Siyouni Colt Rounds Off Shadwell Spree

NEWMARKET, UK–So that's Book 2 back on the shelf, which is probably the only way Angus Gold will be able to keep his catalogue from falling apart altogether. Certainly its pages must be pretty frayed, and its spine down to bare threads, after a heroic spree over the past three days. The market would certainly have looked rather different without Shadwell, and the many vendors and consignors in Sheikh Hamdan's debt will be ardently hoping that they have sold him the next Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

On Monday, Gold had become the first man ever to sign for a seven-figure yearling out of Book 2: a filly by the same sire as Battaash, who graduated from this sale for 200,000gns in 2015. And he again topped yesterday's closing session by giving 600,000gns for an absolutely voluptuous colt by Siyouni (Fr).

Across the sale, Gold finished up with a sheaf of 51 dockets worth a total 8,505,000gns. And Shadwell's loyalty to its trainers, that terribly fortunate crew, once again underpinned the entire performance of Book 2–which, in fact, just overhauled last year's record business with the very last lot through the ring.

Yesterday's trade admittedly subsided somewhat, the year-on-year average for the final day slipping 4% to 73,096gns from 75,961gns and the median to 52,000gns (-5%) from 55,000gns. But the three-day indices confirmed the remarkable consolidation of Book 2 through the past three editions. Having turned over just short of 39m guineas in 2016, it tipped 48m guineas for the third year running: edging past last year's 48,458,500gns, with the final fall of the gavel on a 130,000gns son of New Approach (Ire), to 48,499,000gns.

The three-day average inched forward to 78,224gns from 76,796gns, with the median virtually unchanged at 55,500gns. Perhaps most heartening of all is a clearance rate that held so firm, at 85%.

“Yet again, Book 2 has achieved turnover in excess of all other European yearling sales except last week's October Book 1,” said Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony at the conclusion of proceedings. “In addition, the sale has averaged more than 75,000gns and grossed in excess of 48 million guineas for the third consecutive year.

“The obvious highlights have been Croom House Stud's exceptional 900,000gns No Nay Never colt, who is the highest priced colt ever sold at this fixture; followed swiftly by Trevor Stewart's beautifully-bred, record-breaking Dark Angel filly, presented by Ballyhimikin Stud, whose 1,050,000 guineas sale broke new ground for Book 2.

“Individual records always make good reading, but the real Book 2 story has been the sustained demand from start to finish. It is a pretty extraordinary statistic that as recently as 2012 there were 48 Book 2 yearlings sold for 100,000 guineas or more–and this year we have had more than 160 reach that level.

“The support of the Maktoum family and their associates has, of course, played a huge part in the success of the sale and their continued enthusiasm and commitment should never be underestimated. But they have been joined by buyers from the wider Gulf region and from throughout the world including Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and the USA.

“Equally importantly, the British and Irish trainers have also been out in force. The combination of a strong catalogue featuring so many quality British, Irish and French yearlings and the sale's reputation for producing champions, year upon year, makes October Book 2 a sale which everybody wants to attend. They have all made a valuable and hugely appreciated contribution and we look forward to sustaining the momentum as we turn our attention tomorrow to Book 3 of the October Yearling Sale.”

Garden Blooms for Siyouni Upgrade

That lot 1192 was going to top the session was quickly obvious from the mechanical briskness with which bids were exchanged even once reaching the thinner air. Following interest from Alex Elliott among others, Gold and the Hong Kong Jockey Club responded instantly to each bid, two nods apiece enabling them to race through each 100,000gns in a matter of seconds. Eventually the intervals began to lengthen, at least on one side; but Gold never faltered–much to the delight of breeders Tim and Gill Bostwick and consignor Barton Stud.

Physically, this colt would have caused no less drooling in Book 1. Perhaps the page would not have stood up quite so well last week, though all three previous runners for the dam–the listed-placed Moonlit Garden (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus})–have won for a mixed bag of sires and two of them, auspiciously, even have black-type.

The 11-year-old was one of the first purchases made by the Bostwicks on their own account, as opposed to being inherited with Biddestone Stud. She was carrying her first foal, Dream Dreamer (GB) (Dream Ahead), when bought here for 80,000gns by Richard Knight at the December Sale in 2012. “Biddestone” itself, however, now continues largely as a paper operation, following the sale of the stud, and the Bostwicks now entrust their breeding stock to Tom Blain at Barton Stud (with assistance also from Oliver St Lawrence).

