By Emma Berry and Kelsey Riley
Galileo (Ire) and Dubawi (Ire) are locked in battle in the European sires' championship, and their offspring played dominant roles in the opening session of Book 1 of Tattersalls' October Sale, which began in explosive fashion on Tuesday.
The reigning champion had the edge, with a filly and then a colt by Galileo becoming the first two millionaires at Park Paddocks in 2015.
Last year's October Book 1 suffered from a relatively sluggish opening day, but this was not the case this time around, with 15 yearlings selling for 500,000gns or more. In total, 123 of the 152 lots offered were sold, bringing an improvement in clearance rate by 9% to 81%. The first-day aggregate of 26,679,000gns was up by 47% on 2014, and the average and median figures also shot up, by 28% and 14% respectively, at 241,293gns and 160,000gns. Last year's overall average finished out at 235,935gns, and the median was 150,000gns.
It's hardly necessary to report that the two millionaire yearlings each own desirable bloodlines. The leading lady, consigned as lot 30, is the second foal and the first filly out of the GI Frizette S. winner A Z Warrior (Bernardini). The mare's 2-year-old colt Cole Porter (Ire) by the same stallion is raced in partnership by Susan Magnier and his breeder Triermore Stud, and Coolmore now own his sister outright after the filly was knocked down to John Magnier at €1.3 million.
Peter Stanley consigned the colt through his New England Stud on behalf of his uncle, Christopher Hanbury, the owner of the County Meath-based Triermore Stud, which last week sold a Galileo colt out of Sent From Heaven (Ire) for €1.2 million at the Goffs Orby Sale. Stanley said, “It's always a relief when they make their money–she was a queen and she deserved to sell well. She's been very straightforward and has performed beautifully ever since she's been here. She was bred by Christopher Hanbury, who has flat horses in training with Charlie Hills as well as jumpers with Nicky Henderson. He's keen to expand the flat side of his business and has assembled a very nice broodmare band.”
Another Galileo, this time a colt out of Crystal Valkyrie (Ire) (Danehill) (lot 142), made it a day to remember for Hanbury and New England Stud when fetching 600,000 from the team of Coolmore and Mayfair Speculators late in the session. It was the second straight six-figure yearling for Crystal Valkyrie and Hanbury, after her Galileo filly made 230,000gns here last year when selling to Al Shaqab. The 16-year-old Crystal Valkyrie has produced two stakes winners: the G3 Classic Trial victor Above Average (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and the G3 Prestige S. winner Sent From Heaven, the dam of the above-mentioned seven-figure filly from Goffs last week.
Agent Peter Doyle signed the ticket on behalf of the partnership, and explained, “we'll decide who will train him later on. [Mayfair Speculators] bought one here last year and one this morning with the China Horse Club–that's the first time we've partnered with them. We buy more in France–we bought five in Deauville this year and four last year. Andre Fabre and Nicolas Clement train for them in France.”
“We're looking for nice colts and fillies with good pedigrees,” Doyle added. “They have some lovely farms in South Africa and if they're good enough, they could always go back there later on.”
Burns Hits It Out of the Park…
During a busy spell for John and MV Magnier, they then saw off Ibrahim Araci in his attempt to claim the brother to G1 Epsom Oaks winner Was (Ire) and sales record-breaker Al Namaah (Ire) (lot 43), with the Lodge Park Stud-bred Galileo colt finally reaching 1.25 million guineas.
Breeder Damian Burns was quick to climb the stairs to thank the Coolmore team in their customary position at the top of the tiered bidders' section. He commented, “This is the first colt the mare's had and everything went right–he has quite a lot of the quality that Was had.”
He added that the colt's dam, Alluring Park (Ire), a Green Desert half-sister to champion New Approach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), has another full-sister to the colt on the ground but was not covered this year.
“I think we'll be at the front of an orderly queue to go back to Galileo,” he added.
The name MV Magnier appeared only four times on the Orby Sale buyers' sheet last week for yearlings purchased at relatively modest sums, but he and the assembled entourage were quick to swing into action at Tattersalls, with the spending spree starting in style with an outlay of 725,000gns for lot 24, the half-sister to Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). The 3-year-old filly, who is to remain in training next season, has been handled by John Magnier's son-in-law David Wachman with great success this season, her victories including the G1 1,000 Guineas, G1 Nassau S., and G1 Matron S.
