Motivator Filly Tops Sportsman's Sale

by Emma Berry

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Treve (Fr) will attempt to retain her crown at Longchamp this Sunday and has been the poster girl for her sire Motivator (GB), who was responsible for the €90,000 top lot at the Goffs Sportsman's Sale. 
With 274 yearlings coming under the hammer in this single session following two frenetic days of Orby Sale trade, another decent clearance rate of 83% was posted with improved turnover of €4,408,550 (+15%), albeit from 28 more yearlings sold than in 2013. Average and median remained largely consistent with last year's figures at €19,154 (+0.4%) and €15,000 (-6.25%).

Females dominated the second day of the Orby Sale and it was another filly out in front on Thursday when Cregg Stud's daughter of dual winner Bridal Path (GB) (Groom Dancer) (lot 572) went the way of trainer Edward Lynam, with other interested parties including Motivator's former jockey Johnny Murtagh and Alex Elliott acting for Michael Bell, who trained the Derby winner. 

Nicknamed 'Fast Eddie' for his success with the group 1-winning sprinters Sole Power (GB) and Slade Power (Ire), Lynam joked, “All trainers of sprinters should be interested in a Motivator filly.” He added, “She's a lovely sweet filly and I liked her a lot. It's already been a lucky family for me.” 

That luck came in the form of the well-regarded Medico (GB) (Highest Honor {Fr}), a son of this filly's third dam Doctor Bid (Spectacular Bid). Medico won three of his six starts for Lynam before being sold to race in Hong Kong for John Moore. 

A half-sister to five black-type winners, the Cheveley Park Stud-bred Bridal Path is the dam of multiple winners Icy Blue (GB) (Iceman {GB}) and Strike A Light (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) and was bought carrying the daughter of Motivator at Tattersalls' December Sale for 11,000gns. 

Lynam also struck later in the day for lot 674, a Dark Angel (Ire) half-sister to the G2 Dubai City of Gold S. winner Excellent Result (Ire) (Shamardal) bred by Thomas Molan and sold for €65,000 through Riversfield Stud. The trainer ended the sale as leading buyer with five yearlings obtained for a total of €201,000. 

O'Ryans In the Fray… 
Shamardal had just one yearling in the Orby Sale and yet another sole representative in the Sportsman's Sale but that filly–lot 468, a daughter of the winning Pivotal (GB) mare Shamayel (GB)–took the lead early in the day when selling to Bobby O'Ryan on behalf of trainer Dermot Weld for €85,000. 

O'Ryan also signed for lot 491, a colt whose dual-purpose sire Jeremy died recently at the age of just 11. Out of the listed winner Step With Style (Gulch), whose black-type performances came in both England and America, he emanates from the family of high-class Jeremy juvenile Kool Kompany (Ire). The May-born colt was pinhooked as a foal in the same ring for €13,500 by Joe Foley before being resold for €70,000. Foley's Ballyhane Stud was leading vendor at the Sportsman's Sale, selling nine lots for €227,500. 

“He's a lovely colt with a good pedigree and he'll be trained by Keith Dalgliesh,” said O'Ryan. “There are some nice horses here today. I've been trying to buy colts over the last few days but the market was so strong–colts that I thought would make €100,000 to €120,000 were making €200,000.” 

Another O'Ryan–Bobby's cousin Robin, who is assistant trainer to Richard Fahey–went to €80,000 to secure lot 543, an Arcano (Ire) colt out of the Nayef mare Alsalwa (Ire) and from the further family of Japanese champion sire Deep Impact (Jpn). Derrinstown Stud freshman Arcano (Ire), one of an increasing number of sons of Oasis Dream (GB) at stud, has been represented by 11 winners in Europe so far this term, including the Fahey-trained dual scorer Abbey Angel (Ire). 

New Agent on the Block… 
The name A.C. Elliott appeared on the buyers' list for the first time during the second session of the Orby Sale and was in evidence again during the Sportsman's section. Alex Elliott will be familiar to many people in the racing industry on both sides of the Atlantic. Having started out with jumps trainer Philip Hobbs, Elliott joined the Darley Flying Start course in 2006 and, upon graduation, worked for trainers Sir Michael Stoute, Christophe Clement and Eoin Harty. 

“It was a dream working for my childhood hero Sir Michael Stoute,” said Elliott, who completed six months with the Newmarket trainer while waiting for a visa to work in the U.S. “I then did a year with Christophe Clement and was assistant to Eoin Harty, running a barn of 30 horses for him in California until the middle of 2012.” 

More recently, Elliott has been seen on the sales circuit working for Jamie McCalmont and has now taken the plunge to set up Elliott Bloodstock Services within the last month. 

“I always saw myself training in America and it was a shame I had to leave, but I made lots of friends and contacts there which has really helped. It was wonderful working for Jamie–I couldn't have been given a better education–and I will continue to do plenty of work with him.” 

Now based back in Newmarket, Elliott shared a house with Simon Callaghan while living in California and with McCalmont bought the trainer's GII City Of Mile S. winner No Jet Lag (Johar) for his good friend Anthony Ramsden, while other recent in-training purchases include the former Johnny Portman-trained Annecdote (GB) (Lucky Story), who won the GIII Noble Damsel S. last month for her new owners George Bolton and Peter Leidel and is now in the stable of Elliott's old boss Christophe Clement. 

Turning his attention to yearlings in Ireland, Elliott went to €52,000 to secure a Clodovil colt (lot 535) from Farranamanagh House Stud. 

He said, “He's for Michael Bell and is for sale. I thought he was one of the nicest colts here today and we didn't want to leave without him as he looks a fast type.” 

Diversity the Key on Final Day… 
Following two days of the more rarefied atmosphere of the Orby Sale, the Sportsman's Sale offered a chance for plenty of trainers and purchasers from across Europe to get involved and returned a typically varied list of buyers. 

Operatives from Italy, Germany, Sweden, Russia and the Czech Republic were in action, while from farther afield Japan Health Summit buyer Takaya Shimakawa returned to add a €30,000 Canford Cliffs (Ire) filly (lot 573) to his four Orby yearlings. Americans Alex Solis and Jason Litt signed for a pair of yearlings–fillies by Arcano (Ire) (lot 682) and Royal Applause (GB) (lot 616) for €40,000 and €30,000 respectively. 

Henry Beeby, Chief Executive of Goffs, summarised trade at the Sportsman's Sale as “solid from start to finish”, citing the diverse group of buyers from home and abroad as key to its success. 

He added, “This is a sale that has grown massively in recent years so we are pleased to have consolidated those gains with the average, median and clearance rate, an impressive 83%, holding steady despite a significantly bigger catalogue. 
“We have welcomed an increased number of UK trainers, several of whom came specially for today whilst others also attended Orby. In addition, we have sold horses overseas to USA, across Europe, the Middle East, and Far East following specific marketing campaigns and visits from the Goffs and ITM teams.”