“We changed tack completely a couple of years ago and it's the best decision we ever made,” Tim Bostwick said. “Tom and his team produce the horses so well, and they treat everything you send them as if it were their own. That's the biggest sale we've ever had by some way. We did get 450,000gns for one last year, which was pretty special, but you daren't dream of topping that.”

“She really has been a fabulous mare,” his wife added. “You can just trust she that will always throw to the stallion. We have a breeding right in Siyouni and thought that his body, walk and speed would superimpose well.”

Having proved that she will repay an upgrade, it will be interesting to see where the mare is sent for her next liaison. In the meantime she has a Muhaarar (GB) filly at foot, while the Bostwicks have retained Dream Dreamer who has a Showcasing (GB) colt.

“This colt was my favourite of the year,” Blain confirmed. “He was born and bred at Barton Stud and has always been particularly special. He's taken everything so well here, and it's great to see Tim and Jill rewarded with a good one after they have put so much money, time and effort into the game.”

Never Colt Brings Damsire Back from Nowhere

Besides Shadwell, Rabbah has been another diligent friend to this market–finishing a clear second by aggregate with 42 purchases totalling 3,216,000gns–and topped its business yesterday with a 325,000gns colt by No Nay Never consigned by Ballyvalone Stud as lot 1105.

His dam is by Erewhon (Kingmambo), a brother to Oaks winner Light Shift who has, it must be conceded, proved singularly unproductive as a sire. Nonetheless he was at one point favoured by a visit from a Canadian Grade III winner in Lush Soldier (Lost Soldier) and, while the resulting daughter was unraced, she has thrown a nice colt here–and all due congratulations, then, to GHS Bloodstock for fishing him out of the Goffs November sale as a €54,000 weanling.

That was on behalf of Ballyvolane's John Foley, in association with the Flannerys of Egmont Stud.

“He has always been a gorgeous horse,” Foley said. “He was a very good mover as a foal, and has grown into an equally nice yearling. He really went the right way and he's obviously by a popular sire. We've been very lucky. It's a tough business. The current climate makes it very difficult, but you keep trying to survive. Thankfully we've had a couple of good years.”

Indeed, the farm sold a Lope De Vega colt to Shadwell for the same sum last year.

Soon afterwards No Nay Never consolidated his gains as a sales sire when Ross Doyle saw off Anthony Stroud at 270,000gns for a half-sister to group-placed Maid To Remember (GB) (Redoute's Choice {Aus})  offered by Haras du Mezeray as lot 1143.

“It's been extremely tough and I just told Anthony that's the first time in eight days that I've beaten him,” Doyle said smiling. “This is a nice, big, attractive filly with lots of scope, a great walk, and of course she's by a very good stallion. She has a great page too and will make up into a lovely broodmare down the road, being out of a Galileo (Ire) mare was a big plus to us, but her first job will be up to Richard Hannon.”

Can't Get Too Much of a Good Thing

Many people here must have been very surprised the previous day to learn that an ageing breeder like Prince Khaled Abdulla is willing to defer the next career of Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), but the planning for the long term continued in the 270,000gns addition of a young filly by the greatest of his champions, Frankel (GB), to the Juddmonte empire.

Lot 1106, bred by Lady Bamford and consigned by Castlebridge, appeared eligible for its programme as a daughter of Group 3 winner Ladys First (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}). “Obviously we like Frankel fillies,” said Grimthorpe. “We like Frankels. We waved a few through last week but obviously this one's pedigree measures up nicely and the cross is a good one.”

Ladys First, acquired for the Daylesford Stud for 1,800,000gns through Hugo Lascelles in 2014, was credited with her second winner only a week before the sale, in Chelmsford scorer To The Moon  (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

Grimthorpe was gratified to report an “overwhelmingly positive” reception for the decision to keep Enable in training–which had been made with two globally celebrated daughters of Street Cry (Ire) in mind, and a couple of French racemares as durable as they had been brilliant. “We were encouraged by the examples of Zenyatta and Winx, and Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa) and Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) over here,” Grimthorpe said. “Fortunately we never got as far as Plan B, so I don't know who would have covered Enable. Let's hope that this time next year we're standing here saying what a good decision it was. It obviously required a lot of thought, but she passed her M.O.T. after the Arc very well and that helped with the decision-making process.”

The Juddmonte team supported another of their exciting young stallions when giving 220,000gns for lot 1304, a colt by Kingman (GB) out of the Group-placed mare Quilita (Ger) (Lomitas {GB})–whose own dam was a half-sister to German champion Quijano (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}). Further back it is the family of Authorized (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Solemia (Ire) (Poliglote {GB}). Bred by Gestut Faehrhof, the colt was sold through Newsells Park Stud.

