Trade Strong On Tatts Day Two

With sterling creaking under the strain of Brexit, it was clear from the outset that there would be a strong international market at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale. That has proved true at all levels: one especially exotic group yesterday produced noisy hollers and applause after a successful bid of 1,200gns, while the previous day an auctioneer had to seal another sale with the words: “Tell that gentleman on the stairs that he's just bought a horse.”

But it was at the other end of the spectrum that export cash once again helped to boost all the year-on-year indices steeply upwards. Though total lots through the ring were down to 261 from 281, at a virtually identical clearance rate of 89%, aggregate sales through the second session soared 33% to 7,390,900gns from 5,552,300gns. That produced leaps in the median of 19,000gns (up from 13,500gns) and the average of 31,721gns (up from 22,479gns)–representing gains of 41% in both cases.

Sure enough, the top lot to date is destined for sunnier climes–completing, in the process, quite a transformation since his last visit here not four months ago. Ten days after scrambling home by a nose in a Bath maiden, in the colours of Lady Rothschild, Cloudberry (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) was sent to the July Sale here– only to be brought back to Beckhampton by his trainer Roger Charlton, to race in his stable's own silks, for just 15,000gns. Son of a Danehill half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Pounced (Rahy), he has since won three times off the reel, most recently in a mile handicap at Newbury only last Friday. The way he traveled through that race represented a timely guarantee that he remains on a roll, and he drew corresponding interest as lot 639. Those to press hard included Johnny McKeever, standing alongside Gai Waterhouse's co-trainer Adrian Bott; Alastair Donald; and ultimately John Egan. But the last nod, at 310,000gns, went to Gassim Al Ghazali, plainly captivated by what he had seen when the horse was paraded before him earlier in the day.

“A soon as I saw him I knew I had to have him,” said Qatar's perennial champion trainer, a regular shopper at this sale. “He was a little bit expensive but you can't control the price and I needed to have him. The races he has won might not be high quality but they show he's improving and he also has good conformation, so I hope he can become a Qatar Derby horse.”

Charlton, who had reluctantly lost Imperial Aviator (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) to share top billing on the opening day at 270,000gns, could this time console himself with a rare windfall. “The horse has absolutely blossomed since the July Sale,” he said. “He was impressive at Newbury, and he's a very sound, really nice horse who I think should continue to do well.”

Brothers Navigate Yangtze Towards Melbourne…

Another destined for a long-haul flight is Yangtze (GB) (Dansili {GB}) (lot 713). Having seen out the trip so strongly since being stepped up to 14 furlongs by Sir Michael Stoute, he was of unsurprising interest to jumping investors, led by Harold Kirk. But the final nod at 185,000gns went to two brothers-in-arms– agent Tom and trainer Sam Pritchard-Gordon–and he will now join the latter's stable in Melbourne.

“He'll run for a syndicate hoping, as we all do, that one day he might become a Melbourne Cup horse,” said Sam, who set up shop four years ago after a long apprenticeship with Lee Freedman. “His last three runs really sealed the deal for me, but this horse ticks a lot of boxes for down there: the Dansili factor; a family that improves with age; and there's a fair bit of size and substance there, too. The great thing is that everyone wants to be involved in a horse in Australia, from plumbers to schoolteachers: it's a real mainstream sport. It's such a vibrant environment, and with the prizemoney on offer this horse could win quite a chunk of his cost back if he can win a Group 3.”

Plenty Ventured For Final Gain…

Keeping a good horse on home soil was not impossible, but it was seldom cheap. A short but pricey journey duly beckons lot 495, Final Venture (GB) (Equiano {Fr}), after he was sold out of Alan Swinbank's yard for 260,000gns. The 4-year-old gelding will now join another North Yorkshire trainer in Paul Midgley, who already handles around a dozen horses for new owner Andrew Taylor.

Final Venture has been thriving in sprints all summer, boosting his rating from 69 to 104 after going under by barely half-a- length in a listed race last time. “We've been tracking the horse for a while,” said Ian Mayson, who conducted the bidding on Taylor's behalf. “He fits our profile, as we do like sprinters: Andrew's good horses with Paul include the likes of Monsieur Joe (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}), Line Of Reason (Ire) (Kheleyf), Desert Law (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and Ninjago (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}). But this is the dearest so far.”

Anthony Stroud, always active in recruiting for the Dubai Carnival at this sale, had made a strong bid for Final Venture. But he was not to be denied for Treasury Notes (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), lot 580, at 200,000gns. Stroud knows the gelding well, having bought him at the Breeze-Ups here a couple of years ago for 54,000gns. Much improved since returned to David O'Meara from this sale 12 months ago, for just 30,000gns, he won his fourth handicap of the campaign off 97 at Ripon in August.

Stroud later paid 148,000gns for Twin Sails (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}), a solid 95-rated handicapper for Dean Ivory–excellent Book 3 business here for the trainer's father Ken, two years ago, at just 25,000gns.

Jet Setting Trainer Back on the Runway…

Auctioneer Alastair Pim spoke advisedly when he congratulated Adrian Keatley on his purchase of lot 528 for 9,500gns. “I hope he's as good as the last one,” he told the young trainer, who famously obtained subsequent G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Jet Setting (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire})–through Kilbride Equine–for just 12,000gns here last year. Rising Eagle (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) has shown still less for Charles Hills than did that filly for Richard Hannon during her first season, and a rather more obvious prospect among the Faringdon Place draft was lot 523.

Stephen Hillen was duly obliged to pay 150,000gns for Shanghai Glory (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) on behalf of Jim Hay. Beaten off 75 on his reappearance, this 3-year-old gelding inflated his rating to 104 when winning a listed race at The Curragh a couple of weeks before the sale. “He's tough, he's consistent, but the best thing is that he's a 3-year-old and there's lots more to come,” Hillen reasoned. “It's hard for a 3-year-old to beat older sprinters but that's what he did the other day and there are 4- and 5-year-olds, that would be a bit more washed up, making more. He might go to Dubai, or there will be all those listed or Group 3 sprints next year.”

Hillen said he did not know where Shanghai Glory would be stabled, though it will not be lost on his new owners that his present trainer has done very well for them this term with Jallota (GB) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}).

Jumpers Find The Bar Raised…

So much overseas competition has made the first couple of days tough going for the National Hunt buyers, but Eddie O'Leary held out stubbornly to bring down the hammer at 155,000gns for lot 758. Tried at Group 1 level as a juvenile by Hugo Palmer, Mengli Khan (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) won a Kempton handicap last month after castration and was signed for in the name of Gordon Elliott–whose yard is set to be in the front rank for Gigginstown Stud this winter, following its dramatic split with Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins.

The penultimate session of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale takes place Wednesday.