Toronado Colt Shares Top Billing At Tatts

The National Stud's first-season sire Toronado (Ire) was in the spotlight at Tattersalls' December Foal Sale as trade warmed up significantly and one of his sons shared the top spot with a colt by Kodiac. With 17 foals bringing six-figure prices during a vibrant second session, the average, median and clearance all received significant boosts. The average was up by 9% to 40,005gns and the median rose by 15% to 30,000gns. The day's turnover dropped by 2% to 8,441,000gns but this was from 43 fewer horses sold than on the equivalent day last year––211 compared to 254––for a clearance rate of 82%.

Toronado Storms To The Lead
Bought by Jim and Paul McCartan in partnership with Michael Carty, the Toronado colt's price of 190,000gns was a further endorsement for his unraced dam Raskutani (GB) (Dansili {GB}), the dam of G3 Geoffrey Freer S. winner Agent Murphy (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and a daughter of Wellsummers Stud's foundation mare Oshiponga (GB) (Barathea {Ire}).

James Stewart, who bought the Marlborough-based farm back in 2003 and selected Oshiponga at Tattersalls the following year for 65,000gns, said, “He's been well prepared for the sale by the Castlebridge Consignment but I am a great believer in breeding on exceptional land and I think that the good bone my foals have is a credit to the fresh Wiltshire downland on which we're based.”

He added, “As a TBA member, I'm also pleased that these sort of results show what can be achieved by small farms with just a couple of nice families.”

In the case of this colt (lot 655), it's a family in which success runs deep. Stewart bred G2 Superlative S. winner Hatta Fort (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and his G3 Sweet Solera S.-winning half-sister Blue Bayou (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) from Oshiponga, while further relations include Inchinor (GB) and Oshiponga's half-sister, the GI EP Taylor S. heroine Miss Keller (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). Recent Classic glory has come in the form of G1 St Leger winner Harbour Law (GB) (Lawman {Fr}), who is out of another of Oshiponga's half-sisters, Abunai (GB) (Pivotal {GB}).

For Stewart, it's the second terrific result in the sales ring in less than two months after Raskutani's yearling colt by Azamour sold for 230,000gns at the October Sale to Roger Varian, and there could yet be more to come as the 10-year-old mare features as lot 1747 in next week mares' sale.

The breeder continued, “I've kept two daughters of Oshiponga. I turned down a big offer for Blue Bayou but sometimes you have to stand your ground as a small breeder in order to develop a family. I also have her Champs Elysees (GB) yearling filly, who will be going into training.”

Pinhooker Jim McCartan, who conducted the bidding on behalf of his partners, has struck lucky with this family before. At the 2013 December Yearling Sale he bought Harbour Law's half-brother Moheet (Ire), by Toronado's sire High Chaparral (Ire) for 41,000gns and made a tidy profit when selling the stakes-placed colt for 800,000gns at the Craven Breeze-up Sale the following spring. He said of his most recent purchase, “We all thought he was an exceptional foal. We waited for him and went to the back ring to see him again. We liked the Azamour yearling and hopefully Roger [Varian] can help us along with him. It's a lot to pay for a foal by a first-crop sire but Toronado was a good horse.”

Ronald Rauscher clearly shares McCartan's view and with the session drawing to a close went to 145,000gns for lot 777, the Toronado half-brother to this season's Listed-winning juvenile and Group 3-placed Global Applause (GB) (Mayson {GB}). The chesnut colt began his life at Cobhall Court Stud, the home of versatile breeders Robin and Scarlett Knipe, who are also responsible for the outstanding hurdler and Cheltenham Gold Cup hope Thistlecrack (GB) (Kayf Tara {GB}).

With 41 weanlings on offer this week Toronado has the strongest representation of any of the freshman sires and his 19 to sell so far have returned an average price of 35,816gns.

Dream Results for Bolton Grange Stud
Andrew and Jane Ellis of Bolton Grange Stud still have their retired 23-year-old homebred mare Pizzicato (GB) (Statoblest {GB}) at their Northumberland farm and her grand-daughter Inyordreams (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) did the family proud on Thursday when her Kodiac (Ire) colt sold late in the day to equal the top price of 190,000gns. Lot 746 is the first foal of the Listed Boedicea S. winner who is herself a daughter of the outstanding juvenile Wunders Dream (Ire) (Averti {Ire}). He was bought by Anthony Stroud on behalf of Ballydogen Stud.

“You have certain expectations but you never really like to pre-empt a result,” said Jane Ellis, who consigned the colt through Paul and Sara Thorman's Trickledown Stud. “He's been a lovely colt right from the start and we've had the family for a long time.”

Another member of the family preceded the colt in the ring and the son of Helmet (Aus) (lot 745) out of Pizzarra (GB), a Shamardal half-sister to Wunders Dream, also sold well, attracting a bid of 92,000gns from Jimmy Murphy of Redpender Stud.

Bumble Creates A Buzz
John Ferguson made four purchases on Thursday, going to 180,000gns for an Invincible Spirit (Ire) colt (lot 708) bred in partnership by his consignor Bumble Mitchell and the Irish National Stud. His dam Kerry's Dream (GB) (Tobougg {Ire}) is a winning half-sister to G3 Prix de Royaumont winner Lady's Purse (GB) (Doyen {Ire}) and has already produced the Listed winner Ventura Mist (GB) (Pastoral Pursuits {GB}).

Cape Cross (Ire) was officially retired by Darley back in March after failing to get any mares in foal and with seven members of his final crop going through the ring at Tattersalls this week, Ferguson struck early to claim lot 526, a colt out of Gower Song (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) for 170,000gns.

