by Emma Berry & Kelsey Riley
Leading sire Dubawi (Ire) ended Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale the way he started it, with a 2.6-million guineas son topping Thursday's closing session when bought by Angus Gold for Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Stable.
Dubawi, who was the sale's leading sire with 15 sold for 14,590,000gns and an average of 972,667gns, sired four of the top 10 lots, with Tuesday's co-topper sold to John Ferguson, advisor to Sheikh Hamdan's brother Sheikh Mohammed, who stands Dubawi at his Dalham Hall Stud just down the road from Tattersalls' Park Paddocks in Newmarket.
At the close of Book 1, a 6% advance in aggregate to 88,038,000gns was achieved from just 14 more horses sold–a total of 386 from the 493 offered for a clearance rate of 78%, down from 81% last year. The average for the three days was up by 3% to 228,078gns, but the median dropped by 13% to 130,000gns.
The final session, with its four seven-figure lots, saw dramatic increases when set against the equivalent day in 2015, with the aggregate up by 25% to 30,456,000gns and average by 30% to 255,933gns. The median held steady at 140,000gns and the clearance rate, for 119 sold from 146 offered, was down to 73% from 79%.
As had become customary this week before a Dubawi (Ire) was led in, the ring began to swell shortly before lot 427 came under the hammer, and it didn't take long for the bidding to shoot into seven figures, with interested parties including Angus Gold, trainer Roger Varian and Australia's Sun Stud. The bidding battle eventually came down to Gold and Varian, who traded a number of blows before Varian ended up once again as the underbidder, as he has been a number of Dubawis this week.
A glance at the catalogue page reveals the obvious appeal of the well-conformed bay colt. The Apr. 2 foal is the ninth produce of the G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Zee Zee Top (GB) (Zafonic), whose progeny are headed by the G1 Prix Jean Romanet and G1 Pretty Polly S. scorer Izzi Top (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). She has also produced the G2 Prix de la Nonette victress Jazzi Top (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}); an as-yet unraced 2-year-old filly by Frankel (GB) named Fizzi Top (GB) and a 2016 filly foal by Invincible Spirit (Ire).
The colt's second dam is the G1 Irish Oaks winner Colorspin (Fr) (High Top), who includes among her progeny the Group 1-winning sires Kayf Tara (GB) (Sadler's Wells) and Opera House (GB) (Sadler's Wells), while another of her daughters produced the G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Necklace (GB) (Darshaan {GB}). The third dam is the dual Group 3 winner Reprocolor (GB). Izzi Top gave the family's credentials another boost on Wednesday when her 1.1-million guineas Oasis Dream (GB) son Dreamfield (GB) won at first asking for Godolphin.
“He was a lovely horse from a great family,” said Gold. “The 2-year-old won very well yesterday out of a daughter of the mare. It keeps coming, that family, and he was a beautiful individual, I thought. He's not an early horse but the family seems to get better as they get older.”
The colt was the most expensive purchase ever for Shadwell at Tattersalls, and Gold said, “Sheikh Hamdan was keen to get a good Dubawi and let's hope this horse can run. Congratulations to Meon Valley, they brought a lovely bunch of horses here and they've been rewarded.”
Reprocolor's Enduring Legacy…
The founding trio of the Weinfeld family's fine broodmare band has received many tributes in print over the years, but of the three yearling fillies bought for Egon and Elizabeth Weinfeld by Richard Galpin back in 1977, one has outshone her contemporaries by a wide margin and that is the Jimmy Reppin (GB) mare Reprocolor (GB). Around 20 of her descendants remain among the 34 mares at Meon Valley Stud and during the final session of Book 1 her Group 1-winning grand-daughter Zee Zee Top provided a little sales-ring magic when her Dubawi colt equaled Monday's sales-topping price.
The pedigree of the near-black half-brother to G1 Pretty Polly S. heroine Izzi Top and G2 Prix de la Nonette winner Jazzi Top received a further boost, if one were needed, on Wednesday when Izzi Top's son Dreamfield streaked to an eight-length maiden success at Nottingham to earn quotes of 20/1 for next year's G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas.