Like Great-Grandfather, like Son

A sleek colt from the first crop of Belardo (Ire), presented as lot 1091 by Haras de Saint Pair, proved irresistible to the man who saddled the Kildangan rookie to Group 1 wins at two and four. “I wanted to buy one by the sire,” admitted Roger Varian as he signed a 200,000gns docket. “And he's a nice, loose mover like his father.”

So ended an efficient recycling project on the part of Andreas Putsch, who bought the listed-placed dam La Patria (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) carrying this, her first foal, in the same ring at the July Sale in 2017 for 270,000gns. He moved the mare on at Arqana last December for €370,000, so Putsch regarded this transaction as “the cherry on the cake.”

If Varian was looking for echoes of Belardo, Putsch was looking beyond to the next two sires. In Book 2 last year, after all, he had sold a colt by Belardo's father Lope De Vega (Ire) for 140,000gns, and he made a winning debut for Andrew Balding at Sandown last month as Via De Vega (Fr). And this colt, if anything, carried the stamp of Lope De Vega's sire.

“He reminded me a lot of Shamardal, it's a very dominant line,” Putsch said. “He's been very straightforward, and we're always very pleased to come to this sale. Long may that last. Trade has been realistic. Obviously it's difficult for those that are not so desirable, of which there are probably too many to be fair. And the Americans helped last week. I'd say it's slightly tougher than last year, but realistic.”

Whether this kind of trading without frontiers will remain as feasible and attractive after Brexit remains to be seen. “There will always be horses, and always be racing,” Putsch said with a shrug. “There will always be the passion.”

Siyouni Has Come a Longways Already

The breeze-up sector has assembled a big pile of casino chips for Book 2 and another 220,000gns was boldly pushed into play by Star Bloodstock and Longways Stables for lot 1160, a Siyouni (Fr) colt offered by Highclere Stud. Bred by Rockcliffe Stud, he is the first foal out of G3 Dick Poole S. runner-up Marsh Hawk (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

“It's been a challenging week, so we decided with this horse to pool our resources,” explained Byron Rogers of Star Bloodstock. “Everyone has their homework done before they come up to the ring, and they've been well found.”

He certainly has the right partner for a Siyouni pinhook in Mick Murphy of Longways, who made one of his daughters the most expensive Flat horse ever sold at Doncaster when topping the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale at £450,000 back in the spring. Longways had previously launched one of the stallion's first big stars when selling Le Brivido (Fr) to Ted Voute for €105,000 at Arqana in 2016: he became a short-head Classic runner-up before winning at Royal Ascot.

“Mick has obviously had a lot of success with Siyouni and I just loved this horse from the moment he stepped out of his stable,” Rogers said. “He looks fast, and uncomplicated, with a good mind: he handled himself well, which is important for a breezer.”

Murphy reckoned that kind of temperament to be standard issue for Siyouni. “We were just saying we wish we had a whole stable of them,” he said. “But his pedigree looks fast on both sides, and there was plenty of Invincible Spirit in him as well.”

Winds of Fortune Blow Both Ways

As ever, the foal pinhookers had mixed tales to tell, but there were certainly some that hit the bull's eye. Tradewinds Stud, for instance, found an Iffraaj (GB) colt here last December for 30,000gns, purchased through Five Star Bloodstock, and turned him round as lot 1151 for 190,000gns to William Haggas.

Good work for a partnership of three in only their second year at the game. “We doubled our numbers for this year to seven, but this horse was always going to be our main hope,” said 20-year-old Alex Power, who also works part-time at Yeomanstown. “He has been busy since he was here. I hope with his pedigree and physique, he will be a champion.”

Beauty, of course, remains ever in the eye of the beholder, which is how pinhookers stay in business. (It was disappointing, as such, that a Kodiac (GB) filly with as perfect a heart-shape marking on her forehead as lot 1177 could only make 18,000gns.) Ultimately, whatever stage you're trading at, the proof of the pudding awaits on the racetrack. It would be no surprise, however, should the bargain of the day prove to be the fine Invincible Spirit (Ire) colt consigned by Carmel Stud as lot 1283.

He is out of a sibling to champions Reams Of Verse (Nureyev) and Elmaamul (Diesis), as well as to the dam of Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). His new owner Peter Brant is unlikely to be discouraged from his interest in the market on this side of the pond after Charlie Gordon-Watson secured him for 90,000gns.