same ring for 65,000gns back in 2013. The foal she was carrying at the time became the G1 St James’s Palace S. winner Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}). Four years later, the mare’s Kodiac (GB) filly, now named Qatar Queen (GB), topped the December Yearling Sale at 400,000gns when offered by then-fledgling consignors Adrian and Philippa O’Brien of Hazelwood Bloodstock.
David O’Callaghan, who represents the colt’s breeder Sun Bloodstock, owner of Australia’s Eliza Park International, said, “He was very popular and once you get to a million you don’t really know what’s going to happen. But all the right players were there and all the noises were there but you don’t like to think that can happen. It’s great for the guys, they spend a lot of money, so it’s great to see them get a return.
“He was born that way and every day he’s got better and better. Adrian has always said he’s a star, but you don’t believe that until you get here and everything comes together, the x-rays and scopes. It’s an unreal situation.”
Sun Bloodstock, which has around a dozen mares in Europe, has retained the mare’s 2-year-old colt named Thames River (GB) (Free Eagle {Ire}) and also has her listed-placed daughter Wisdom Mind (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in training in Ireland with Joseph O’Brien.
O’Callaghan added, “[The mare] lost a Dubawi colt this year and then we didn’t breed her back because she was late. We gave her the year off and let her get over the colic surgery.”
Adrian O’Brien, in his third season of consigning under the Hazelwood banner, was close to speechless as the colt exited the ring. He said, “I’m blown away. I don’t really have that many words at the moment. The colt never missed a beat. He paraded like a champion from day one but even so, that’s an unbelievable figure. We are so grateful to our clients for sending us such incredible stock to work with.”
Anthony Stroud signed for the colt on Godolphin’s behalf and said, “He’s really athletic and a really good mover. Sheikh Mohammed picked him out and it was his favourite of today.
“Night of Thunder, being a son of Dubawi, is doing really well at stud and we have Too Darn Hot now and he’s a very exciting stallion to have. It all goes back to Dubai Millennium, a fantastic racehorse who Sheikh Mohammed feels particularly proud of and attached to, and quite rightly.”
He added, “Coolmore are wonderful judges and fantastic at what they do, so to be honest being in their company is an honour.”
As well as featuring as breeder of the top lot, Sun Bloodstock also made three purchases during the opening session, signing for a Galileo half-brother to top-class sprinter Art Connoisseur (Ire) (Lucky Story) (lot 123) at 200,000gns and a Kingman (GB) daughter of Adonesque (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) (lot 138) for 120,000gns. In partnership with Qatar Racing, the operation also purchased a colt by Showcasing (GB) (lot 106) for 120,000gns.
The Fugue On Song At Tattersalls
At this sale a year ago, David Redvers spent a sale-topping 3.5-million gns for a Dubawi colt out of one of Watership Down’s star producers in Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). While the mare in question was different this time around, Redvers nonetheless swooped for another son of Dubawi out of a Watership Down jewel when spending 1 million gns on lot 77, the third foal out of four-time Group 1 winner The Fugue (GB) (Dansili {GB}), midway through Tuesday’s opening session of Book 1.
The Fugue has been mated exclusively with Dubawi thus far, producing the unraced 3-year-old filly Fughetta (GB) and the 2-year-old filly Counterpoint (GB), and Redvers noted that the mare’s latest foal did not take after his elder siblings.
“By all accounts he’s very different to his two full-siblings, who are not the same at all,” Redvers said. “He’s very much like daddy. He vetted very well, he has good, clean knees, which for a Dubawi is pretty key. If he’s half as good as mummy and daddy he’s going to be a very exciting horse.”
The colt will follow his dam into the stable of John Gosden.
“He’ll go to Mr. Gosden; it would be silly to send him anywhere else,” Redvers said. “We’re excited to add him to the team.”
Redvers said this time last year he was looking for colts to join the Tweenhills stallion roster one day, and that goal remains the same. Redvers’s purchases on Tuesday also included lot 14, a New Approach (Ire) colt out of the unraced mare but excellent producer Scribonia (Ire) (Danehill), and the Qatar Racing advisor added, “Dubawis are very hard things to buy. We know he’s a sensational stallion, but sometimes they come in slightly surprising packages as well. This horse was a beautiful package, very strong, and out of one of the best racemares of recent years. This game is all about the dream and he’ll certainly give Sheikh Fahad and his brothers plenty to dream about over the next couple years.”