Emanating from the same sireline, but this time by Australian superstar Redoute's Choice (Aus), the yearling daughter of Yummy Mummy (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) was consigned by her breeder, Newsells Park Stud, which sold Legatissimo in the same sale two years ago to the same buyer for 350,000gns.
After being congratulated by Newsells Park's manager Julian Dollar, MV Magnier said, “We were very lucky to have bought Legatissimo and, as Julian just said, if this filly's half as good as she is we'll all be delighted. She's a lovely filly and we've been very lucky with the family.”
That family includes Yummy Mummy's full-brother, the five-time Group 1 winner Fame And Glory (Ire).
Julian Dollar added, “We have to be happy with that. She's going to a great home and they know how to train daughters of this mare. Of course it's a bittersweet moment as I'd love to have kept her but everyone knows our policy. The mare has a lovely filly foal by Shamardal so maybe I'll be able to persuade the boss to keep her.”
Yummy Mummy is currently carrying a foal from the first crop of Kingman (GB).
Dubawi Also In Demand…
Darley's flagbearer Dubawi, who has recaptured the lead in the title race thanks to New Bay's placed finish in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on the weekend, also had three yearlings among the top 10 Tuesday, led by lot 71, Corduff Stud's homebred filly out of Badee'a (Ire) (Marju {Ire}). A dingdong battle between China Horse Club and Richard Brown led to the half-sister to the listed winners Dunelight (Ire) (Desert Sun {GB}) and Sperry (Ire) (Shamardal) eventually selling for 900,000gns to China Horse Club's Michael Wallace, much to the delight of Corduff's David Egan.
“She's a queen to be around and just lovely to look at. Michael Wallace always buys a lovely horse and I'm delighted he bought her.” He added, “The mare's been very good to us. Sadly she had a dead foal this year and we didn't cover her. I'd love to go back to Dubawi but I'm not sure there are any nominations available to him anymore.”
“Joss Collins bought the mare for us,” Egan continued. “It's an old Charles Wilson family that I remember well from my days at Jonabell Farm.”
Four lots after gaining the Dubawi filly, the China Horse Club then teamed up with South Africa's Mayfair Speculators when paying 525,000gns for a Shamardal colt (lot 75) out of the Group 3 winner Ballybacka Lady (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}), who was bought as a foal by Crone Stud Farms for 105,000gns and resold for a decent profit through Oaks Farm Stables.
Richard Brown may have been outdone on the Dubawi filly, but his Blandford Bloodstock partner Tom Goff had the final say for the Dubawi first foal of Saeed Manana's G3 Oh So Sharp S. winner Alsindi (Ire) (Acclamation {Ire}) (lot 46). Having gone to 750,000gns to secure the early February colt, Goff was unable to name the buyer but said, “He is a very attractive colt with a lovely page. I loved him.”
Dream Result for Pinhooking Team…
Liam Norris and William Huntingdon have seen their pinhooking venture enjoy success at the highest level this year via leading European juvenile Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who they sold for 170,000gns at this sale last year, and that team have another pinhook graduate to look forward to on the racetrack next year after selling a colt by Oasis Dream (GB) (lot 107) to trainer Roger Varian, for 750,000gns. Norris and Huntingdon picked up the February foal–the first produce of Caphene (GB) (Sakhee)–for 160,000gns at last year's Tattersalls December Foal Sale. Caphene is a half-sister to GIII Hillsborough S. winner Cassydora (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), the dam of G3 Ballyroan S. victor Ernest Hemingway (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and listed winner Classic Remark (Ire) (Dr. Fong). Further down the page is this year's leading European first-season sire Zoffany (Ire).
Norris was understandably thrilled with the transaction for the colt, who was consigned through Clairemont Stud, which is managed by his wife Jenny.
“He was such a lovely foal,” Norris said. “He's been straightforward all the way through, never took a lame step in his prep. He's been really well prepped by Jenny. We're absolutely over the moon.”
The colt is the most expensive yearling sold by Clairemont Stud.
