By Emma Berry and Kelsey Riley
They say love is all you need and for Richard Henry, the opportunity to buy a stunning daughter of a mare by that very name from a family he knows better than anyone proved too strong a desire to resist.
Being by Dubawi (Ire), the filly was naturally drawn to the attention of Darley buyer John Ferguson, with Saleh Al Homaizi also engaged in the early skirmishes, but, after bidding 2 million guineas, Ferguson left the ring to allow MV Magnier to have the final say on behalf of Henry at 2.1 million guineas for lot 304, the new sale topper and the most expensive yearling in the world sold at public auction thus far in 2015.
While the average and median for the session were slightly down on last year's day two–the average was down 2% to 229,524 and the median down 13% to 130,000–the truer figures, due to the catalogue's alphabetical nature, are the cumulative ones, which shows the sale to be on-par with last year's renewal. The clearance rate of 81% through the first two sessions is identical to last year's cumulative figure, and the median, 150,000gns, is also the same. The average is down by 574gns to 235,361gns.
Coolmore advertising guru Richard Henry and his wife, Roisin, bred the filly's dam, Loveisallyouneed (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), from their stellar producer Jude (GB)–herself a daughter of Lanwades' foundation mare Alruccaba (GB)–and later sold the unraced full-sister to Group 1 winners Yesterday (Ire) and Quarter Moon (Ire) privately to Newsells Park Stud.
Sporting a Ruler Of The World baseball cap, Henry could certainly lay claim to being king of the ring on Wednesday with his sale-topping purchase. He said, “we sold Loveisallyouneed in 2010 shortly before Jude passed away, but obviously it's a family we have been very lucky with. There are 12 group winners on the page, seven at Group 1 level, and we were fortunate enough to race three of them.”
Reporting on other members of the family he has retained, he added, “Yesterday is in foal to red-hot first season sire Zoffany (Ire), and Quarter Moon has produced two high-class fillies by Fastnet Rock (Aus) in Group 1 winner Diamondsandrubies (Ire) and Classic prospect for next season, How High The Moon (Ire). Hopefully this filly might be as good as them.”
The transaction was the highlight of a banner day for Andreas Jacobs's Newsells Park Stud. Newsells' other sales of the day included a Dubawi colt for 725,000gns; a colt by its resident first-season sire Nathaniel (Ire) for 525,000gns; a Frankel (GB) filly for 450,000gns; and an Oasis Dream (GB) colt for 400,000gns.
“We're thrilled with the results,” Dollar said. “From last year they were without a doubt the nicest crop of foals we've ever had, and they came here in good shape–we always knew we had a nice bunch of horses and the nice ones sold really well. I was thrilled with [the Dubawi filly] and thrilled with the sale of the Nathaniel and the Dubawi colt as well. We've had a special day.”
Dollar was quick to deflect credit to the Newsells team for preparing the second-most expensive yearling ever sold by the operation.
“She was always a beautiful foal, everything had gone like clockwork. Touch wood, she'd never had any problems, and she sort of prepped herself, but [yearling manager Gerry Meehan] and his team have done a wonderful job with the yearlings, getting them here in such good condition, and they deserve all the credit.”
Dollar revealed that the Oasis Dream filly that would have been Loveisallyouneed's 2-year-old died as a foal, but noted she has more exciting produce to come.
“She's a lovely mare, but she hasn't had a lot of luck,” Dollar said. “She had the most beautiful Oasis Dream foal that died as a foal, which was very unfortunate, but she has a Dansili colt at foot that is very nice, and she's back in foal to Dubawi.”
Discussing the circumstances that saw Newsells secure Loveisallyouneed privately for its broodmare band, Dollar said,
“We were lucky enough to get into the family through Richard Henry a few years ago, having been underbidder on [her full-sister] Song [for 1.7 million guineas at Tattersalls December in 2009], and the following spring Richard rang us up and said this filly may be available. We bought her privately out of training, and fillies like that don't come along very often. In many ways, I'd have loved to race [the Dubawi filly], but 2.1 million pays some bills and keeps everyone happy and going for another year.”
Dubawi ended day two as the sale's leading sire by average at 658,500gns for 10 sold. Galileo sits second with 14 sold an average of 589,643gns.