It wasn’t only colts Redvers was after on Tuesday. At the halfway point of the session he had signed for the top two lots, which also included lot 75, a Galileo (Ire) filly out of the Listed Bosra Sham S. winner Terror (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) for 550,000gns. It is a family Redvers is familiar with; Terror was purchased as a 2-year-old and campaigned by Qatar Racing before being sold for 300,000gns at the 2015 Tattersalls December Mares Sale.
Nineteen years ago Watership Down Stud gave 920,000gns for Sumoto (GB) (Mtoto {GB}) the year before her son Summoner (GB) (Inchinor {GB}) raised a few eyebrows when beating stablemate Noverre (Rahy) while supposedly playing the role of pacemaker in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. Summoner’s full-brother Anchor (GB), who was in utero when Sumoto was purchased, went on to recoup some of the cost of the mare’s purchase when sold as a yearling to Demi O’Byrne for 460,000gns. The decision to send Sumoto to Sadler’s Wells the following year resulted in Twyla Tharp (Ire), who was retained by her breeders and won a maiden in the Lloyd-Webber colours before running second in the G2 Ribblesdale S. Her major contribution to Watership Down Stud, however, came via her second foal, The Fugue (GB) (Dansili {GB}), winner of the G1 Nassau S. at three before annexing the G1 Yorkshire Oaks and G1 Irish Champion S. the following year and then beating Magician (Ire) and Treve (Fr) in the G1 Prince of Wales’s S. in her final season of racing as a 5-year-old.
Since her return to the farm where she was born, The Fugue has produced two Dubawi (Ire) fillies, and her sales ring debut as a broodmare, through her colt by the same stallion, was widely expected to be one of the early highlights of Book 1.
“We’re absolutely delighted with what he’s made and that Sheikh Fahad has bought him,” said Watership Down Stud manager Simon Marsh, who watched the colt sell alongside his breeder Madeleine Lloyd-Webber. “The Fugue was a one-in-a-million filly for us and she has produced a smashing colt. Hopefully he will help to get her on the road as a broodmare.”
Watership Down also provided a Kingman (GB) colt out of Swiss Lake (Indian Ridge {Ire}) who was bought by MV Magnier for 400,000gns. Lot 64 is out of the multiple listed winner Swiss Lake, who has outdone herself as a broodmare as the dam of Group 3 winners Swiss Diva (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and Swiss Spirit (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and listed winner Swiss Dream (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), herself the dam of G3 Hackwood S. winner Yafta (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
Sheikh Obaid Recruits Dubawi Colt
A second son of Dubawi to hammer at 1 million gns came during the afternoon when trainer Kevin Ryan had the last word on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid for Newsells Park Stud’s lot 124. Bred by John Gunther, the May 22 foal is a half-brother to GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Tamarkuz (Speightstown) as well as Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who gave Gunther and his daughter Tanya such a memorable day at Royal Ascot last year when landing the G1 St James’s Palace S. The dam, Without You Babe (Lemon Drop Kid), is a half-sister to dual Grade I winner Stay Thirsty (Bernardini).
Ryan made his debut buying for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, who raced Dubawi, at this sale last year, and the owner has been known to dig deep into his pockets to secure the most prized yearlings by his former stable star.
“Sheikh Mohammed Obaid loved the horse and he knows more about the sire than anyone,” Ryan said. “He had a lot of similarities to the sire when he was walking around there and we’re delighted to buy him. He has the pedigree, by a great sire and it’s wonderful to buy a horse like that. He’s the most gorgeous horse and a lovely individual.”
Westerberg Involvement Increases
Last week at Goffs, Georg von Opel, the owner gradually assembling a team of well-bred fillies to form a future broodmare band, was involved in the purchase of the top two lots of the Orby Sale, both fillies by Galileo (Ire). On Monday he added another two fillies to the list, this time by Galileo’s son Frankel (GB)—one a sole purchase and another again in partnership with Coolmore. The latter was the top-priced filly of the sale, lot 105, bred by Lynch Bages Ltd and knocked down at 850,000gns to Laurent Benoit, while standing alongside MV Magnier and Von Opel.
The agent had some stiff opposition from John Camilleri, breeder of Winx (Aus) and Vancouver (Aus), as his underbidder in the running for the filly out of Wadyhatta (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), and thus bred on very similar lines to Derby winner Australia (GB).
Benoit said, “She is a Frankel from the very nice family of Allez Les Trois. It is difficult to buy a filly such as this with such a pedigree. Her half-brother Santiago (Ire) is now a winner, and the dam’s half-sister Riqa (GB) had a good 2-year-old winner by Kingman (GB) last month.”
The Kingman juvenile in question is the Shadwell homebred Khayzaraan (GB), who has won her last two starts in France for Freddy Head and is a half-sister to that same stable’s former resident, the treble Group 3 winner Tantheem (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}).