The Usk Valley Stud-bred weanling is a brother to Melodious, runner-up in the G2 Park Hill S. last season for David Elsworth, who also purchased their dam as a yearling for 17,000gns. Racing in the colours of Kevin Mercer of Usk Valley Stud, Gower Song went on to win six times, led by the G3 Dubai City Of Gold at Nad Al Sheba.

“He's always has been a lovely sort, so light on his feet and typical of his sire and dam. He was vetted more times than any other I have brought here,” said Mercer. “I have always supported Cape Cross––his fortunes have gone up and down, but I am a big fan.”

While Cape Cross may not always have been a rock-solid commercial proposition, he continues to make his presence felt in Classic company. He sired last year's Derby winner Golden Horn (GB) and is the grandsire of this year's Epsom hero Harzand (Ire), whose sire Sea The Stars (Ire) was Mercer's selection to cover Gower Song this year.

Hopes High For Wuheida's Relation
James and David Egan of Corduff Stud are notoriously bold pinhookers and they struck early on Thursday to claim a colt by Dark Angel (Ire) (lot 511) from the immediate family of one of the leading fancies of next year's fillies' Classics, Wuheida (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Bred by Nick Bradley and consigned by Glebe Farm Stables, the April-born colt is out of Secrets Away (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}), a half-sister to Wuheida's talented dam Hibaayeb (GB) (Sinsgpiel {Ire}), winner of the G1 Fillies' Mile and GI Yellow Ribbon S. He also attracted plenty of interest from Gay O'Callaghan, who pushed the Egans' agent Richard Brown to 145,000gns.

“He's a very good model and of course there's been a big update,” said Brown, referring to Wuheida's victory last month in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac. “She will hopefully give us something to cheer about next year. There's nothing like an active family and Dark Angel just goes from strength to strength.”

Despite losing out on this foal, Gay O'Callaghan's Yeomanstown Stud had made a splash eight lots earlier when being behind the first six-figure transaction of the sale and buying lot 503 for 125,000gns. The daughter of Iffraaj (GB) is the second foal of Listed Prix Finlande winner Ighraa (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) and was bred in Oxfordshire by Simon and Mags Hope of Aston Mullins Stud in partnership with Stephen Barrow.

Out of the dependable Deerpark Styd matron Frond (GB) (Alzao), Ighraa is a half-sister to fellow Listed winners Nashmiah (Ire) (Elusive City {Ire}) and Streets Ahead (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}). She was one of 11 purchases for Yeomanstown Stud, the secodn busiest buyer at the sale so far with a total outlay of 717,000gns.

Another fan of Iffraaj is Philipp Stauffenberg, who went to 130,000gns for lot 635, Ringfort Stud's daughter of the Listed winner Zayn Zen (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), who is already the dam of five winners. These include Ennaadd (GB) (King's Best), who won the Listed Hyde S. since the publication of the catalogue, while his 2-year-old half-sister Hersigh (GB) (Poet's Voice {GB}) has won twice since Oct. 6. Also featuring on the page is the great Fillies' Triple Crown winner Oh So Sharp (GB) (Kris).

“She is from a good family, has a good page, with some nice updates,” said Stauffenberg, who will consign her to next season's yearling sales.

This Charming Man
The smile on the face of Nicky Murray grew wider and wider with each turn of the ring she took with her Charm Spirit (Ire) colt (lot 680), who was eventually sold to Denis Brosnan's Epona Bloodstock for 140,000gns––representing the best sales result for Murray and her husband Chris, who bred the son of Tweenhills' first-season sire under their Whitwell Bloodstock banner. The couple bought his dam Postale (GB) (Zamindar), a half-sister to G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Mutual Trust (GB) carrying to his sire Cacique (GB) for 72,000gns from the February Sale of 2014 and sold the resultant foal for 47,000gns last December.

“You see results like this happening to people at the sales and it's a way of life to some people but it's not our way of life,” said Murray, who admits that she burst into tears once she'd returned the foal to his stable.

“He has been an absolute star and has grown in presence and stature in the few days since he's been here. He's just thrived on being at the sales. The more people that looked at him, the more he loved it. I hope that sort of temperament stands him in good stead as a racehorse and he's been bought by an extremely good farm. I wish them luck when they bring him back to the sales next year.”

Postale, who is now in foal to Mayson (GB), got off to a great start when her first foal Star Archer (GB) (Champs Elysees) won a maiden for Hugo Palmer in September. Postale's dam Posteritas (Lear Fan) (lot 1810), currently in foal to Kingman (GB), and half-sister Exonerate (GB) (Cacique {GB}) (lot 2115) feature among Juddmonte's draft at next week's December Mares' Sale.

The first foals of treble Group 1-winning miler Charm Spirit have been well received so far at Tattersalls, with 11 sold for an average of 62,891gns. Also among the top lots on Thursday was the Charm Spirit colt out of Thankful (GB) (Diesis), who was offered as lot 616 by his breeder Tim Cooper of Nuthurst Farm Stud and sold to pinhooker Brendan Holland of Grove Stud for 110,000gns.

The Murrays' Norfolk neighbour Charlie Mason also enjoyed a good result just six lots later when his Dawn Approach colt (lot 686) sold for 135,000gns to Kingwood Stud.

Mason bought the colt's unraced dam Maynara (GB), a Manduro (Ger) half-sister to Group 1 winner Mamool (Ire) (In The Wings {GB}), for 42,000gns at the 2014 July Sale and this is her first foal.

The December Foal Sale continues today at 9.30am.