“That certainly helped,” smiled Mark Weinfeld, who has continued his parents' passion for racing and breeding at the Hampshire farm. “We thought he might be a million-plus horse but you never really know how high they will go. We've had a lucky patch for the last few years and have a few nice members of this family at home.”
Those at home include Zee Zee Top's filly foal by Invincible Spirit (Ire) who will be retained. The 17-year-old mare was not covered this year. Weinfeld added, “All of this family have been very good mentally, going right back to Reprocolor. Having such good heads on them certainly helps them when they are racing, and they are sound horses, too.”
Weinfeld, who is aided at Meon Valley by his sister Helena Ellingsen and the father-and-son team of stud groom and assistant stud groom David and Adam Wymbs, paid tribute to his staff, saying, “It's been a great effort from everyone. We like consigning the horses ourselves–we enjoy the pressure. The worst day of the year from me is the day after the sales when all the horses have gone.”
The second-most expensive Dubawi of the day came late in the session when John Ferguson went to 825,000gns for lot 535, a bay filly from Watership Down Stud. The May 3 foal is out of the outstanding producer Claba Di San Jore (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}), and is therefore a half-sister to Group 1 winner Jakkalberry (Ire) (Storming Home {GB}), Crackerjack King (Ire) (Shamardal) and Awelmarduk (Ire) (Intikhab) and listed winner Joyful Hope (GB) (Shamardal). His half-sister Bois Joli (Ire) has also produced the stakes winners Circus Couture (Ire) (Intikhab) and Celticus (Ire) (Stroll).
Doyle Springs For Alice's Sister…
When a yearling's full-sister has won three Group 1 races since mid-July, any vendor would be entitled to be confident taking that horse to the ring, especially if she happens to be by Galileo (Ire).
The sister of Alice Springs (Ire) (lot 441) was always likely to be a bestseller, but her position as the most expensive filly in Book 1 was helped by the return to Tattersalls of one of the boldest bidders of the modern age, Paul Makin, who swooped straight in with a promise of 1-millions guineas. As the filly's price reached 1.5-million guineas, Makin countered with another offer of 2-million guineas, but it still wasn't enough to deter Peter Doyle from the chase, with the agent having the final say at 2.1-million guineas on behalf of the increasingly active partnership of Coolmore and Mayfair Speculators.
“They've bought some very nice yearlings this week and in Arqana as well,” said Doyle. “The pedigree is very nice and she's a lovely filly who walked really well. The family keeps producing.”
The question of whether the filly will join her sister in training at Ballydoyle is not yet settled, with Doyle adding, “There's another option as well in France–Andre Fabre. The lads will discuss it all later. We've had success with both of them [O'Brien and Fabre] and with Nicolas Clement as well.”
Mayfair Speculators' Derek Brugman noted the operation has shares in about 50 horses in Europe.
The Danehill Dancer (Ire) mare Aleagueoftheirown (Ire) has been bred consistently to Galileo during the course of her stud career, with other siblings including the Group 2-placed Criteria, who cost 535,000gns at this sale back in 2012, and another black-type performer, Kingston Jamaica (Ire).
Her yearling filly was offered by Glenvale Stud, whose principal Ciaran Conroy said, “Her pedigree updates were unbelievable. Alice Springs is a really good filly who has progressed all year. This filly is balanced with good limbs and a really good mover. She's been really straightforward all the way through. Thanks to Paul Makin for making such a determined attempt to buy her–you always need an underbidder.”
Galileo finished behind only Dubawi and his own son Frankel by average for Book 1, with 16 sold for 9,765,000gns and an average of 610,313gns.
Frankel A Tatts Attraction…
The peerless champion Frankel (GB) has made a flying start to his stud career this year, and as such it shouldn't have come as a surprise that his second-crop yearlings would be highly sought after at Tattersalls this week. The Juddmonte resident had 10 sell for 7,335,000gns and an average of 733,500gns, and his three seven-figure lots were headed by Floors Stud's son of dual champion filly Attraction (GB) (Efisio {GB}) (lot 475). Like the session-topping colt, the bay was hammered down to Angus Gold, this time for 1.6-million guineas.