Banner Day For Newsells…
Newsells Park sent another expensive Dubawi through the ring earlier in the day in the form of a colt out of the Grade I-placed Flawly (GB) (Old Vic {GB}) (lot 203), who fetched 725,000 from Armando Duarte of A&E Bloodstock. The late February foal is a half-brother to German Group 3 winner February Sun (GB) (Monsun {Ger}); French Group 3 winner Best Name (GB) (King's Best); and Irish listed winner Heirloom (GB) (Dansili {GB}), the latter a 480,000gns purchase by Demi O'Byrne in this ring in 2011. Flawly is a half-sister to stakes winner Ombre Leger (Ire) (Double Bed {Fr}) as well as the stakes-placed Date With Destiny (Ire) (George Washington {Ire}), whose Galileo filly Beautiful
Morning (GB) made 650,000gns here last year when sent through the ring by Newsells. Duarte had to see off a slew of underbidders including Jehan Malherbe and John Ferguson for the colt, and said, “he's for a client of Roger Varian. He's a very nice horse, very good looking, and ticks all the boxes.”
Newsells' third-highest price of the session came courtesy of its resident first-season sire Nathaniel, whose colt out of Kinnaird (Ire) (Dr Devious {Ire}) (lot 267) made 525,000gns from agent Charlie Gordon-Watson on behalf of Al Shaqab. The bay is a half-brother to G2 Royal Lodge S. victor Berksire (Ire) (Mount Nelson {GB}) as well as the dam of last year's G2 July S. and G2 Richmond S. winner Ivawood (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}), third in both the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas this year. It has been a strong sale so far for Nathaniel, who also had a colt fetch 675,000gns from MV Magnier on opening day, and his average through the first two days stands at 222,857gns. Nathaniel sits at 10 on the leading sires' list through the first two sessions and second only to Frankel among first-season sires; Frankel's average through the first two days is 438,571gns, and he sits number five overall.
Newsells was making noise right from the start of the session yesterday, beginning when lot 174, the third horse through the ring of the day, made 450,000gns to the bid of Charlie Gordon-Watson for Al Shaqab. That filly is a member of the first crop of Frankel (GB) and the third foal out of the dual Grade I winner Dynaforce (Dynaformer).
“She's out of a very good mare and Newsells Park Stud are excellent breeders,” said Gordon-Watson. “The 2-year-old in France [Dynadin, by Giant's Causeway and placed in France] is very highly rated and this is the sort of filly they should be buying.”
Click here for a TDN pre-sale feature on the Newsells Park consignment.
Forces Join For Galileo Colt…
Breeder Triermore Stud and consignor New England Stud, who enjoyed such a good day during the opening session Tuesday when selling the day's top lot, a Galileo filly out of A Z Warrior (Bernardini), experienced another homerun Wednesday when the partnership of the China Horse Club and David Redvers outlasted Coolmore at 1.2 million for lot 255, a Galileo colt out of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas second Jacqueline Quest (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}).
It was the second time in the space of 10 months the China Horse Club and Qatar Racing have teamed up on a high-profile lot at Tattersalls; in December, the pair joined forces for Sheikh Fahad's Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), who topped the sale
at 4.5 million guineas. Michael Wallace, who conducted the bidding concealed on the stairs alongside Redvers and Sheikh Fahad, revealed that partnership currently has one horse in training together: a placed 2-year-old with trainer Francis Graffard named Jack Fish (Fr) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}).
“We have a horse in France called Jack Fish who is just a 2-year-old that we think has a lot of ability, and then there's Just The Judge, so we have a great relationship with Sheikh Fahad and his team and David–it was a meeting of the minds,” Wallace said. “We all thought this colt was exceptional, so we decided to form a partnership.”
Wallace confirmed the chestnut would remain in Europe.
“He's a European horse,” he said. “We have no trainer decided, but we'll sit down and have a cup of tea and figure that out.”
The China Horse Club has also partnered with Mayfair Speculators thus far this week, and Wallace explained, “the China Horse Club has partners all around the world, and Qatar Racing are an important part of that. This was a horse David and I discussed and had similar views on; 1.2 million is a hell of a lot of money, so there's a large element of risk that comes with that. Ultimately, we're trying to secure a stallion for the future, and you don't necessarily need to have full control to reap the benefits of that. Share the risk and share the enjoyment.”
