Bated Breath Colt Heads Book 3 Opener

Newmarket, UK–There was something of a changing of the guard at Park Paddocks on Thursday as new faces arrived for the start of a bumper Book 3.

At the end of more than 12 hours of trading which saw 306 horses pass through the ring, a further 5,256,550gns has been added to what can only eventually be a record haul for the October Sale. Figures remained pretty consistent with last year's Book 3. The session aggregate was up by 18% but that was from 53 more horses sold than last year at a clearance rate of 81%. The average figure of 21,111gns dropped by 7% while the median remained static at 17,000gns.

Steve Parkin of Clipper Logistics will race the day's leading light, lot 1438, a colt by Bated Breath (GB) bought on his behalf by Joe Foley for 85,000gns. The son of the 3-year-old winner Sky Crystal (Ger) (Galileo {Ire}) is a half-brother to the dual winner and Group 3-placed Pellucid (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}), while Sky Crystal's dam is a half-sister to the G1 Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile winner Crystal Music (Nureyev).

“He's by a sire we like and the mare's first foal was pretty good,” said Foley. “This is a very nice colt with great movement and great depth to his pedigree.”

The colt was offered by the Castlebridge Consignment, which ended day one as leading vendor with ten sold for 231,000gns.

Colts In Demand
Ahead of next week's October Sale at Arqana, Jean-Claude Rouget stocked up with a few extra yearlings from Tattersalls, going to 75,000gns for lot 1425, Ballyhimikin's colt bred on the Golden Horn (GB) cross of Cape Cross (Ire) over a Dubai Destination mare. The dam in question is Seasons (GB), a 2-year-old winner in France for Sheikh Mohammed out of the G2 Cherry Hinton S. winner Silent Honor (Ire) (Sunday Silence). The colt was a €40,000 foal purchase at Goffs last November by Anthony Stroud.

Stroud was on the other end of the transaction when bidding 75,000gns for lot 1313, one of 13 yearlings by Darley freshman Farhh (GB), the sire of this season's G3 Acomb S. winner Wells Farhh Go (GB).

An early lot into the ring on Thursday morning from Voute Sales, the half-brother to three winners was bred by Rabbah Bloodstock and is a great grandson of top producer Doff The Derby, his grandam Shinko Hermes (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) being a sister to dual Classic winner Imagine (Ire).

The agent was back in action late in the session and bought Britton House Stud's Sea The Moon (Ger) colt for 80,000gns on behalf of a long-standing client. Selected as a foal for 25,000gns, the Lanwades-bred colt is out of Diablerette (GB) (Green Desert), a winning half-sister to the Group winners Lady Jane Digby (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and Gateman (GB) (Owington {GB}).

Stroud commented, “I've liked the Sea The Moon yearlings and this is a very athletic horse and light on his feet. He's a big, scopey horse who will be a nice longer-term prospect.”

Kent Keeps Peace In Family
“It's a family that my dad brought here for all those years and I'm sentimental about it but I really believe in it,” said Nicola Kent after selling lot 1381, a strong Camacho (GB) colt out of the unraced Pashmina (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}) whose family has been strongly associated with the Kents for six generations and includes the Irish champion 2-year-old filly Pass The Peace (GB) (Alzao), bred by Kent's late father John.

Like her many brothers and sisters, Nicola Kent is a hands-on horsewoman who not only bred the Camacho colt in partnership with her mother Eleanor, but also consigned him and led him through the ring to fetch a bid of 68,000gns from Matt Coleman.

“It wasn't actually the plan for me to lead him up but that's the way it worked out and he was so well behaved. He's a proper gentleman with manners and is very smart. He's just been a lovely horse to work with,” Kent added. “He's bred on the same cross as My Catch, who is Camacho's top-rated runner.”

More recent generations of the family have thrown up the hardy Monsieur Joe (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}), a half-brother to Pashmina who has raced 91 times for 13 wins including the G3 Prix du Petit Couvert and is set to run later today (Friday) at York.

Kent continued, “My mum was watching the sale on the internet. She's 87 next week but she still gets such a kick out of it all, especially Monsieur Joe's races. My brother Richard bred his dam Pascali and I bought her from him as a yearling and raced her with mum.”

The Pass The Peace family is unlikely to be lost to the Kents' Ballyhampshire Stud any time soon as back home in Cork they still have Pascali (GB) (Compton Place {GB}) and two of her daughters, as well as a daughter and grand-daughter of Pass The Peace's best offspring Embassy (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), who emulated her mother by winning the G1 Cheveley Park S. and claiming champion 2-year-old honours.

The Barton Factor
The 11-time winner and dual Group 1 scorer Krypton Factor (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) has been an international flagbearer for his breeder Lady Fairhaven and the family's Barton Stun brought his Iffraaj (GB) half-brother (lot 1562) to Tattersalls as part of an 18-strong draft. Bought with one bid by Michael O'Hagan for 70,000gns, the colt was attributed to agent Tom Malone.

“We like the sire and have a few by him, the mare has proved that she can do it, and we like this horse. We've missed on a few earlier this week, but we're pleased to have bought this colt,” said O'Hagan.

The colt's dam Cool Question (GB) (Polar Falcon), the winner of the Ripon Champion 2yo Trophy in her racing days, has bred five winners from seven runners.

Donald McCain, more readily associated with National Hunt horses, will take charge of a Nathaniel (Ire) yearling for owner Tim Leslie after David Redvers stepped in to act on Leslie's behalf to buy lot 1370 for 68,000gns. The colt is the second foal of the Authorized (Ire) mare Navajo Charm (GB), a half-sister to G1 National S. winner Mus-If (GB) (Lahib).

Rabbah Bloodstock invested in a first-crop daughter of Morpheus (GB) from a family which has been kind to Sheikh Mohammed over the years (lot 1340). Bred in partnership by Tally-Ho Stud and Ringfort Stud, the filly was pinhooked by Charlie and Tracy Vigors of Hillwood Stud for 15,000gns, returning to make 62,000gns as a yearling. Her dam Lilium (GB) (Nashwan) won the Listed Oh So Sharp S. for Sheikh Mohammed and Sir Michael Stoute in the same maroon-and-white silks carried to victory in the G3 Jersey S. by grandam Satin Flower (Shadeed), who went on to produce G1 Middle Park S. winner Lujain (Seeking The Gold).

International Buyers Still In Play
The popularity of Sea The Moon continued through Book 3 with Yuji Erihara, the manager of Lex Stud in Japan, making a determined play for a colt from Hillwood Stud (lot 1597), who eventually sold for 60,000gns.

Another successful pinhook for jockey Willy Twiston-Davies, the colt is the first foal of the unraced Invasor (Arg) mare Ealaan, a daughter of the G3 Shadwell Nell Gwyn S. winner Misterah (GB) and was bought from Trickledown Stud for 24,000gns last December.

Book 3 continues today from 9.30am and will resume after racing at 5.15pm.