By Emma Berry
Dwayne and Wendyll Woods of Brook Stud struck gold with the first foal of their Nayef mare Radhaadh (Ire), whose Farhh (GB) colt brought the day's top price at Tattersalls of 160,000gns, equalling the record set for this day four years ago.
The dam of lot 463, a half-sister to G3 Strensall S. winner Mustashry (GB) (Tamayuz {GB}) had been bought for 55,000gns in the same ring when carrying this colt in July 2016 and her subsequent foal became the subject of a battle between eventual purchaser Yeomanstown Stud and Neil Gilchrist, who, through Capital Bloodstock, spent over €1 million at the Goffs November Sale last week.
Dwayne Woods said, “We're thrilled. He has always been a delight to work with, he is a great walker, has a lot of presence and he produced that here. It is nice to see him sell so well. We can't take the credit for the covering, but have been lucky to harvest the result.”
The Shadwell-bred mare Radhaadh was covered this year by Farhh's Darley stablemate New Approach (Ire).
The European sales circuit had already witnessed a strong start to the foal trade last week at Goffs and that demand continued in Newmarket, where figures improved across the board. The day's turnover passed last year's level with several hours of the session left to run and ended with a first-day record of 2,889,500gns. This was spent on 191 of the 252 foals offered at a clearance rate of 76%. The median of 10,000gns was up by 25% and the average was also up, by 35%, at 15,128gns.
Ivawood Connections Stay Loyal
Amanda Skiffington bought the dual Group 2 winner Ivawood (Ire) as a yearling for 220,000gns and she returned to buy the most expensive foal from his first crop to date when going to 105,000gns for lot 398, the John Mcloughney-bred son of the unraced Quickstep Queen (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}).
The young mare, whose second offspring was consigned by the Irish National Stud, hails from a fast family with plenty of class. Her dam Fatal Attraction (GB) is a sister to the Group 3-winning sprinter Mirza (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), the pair in turn being out of the G2 Prix du Gros-Chene winner Millyant (GB) (Primo Dominie {GB}).
Skiffington said of her purchase, “He has been bought for Fiona Carmichael, who owned Ivawood and was keen to buy one by the sire. We felt this was the nicest and he has been bought to race.”
She added, “We had hoped that we wouldn't need to spend so much, but when I saw all the good pinhookers on him, I knew it would be hard work.”
Indeed it was Flash Conroy of Glenvale Stud who performed the role of underbidder but only a handful of lots earlier he has been successful in securing a colt by another freshman sire, Highclere Stud's Cable Bay (Ire), when bidding 75,000gns for lot 395.
The April-born son of an unraced Cape Cross (Ire) half-sister to Listed Ben Marshall S. winner Secrecy (GB) (King's Best) was consigned by New England Stud for breeders Highclere Stud and Jake Warren.
Cable Bay ended the day with 10 foals sold for an average of 27,350gns. Among his leading lights on offer during the first session was a pair of colts who sold within three lots of each other for 40,000gns apiece. The busy Bobby O'Ryan signed the ticket for the Norris Bloodstock-consigned son of the winning Nayef mare Fisadara (GB) (lot 352), while Geoffrey Howson and Matt Houldsworth bought Maywood Stud's half-brother to Listed winner Argentero (GB).
Freshmen All The Rage
A host of first-season sires made their mark on the leader board as the four-day foal sale got underway at Tattersalls.
The half-sister to G3 Concorde S. winner Psychedelic Funk (GB) (Choisir {Aus}) was another to give her sire Ivawood (Ire) a boost when selling for 48,000gns to Mags O'Toole on behalf of Eddie O'Leary of Lynn Lodge Stud. Lot 314 was consigned by Eildon House Stables and is a daughter of the 73-rated Gaileo (Ire) mare Parabola whose first three runners are all winners. Ivawood ended the day as the leading sire with five sold at an average of 45,200gns.
New Zealander Andrew Williams went to 42,000gns for a colt by Darley shuttler Brazen Beau (Aus) (lot 308), a son of the popular I Am Invincible (Aus). The March-born colt is out of Rose Khazan (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), whose dam Zahour Al Yasmeen (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) is a full-sister to the dual Group 2-winning juvenile Revenue (GB).
Also sold at 42,000gns was lot 228, a filly by Bearstone Stud's well-bred young stallion Fountain Of Youth (Ire). Bought by Bobby O'Ryan, the Bearstone homebred filly is a half-sister to five winners, including the balck-type performers Better Built (GB) (Xaar {GB}) and Right Answer (GB) (Lujain).
Jamie Railton stepped in to buy a colt by Tweenhills sire Hot Streak (Ire), the first foal of the winning Street Boss mare Bossanova Lady at 40,000gns (lot 239), while the only weanling catalogued by Gainesway sire Karakontie (Jpn) (lot 293) sold from Bumble Mitchell's draft to Melchior Bloodstock for 35,000gns. The American-born colt is out of Matroshka (Ire), a Red Ransom half-sister to Group 3 winner Whazzis (GB) (Desert Prince {Ire}) and Chesham S. victrix Whazzat (GB) (Daylami {Ire}), the dam of this season's G2 Mill Reef S. winner James Garfield (Ire).
Pinhookers' Favourites
Among the offspring of more established stallions, it was a son of Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) who topped the table for a while when Mick Flanagan made a spur-of-the-moment purchase at 45,000gns for lot 305. Consigned by Keith Harte for breeder Joey Barton, the late April colt is out of the Listed winner and Group 3-placed Electric Feel (GB) (Firebreak {GB}).
“The colt foaled with us and is a young foal. He has done nothing but improve throughout the summer and if he keeps on improving he should be lucky for his new owner,” said Harte.
A buying quartet from Wales, New Zealand and Ireland combined to buy lot 261, a colt by Garswood (GB) from David and Trish Brown's Furnace Mill Stud. Louise Parry of Pantycoed Stud, breeder of Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Saoire (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), along with Larry Stratton and Tom and Ronan Whelan of Church View Stables, went to 42,000gns for the colt they described as “Our star of the day.”
Stratton added of the son of the dual-winning Namid (GB) mare Lawyers Choice (GB), whose three runners are all multiple winners, “Garswood's yearlings sold very well and yes it's bit of a gamble with his first crop to run next year, but this is a lovely colt and worth it in his own right. He comes from a very good nursery in Furnace Mill Stud and he will go to Ireland with the plan being to bring him back for Book 2.”
Kayf Tara Stars
A slightly leftfield bonus to the Tattersalls Foal Sale catalogue is the inclusion of four colt foals by Britain's leading National Hunt sire, Sadler's Wells' dual G1 Ascot Gold Cup winner Kayf Tara (GB). The quartet has been consigned by Robin and Scarlett Knipe of Cobhall Court Stud who bred the stallion's top-class son Thistlecrack (GB).
The first two to be offered, lots 346, on behalf of his breeder Peter Symonds, and 347, fetched 30,000gns and 42,000gns respectively when bought by dual-purpose operatives, the former Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning jockey Mark Dwyer and Mags O'Toole, who acts regularly for Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud.
The first colt is a son of the Haafhd (GB) mare Hot Rhythm who was trained by the breeder's son Tom Symonds, while the latter is out of the dual bumper winner Monita Bonita (GB) (King's Theatre {Ire}).
The second pair of Kayf Tara colts sells today, with the sale resuming at 10am.
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