Dalham Hall resident Dubawi (Ire) has established himself as one of the world's leading sires, a fact that was underscored by his popularity at last month's Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, where he was the leading Book 1 sire by average with 10 sold for an average of 654,500gns. It came as little surprise, therefore, that the lone Keeneland November offering carrying to the son of Dubai Millennium sparked a bidding war last night, and in the end it was Benoit Jeffroy of Al Shaqab Racing who outlasted Man O'War Farm's Michael Baum for the Group 2 winner Strawberrydaiquiri (GB) (Dansili {GB}) for $1.45 million.
“We're really happy,” a smiling Jeffroy said after signing the ticket. “She's in foal to Dubawi, so that's good, and she's a lovely mare. It's really hard to get to Dubawi. They're precious, so we're happy. She'll go back to France.”
With just two mares in foal to Dubawi set to be offered at Tattersalls' December Sale, opportunities to get a member of his 2015 crop will be limited.
Credit must also go to Strawberrydaiquiri, however, who was a high-class and hard-knocking racemare. Owned throughout her career by Fawzi Nass, Strawberrydaiquiri won the G3 Dahlia S. and the G2 Windsor Forest S. at Royal Ascot in 2010 as a 4-year-old and placed in that year's G1 Sun Chariot S. for trainer Sir Michael Stoute. She placed in that same Newmarket feature the following year after Nass took over the reins as trainer. Her first foal, a filly by Street Cry (Ire), was a 125,000gns buy at Tattersalls October, and she had a weanling colt by Pivotal. Strawberrydaiquiri was consigned by Brookdale Sales on behalf of Aislabie Bloodstock as hip 422.
“She's a nice mare by Dansili, who is a good broodmare and she was a good racemare, so we'll see now,” Jeffroy added. He said a 2015 mate for Strawberrydaiquiri would be decided on at a later date. Al Shaqab is building a stallion roster at its Haras de Bouquetot in France that will next year include the exciting triple Group 1 winner Olympic Glory (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}), as well as Group 1 winners Planteur (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and Style Vendome (Fr) (Anabaa). Al Shaqab's dual Group 1-winning miler Toronado (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) will retire to the National Stud in Newmarket for 2015.
Strawberrydaiquiri was the second Keeneland November purchase for Al Shaqab after the operation went to $1.3 million for Scarlet Strike (Smart Strike) during Tuesday's opening session.
“[The market] has been pretty strong,” Jeffroy remarked. “I've been beaten quite a few times, so it's a very good market. It's strong. That's good for everybody.” –Kelsey Riley
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