Earlier in the session, Jamie McCalmont had signed for another daughter of Frankel (lot 51) under Georg von Opel’s racing name of Westerberg. The filly is the first foal of the listed-placed winner Stellar Glow (Ire), a Sea The Stars (Ire) half-sister to G1 Phoenix S. winner Alfred Nobel (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and a great granddaughter of Park Express (Ire), who has served breeder Lodge Park Stud so well for generations.
Quick Double For Gold
While the top of the market on Tuesday was dominated by Dubawi, another sire to make his mark there was France’s risen star Siyouni (Fr). Shadwell’s Angus Gold was made to work for lot 159, Watership Down Stud’s half-brother to three group winners, but his final 800,000gns bid ensured that the colt will wear the blue and white silks.
“I thought he was one of the nicest horses I’ve seen this week,” said Gold. “We’ve had a bit of luck with the sire this year with the likes of Maqsad and a couple nice 2-year-olds. The mare has done really well with not necessarily the most fashionable of stallions. It’s a tough, running family and I thought he was an absolutely beautiful horse. I loved him when I saw him at the stud and I loved him even more here; he seems to have a great mind on him. Sheikh Hamdan obviously liked him too.”
Lot 159 is out of America Nova (Fr) (Verglas {Ire}), who has thus far left behind Sir Patrick Moore (Fr) (Astronomer Royal), a dual group winner and Group 1-placed in Australia; G3 Princess Margaret S. and G3 German 1000 Guineas winner Nyaleti (Ire) (Arch) and Stellar Path (Fr) (Astronomer Royal), a Group 3 winner in both France and America. The mare’s 2-year-old filly is by Lope de Vega, while she was bred to Kingman (GB) for 2019.
Gold was back in action seven lots later and again paid 800,000gns for Ballyphilip Stud’s full-sister to Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) (lot 166), Shadwell’s sprinting star of 2019. Battaash cost 200,000gns at this sale, while last year Phoenix Thoroughbreds spent 180,000gns on his half-sister by Gutaifan (Ire). The dam, Anna Law (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), did not have a foal this year and is back in foal to Dark Angel.
“I am delighted Shadwell got her,” said Paul McCartan of Ballyphilip Stud. “She is a replica of Battaash at the same age, but without the quirks he had. She has a very good temperament.”
Brown, Ryan Kept Busy In Newmarket
The American presence at Tattersalls on Tuesday was noticeably larger than in years prior, and Chad Brown-working alongside agent Mike Ryan and buying principally for Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm and Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables-led the contingent as an almost constant presence bidding from the top of the stairwell, signing for a plethora of yearlings throughout the day.
Ryan and Brown have in recent years bought the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf winner Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), Grade III winner Demarchelier (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and GII American Turf S. winner Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) at this sale, and their highest-priced purchase on Tuesday was lot 128, Newsells Park Stud’s Dubawi (Ire) half-brother to G1 1000 Guineas, G1 Matron S. and G1 Nassau S. victress Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) bought for 500,000gns on behalf of Peter Brant. The colt is out of Yummy Mummy (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}), a full-sister to multiple Group 1-winning stayer Fame And Glory (Ire) and comes from the nursery that bred Sunday’s G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) as well as that race’s fourth, Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}).
“Mike has been doing all our work here getting together a shortlist of horses and Peter [Brant] thought that horse reminded him a lot of Demarchelier, a horse we bought here a couple years ago who turned out to be a really good runner, and from the same consignor so we went right back to where we’ve had success before,” Brown said. “Mike heads our team here and I’m pleased with what we’ve got so far; we’ve got several.
“Some of my other clients have indicated they’d like to buy some horses as well, so Mike has organized all that and we’ve got several bought today for a range of clients led mostly by Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm and Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables and a couple other clients I train for as well.”
Demarchelier was bought for 425,000gns at this sale in 2017 from the same crop as Newspaperofrecord. He is a ‘TDN Rising Star’ and won Belmont Park’s GIII Pennine Ridge S. in June. He enters stud at Claiborne Farm next year.
Ryan signed in the second half of the session for a Galileo (Ire) filly out of G3 Ballycorus S. winner Wannabe Better (Ire) (Duke of Marmlade {Ire}) (lot 110) for 500,000gns, and the Kentucky-based agent said he thought the likes of Newspaperofrecord had no doubt helped grow interest in the sale on the other side of the Atlantic. In fact, one of the partners in the Galileo filly was Jay Hanley, a part-owner of champion Lady Eli (Divine Park) who was buying at Tattersalls for the first time.