The Galileo colt is the second foal out of Jacqueline Quest; her first, a filly by that same champion sire, was bought by MV Magnier for 625,000gns at this sale last year. Now named Hibiscus (Ire), she is in training with Aidan O'Brien but is unraced. Jacqueline Quest has only been bred to Galileo since going to stud; she also has a colt foal by him and was bred back this year. The Galileo/Rock Of Gibraltar cross is the same cross as Photo Call (Ire), winner of the GI Rodeo Drive S. two weeks ago.
China Horse Club added a 670,000gns filly by Frankel out of Model Queen (Kingmambo) (lot 339)–a half-sister to Group 1 winner Regal Parade (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and Group 3 winner Entifaadha (GB) (Dansili {GB}) from Highclere Stud.
Galileo got a second millionaire to his name on the day late in the afternoon when John Magnier went to 1 million guineas for lot 293, a March-foaled filly out of Like A Dame (GB) (Danehill) from Clare Castle Stud, and therefore a half-sister to G3 Atalanta S. victress Ladys First (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}). Hugo Lascelles, who purchased Ladys First for 1.8 million guineas at last year's Tattersalls December Mare Sale, was the underbidder. Like A Dam's now 2-year-old by Galileo cost Charlie Gordon-Watson 400,000gns in this ring last year, and the mare had a colt foal by the champion sire this year before being bred back to him again.
A few lots later Magnier shelled out 700,000gns for lot 297, an Invincible Spirit (Ire) full-sister to Listed Buckhounds S. winner Ektihaam (Ire) from Camas Park Stud, who purchased her for 90,000gns at last year's Tattersalls December Foal Sale.
Stallion Master's 'Dream'…
The Galileo colt out of Jacqueline Quest was the second star during a frenzied few moments at Park Paddocks, as the lot directly ahead of him, lot 254, became the first millionaire of the session when fetching 1.1 million guineas from John Ferguson, with Charlie Gordon-Watson the underbidder on the colt described by auctioneer Ollie Fowlston as a “stallion master's dream.” The colt is by Oasis Dream (GB) and is the first foal from the regally bred Izzi Top (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), herself the winner of the G1 Pretty Polly S. and G1 Prix Jean Romanet. The bay's second dam is the G1 Prix de l'Opera scorer Zee Zee Top (GB) (Zafonic), who is also responsible for this year's G2 Prix de la Nonette winner Jazzi Top (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who nearly emulated her dam last weekend when second in the Prix de l'Opera. The third dam is G1 Irish Oaks victress Colorspin (Fr), the dam of Sheikh Mohammed's Group 1 winners Kayf Tara (GB) (Sadler's Wells) and Opera House (GB) (Sadler's Wells) as well as the dam of G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Necklace (GB) (Darshaan {GB}).
“It's very unusual that you have a yearling who is the first foal of a Group 1 winner, who is out of a Group 1 winner, who is out of a Group 1 winner,” said Ferguson, who bought Zee Zee Top's Oasis Dream colt, now named Dance Rock and in training with Charlie Appleby, at this sale last year. “At the end of the day, a pedigree like that gives you an outstanding chance to have a serious racehorse, but if you do strike it lucky, he'll be very valuable as a stallion.”
“It's a family we all know because it's such a famous Meon Valley family,” Ferguson added. “But I can't remember the last time I saw a first foal out of a Group 1 winner, who is out of a Group 1 winner. And then out of a Group 3 winner [fourth dam Reprocolor].”
The colt's delighted breeder Mark Weinfeld, whose late father Egon established Meon Valley Stud back in 1980, said, “you never know of course how a sale will go, but this is a fantastic result and he's a smashing horse. It's a cross that has worked well for us in the past–Green Desert works very well with the family.”
Meon Valley began with a clutch of well-selected mares, including Reprocolor–a 25,000gns Tattersalls December purchase–and now has 32 mares in its Hampshire paddocks, where Izzi Top has a Dansili (GB) colt foal on the ground. She is in foal to Dubawi.