The Frankel colt, who also was the subject of attention from Roger Varian, is the ninth produce of Attraction, winner of five Group 1s including the G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. Attraction has already produced the G3 Sapphire S. winner Fountain Of Youth (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB})–a 420,000gns buy at this sale–and Cushion (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), twice Grade III-placed in the U.S. Attraction produced a Dubawi colt this year and was bred back to Invincible Spirit (Ire).
The Duke of Roxburghe, owner of Floors Stud in Scotland, said after the sale, “It is a feeling of relief. I've watched the horses selling all week and waited for today and have been starting to feel the pressure.”
“Frankel is the most exciting stallion, and Attraction was the most exciting thing to happen in my racing life–both of them made all up the Rowley Mile. This could not have been more fitting.”
The Duke of Roxburghe explained that he had to wait longer than hoped to breed to Frankel.
“I wanted to use Frankel for her in his first year, but Attraction was on a late pregnancy so we left her that year,” he noted. “She had a Dubawi colt this year and is in-foal to Invincible Spirit. This colt was always the coolest horse to work with, a fantastic temperament and outlook and my staff have done a wonderful job all year. It is an honour that Sheikh Hamdan and Shadwell have bought him.”
Angus Gold's Thursday haul also included a 525,000gns son of Speightstown (lot 438). The first foal of the stakes-winning Albamara (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) was bred in the U.S. by Kirsten Rausing's Lanwades Stud and consigned by her Irish-based Staffordstown Stud, and is a grandson of the German champion mare Albanova (GB) (Alzao). Albamara produced a full-brother to this colt this year and was bred back to Oasis Dream (GB).
Floors Stud enjoyed another profitable result late in the session when selling a Dubawi (Ire) son of Comic (Ire) (Be My Chief) (lot 540) to Blandford Bloodstock for 750,000gns. The bay is a half-brother to Hong Kong champion and dual GI Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner Viva Pataca (GB) (Marju {Ire}), as well as GI Diana S. and GI Flower Bowl Invitational winner Laughing (Ire) (Dansili {GB}). The colt was the second-most expensive of his dam's progeny to be sold at auction; his full-brother, the winning Nice Future (GB), was bought by John Ferguson for 1.4-million guineas two years ago.
Frankel And Zoffany Meet Again…
Zoffany (Ire) was one of only two horses to finish within a length of Frankel (GB) when chasing him down in the G1 St James's Palace S. of 2011, and on the final day of Book 1 Zoffany's half-brother by Juddmonte's young superstar was an early highlight when selling for 1.1-million guineas.
John Magnier bought Zoffany from Croom House Stud for 220,000gns, and his son MV came back for his sibling (lot 385), continuing Coolmore's list of purchases this season in partnership with the Mayfair Speculators.
“Denis Brosnan is a very good breeder and we've had luck buying from Croom House Stud before, especially with Zoffany,” said Magnier. “He's made a great start at stud and we're hoping that Washington DC will either run at Ascot on Champions Day or in the Breeders' Cup. Frankel is also doing really well and this is a very nice colt.”
As well as Zoffany, the Machiavellian mare Tyranny (GB) has also produced G3 Anglesey S. winner and G2 Gimcrack S. runner-up Wilshire Boulevard (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) among her five offspring to have saluted the judge.
Eleven lots later the Coolmore/Mayfair team swung back into action to claim Airlie Stud's Galileo (Ire) half-brother to G2 Park S. winner Viztoria (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}) (lot 396) at 500,000gns. That purchase was augmented later still by lot 431, a Galileo filly offered by New England Stud on behalf of Christopher Hanbury of Triermore Stud and bought for 750,000gns.
The first two foals of the G1 Frizette S. winner A Z Warrior (Bernardini), also by Galileo, have both gone into training at Ballydoyle, including this season's Leopardstown maiden winner Cole Porter (Ire), while this filly's juvenile sister Key To My Heart (Ire) fetched 1.3-million guineas at Tattersalls last October.
By the close of play, Coolmore and Mayfair Speculators had signed for 12 yearlings for a total of 9,010,000gns.
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