Varian revealed he was acting on behalf of owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, who moved his entire string to Varian in a surprising and high-profile development last month. That string includes G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. winner Postponed (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Frankels…
A major talking point prior to the start of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale was the 18 yearlings from the first crop of unbeaten champion Frankel, and five of those were offered during the opening session Tuesday, with two withdrawn. Two of those sold, the dearest being lot 148, a colt out of the three-time Group 1 winner Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) consigned by Andrew and Madeleine Lloyd-Webber's Watership Down Stud. The March-foaled bay was hammered down to Al Shaqab Racing for 750,000gns, and it was the Arc-winning trainer John Gosden who conducted the bidding concealed on the stairs and who signed the ticket. Gosden trained Dar Re Mi for Lloyd-Webber. Dar Re Mi's first foal, the Group 3-placed De Treville (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), was an 850,000gns purchase by agent Charlie Gordon-Watson here two years ago and races in France for Rashit Shayhutdinov.
“I know the family well,” Gosden said. “He's very similar to the Oasis Dream colt out of the mare that Andre Fabre trains [De Treville], and he's a lot like his mother.”
Reflecting on the sire, Gosden noted, “It's plenty of money to spend; he's an unproven sire. Just a few lots ago a Nathaniel [lot 145] went through for a lot of money [675,000gns]–it's funny to think these two horses raced together, and now here are there yearlings in the sales ring together.”
Grant Pritchard-Gordon was the underbidder on the top-priced Frankel colt.
The other Frankel to sell, lot 23, was a private sale to Dermot Farrington for 150,000gns. Lot 113 was bought back for 285,000gns; lot 125 was bought back for 280,000gns and lot 167 was bought back for 160,000gns.
Nathaniel To The Fore…
Nathaniel (GB) started and finished his racing career on exactly the same dates as Frankel, and their first and last races were the only times the two sons of Galileo met on the racecourse. A well-bred colt in his own right, Nathaniel's Group 1 strikes in the Eclipse and the King George & Queen Elizabeth S. earned him a berth at Newsells Park Stud, where he started his second career at a fee of £20,000.
His first four yearlings to sell in Book 1 returned an average price of 225,000gns, helped in no small part by the sale of a strong bay colt out of the unraced Danehill Dreamer (Danehill) (lot 145) to John Magnier for 675,000gns.
With Danehill Dreamer being a half-sister to Group 1 winners Summoner (GB) (Inchinor {GB}) and Compton Admiral (GB) (Suave Dancer), and to the dam of outstanding middle-distance mare The Fugue (GB) (Dansili {GB}), the colt always had plenty on the page to back him up but he was nevertheless a bold pinhook by the Camas Park Stud team, who bought him last December for 125,000gns.
Newsells Park Stud agreed a private sale with Grant Pritchard-Gordon of 100,000gns for the colt out of G3 Anglesey S. winner Walk On Bye (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) (lot 5), and Wednesday the same consignor offers a Nathaniel half-brother to Group 2 winner Berkshire (Ire) (Mount Nelson {GB}) (lot 267) whose dam, Kinnaird (Ire) (Dr Devious {Ire}), won the G1 Prix de l'Opera.
Exceeding All Expectations…
Peter and Michelle Morgan of Carmel Stud sold subsequent G2 July S. winner Anjaal (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) for 105,000gns to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum at Book 2 of the October Sale in 2012 and, with the offspring of their foundation mare Ballymore Celebre (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) now upgraded to Book 1 status, the Somerset-based breeders enjoyed another good result with the sale of the mare's Exceed And Excel (Aus) colt (lot 76) to the same owner for 600,000gns.
“He was a beautiful individual who deserved to do well but we never like to get too confident. He's certainly exceeded our expectations; that was an amazing result,” said Michelle. “It's really lovely that Shadwell has followed the family. We're delighted that Sheikh Hamdan has bought him and I hope he goes on to be very successful for him.”
The Morgans have a full-sister to Anjaal at home on their farm in Norton St Philip and Ballymore Celebre, a dual winner who was purchased at the Tattersalls December Sale of 2004 for 290,000gns, is currently in foal to Lope De Vega (Ire).
Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale continues Wednesday at 11 a.m. For the catalogue, results and live streaming, visit www.tattersalls.com.
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