Angel Rises Again…
Yeomanstown Stud purchased the 85-rated Folga (GB) (Atraf {GB}) from the 2007 Horses-in-Training Sale for 33,000gns, and she has certainly proved to be a shrewd buy. The first sales return for one of her offspring was the relatively lowly sum of 16,000gns paid by trainer Michael Dods for Folga's first foal, but that daughter of Dark Angel (Ire) turned out to be Group 1-winning sprinter Mecca's Angel (Ire). Her full-brother Markaz (Ire) brought £200,000 as a yearling from Shadwell, and he pre-empted Mecca's Angel's Nunthorpe S. victory with a group win of his own in the G3 Criterion S. in June.
Needless to say, Folga's current yearling–yet another full-sister (lot 204)–prompted plenty of interest and provided one of the early highlights of the day when selling for 825,000gns to Fawzi Nass. Oliver St Lawrence did the bidding for Nass, who owns Aislabie Stud just outside Newmarket, where he has recently installed young trainer George Peckham, who will take charge of the Dark Angel filly. St Lawrence commented, “She is a really nice filly and looks exactly as it says on the can–a proper sprinting type.”
Nass has enjoyed Group 1 success with another sprinter, the G1 Golden Shaheen winner Krypton Factor (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), who was bought by the same agent at the 2010 Horses-in-Training Sale at Tattersalls.
St Lawrence added, “We were standing in exactly this spot when we bought Krypton Factor, so let's hope it is lucky.”
The sharp-looking filly attracted a spectrum of bidders, including Angus Gold, representing Markaz's owner Sheikh Hamdan; Shawn Dugan, and eventual underbidder Teddy Grimthorpe of Juddmonte.
David O'Callaghan, who bred and consigned the filly through his family's Yeomanstown Stud, expressed his appreciation for their support, saying, “thanks to everybody who stepped up to bid–and there was certainly a whole lot of them. We knew she had been well received but I can't say we were expecting anything near this price.”
Adding that the mare has another filly foal by the same stallion back at home in Ireland, he said, “I'd guess she'll be in a monogamous relationship with Dark Angel for the rest of her life.”
A Frankel For Juddmonte…
Juddmonte offered up a vote of confidence for its homebred stallion Frankel when outlasting Angus Gold at 620,000gns for lot 230, a son of the unbeaten champion out of the dual G3 Dahlia S. winner and Group 1-placed Heaven Sent (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) from Cheveley Park Stud. Heaven Sent is a full-sister to dual Grade I winner Megahertz (GB), and her Dalakhani (Ire) colt made 130,000gns here last year.
“He's very like the sire,” said Khalid Abdullah's Racing Manager Teddy Grimthorpe after signing the ticket on the bay born May 21. “He's a charming horse. He is a late foal, but he looks as though he will be speedy. We're obviously incredibly excited about Frankel–we have some absolute beauties at home, and we're very pleased to get this one.”
Jooste A Strong Presence…
South African owner-breeder Markus Jooste paid a visit to Tattersalls for the first time this week and made his presence felt through his Mayfair Speculators syndicate, which has thus far bought seven yearlings headed by a 600,000gns Galileo (Ire) colt on opening day. Back in action on Wednesday, the team–buying in partnership with Peter Doyle–added a filly by Galileo (lot 237) to the list at 460,000gns, and the Camas Park Stud offering boasts an international pedigree that appealed to her new owners.
“We're particularly looking at fillies with great residual value, and this one works in either hemisphere, which suits us well,” said the syndicate's Racing Manager Derek Brugman of the daughter of G1 South Australia Oaks winner Hveger (Aus) (Danehill), a full-sister to the Australian champion galloper Elvstroem (Aus). Hveger has already produced a highly talented representative to Galileo in the Aidan O'Brien-trained GI Arlington Million winner Highland Reel (Ire), while her Southern Hemisphere-bred runners include G1 Victoria Oaks runner-up Valdemoro (Aus) (Encosta De Lago {Aus}).
Brugman continued, “We'll race the filly here in Europe but we have options when it comes to her breeding career down the line. By and large our breeding interests are in the Southern Hemisphere. We stand the stallion Delago Deluxe (Aus) at Newhaven Park in Australia, and we also have Variety Club (SAf) in South Africa.”
The final session of Book 1 kicks off Thursday at 11 a.m. local time. For the catalogue, results and live streaming, visit www.tattersalls.com.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