“Those horses have done us proud; we’re very lucky,” Ryan said. “We haven’t run many of last year’s crop yet but we’re very happy with the results coming out of here. We know most of them are going to take a bit of time; they’re very sound horses and well-raised and the best grass horses on the planet.”
Ryan confirmed that his latest purchase, already a half-sister to the listed-placed Lady Wannabe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and a close relative to the G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Wannabe Grand (Ire) (Danehill), would be headed to Chad Brown.
“The catalogue is so deep; a pedigree like this, you can’t find that every day of the week,” Ryan said. “She’s by the greatest sire of my lifetime, including Northern Dancer. He has a very, very high percentage of top-class horses, Group 1 winner after Group 1 winner. They have so much heart and so much desire; they have that will to win, and his daughters are good broodmares. This filly has a fantastic female family, the sister made 1.2 million gns here last year, so we feel very lucky.”
Hanley acknowledged that his program of campaigning turf horses with Chad Brown made Tattersalls an attractive proposition.
“This is my first year,” Hanley said. “Chad Brown has been my trainer from my start in the sport, and as Mike said he trained Lady Eli for me and a handful of other very good turf horses, so I came here looking for turf fillies; I figured I might as well go to the source. Our success with Chad Brown has been fantastic so we’re excited to give him the horses.”
Other Americans that signed for yearlings at Tattersalls on Tuesday included Ben McElroy, Justin Casse, Liz Crow/BSW Bloodstock and Todd Pletcher in conjunction with the Australian-based Aquis Farm.
Frankel At The Double
Monday was a strong day for the stock of Frankel, who had nine yearlings sold during the session for 468,333gns.
In the final handful of lots through the ring, consecutive colts attracted the attention of Phoenix Thoroughbreds and Coolmore respectively, with the former going to 525,000gns for the full-brother to Elarqam (GB). Lot 180, the son of Floors Stud’s star mare, the English and Irish 1000 Guineas winner Attraction (GB) (Efisio {GB}), also has the Bearstone Stud stallion Fountain Of Youth (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) as another sibling. Their breeder, the late Duke of Roxburghe, retained Attraction’s 2-year-old filly Motion (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who is now in training with Mark Johnston.
Following him into the ring was the most expensive pinhook of the day (lot 181), a Frankel colt out of the Montjeu (Ire) mare Auld Alliance (Ire), who was bred by Bobby Flay and sold last year as a foal for 325,000gns. Despite that bold outlay, Ger Morrin’s Pier House Stud still came out significantly in front when MV Magnier brought the hammer down at 700,000gns.
A half-sister to Classic winner Golan (Ire) and G2 Dante S. winner Tartan Bearer (Ire), both by Spectrum (Ire), Auld Alliance was bought by Flay from her breeder Ballymacoll Stud for 550,000gns in 2013.
French Frankel Returns to France
In recent years, Normandy-based Haras de Saint Pair, owned by Andreas Putsch, has offered a select draft at Tattersalls, and their cross-Channel trip was rewarded on Monday with the sale of lot 100, a Frankel (GB) colt out of the Group 3-placed Via Manzoni (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}) for 525,000gns. Eligible for French premiums, the colt will now return to the land of his birth after being bought by Sebastian Desmontils on behalf of Chauvigny Global Equine.
“He’s been bought on behalf of a new Japanese client who wants to race horses in France,” said Desmontils. “We also bought him a filly by Siyouni (Fr) at the Arqana August Sale, so he will have a more precocious type with the Siyouni and more of a 3-year-old with this colt by Frankel.”
He added, “The client gave me a short list and he was very keen on Frankel—his stats are so good. It’s just a coincidence that he has French premiums but he will be trained in France, though I’m not sure of the trainer yet. The Siyouni filly will go to Henri-Francois Devin.”
Putsch bought the colt’s grandam, the G3 Prix des Reservoirs winner Via Milano (Fr) (Singspiel {Ire}), as a 3-year-old in 2004 for 170,000gns. Along with Via Manzoni, she is also the dam of Group 3 winners Via Ravenna (Ire) (Raven’s Pass), who was also runner-up in the G1 Prix Rothschild in her breeder’s colours, and Via Medici (Ire) (Medicean {GB}). The latter is now the dam of dual Japanese Grade 1 winner Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) following her sale for €480,000 in 2014 to Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Farm.
On Wednesday, Haras de Saint Pair will offer lot 319, a Dubawi (Ire) filly out of the listed winner and G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches runner-up Glorious Sight (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}) from the family of this season’s dual Guineas winner Hermosa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
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